Summer was introduced to the adult film industry by Jim South, whom she met at an El Torito. She did her first nude photo shoot with Bobby Hollander in the summer of 1982, four days before her 20th birthday. Her first scene was in the film Shades of Ecstasy. She initially used the stage name Ricky Lane before changing it to her current stage name after approximately six months in the Business. She quit performing in adult films in 1993. For the most part, she spent the last five years of her career working as a feature Dancer and burlesque performer.
Summer lived in Florida for twenty years during her hiatus from porn. She was married for ten years and got divorced in 2000. She has an associate's degree in law and used to work as a paralegal, and also used to work as a medical assistant and certified nursing assistant. She moved back to Los Angeles in February 2014.
In 2014, Summer returned to the industry after she ran into Nina Hartley, who encouraged her to resume her adult film career. She currently hosts her own show on XXX Porn Star Radio.
