Donny Hathaway
Background information
Birth name	Donny Edward Hathaway
Born	October 1, 1945
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died	January 13, 1979
Genre(s)	Chicago soul, R&B
Occupation(s)	Arranger, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, piano, keyboards
Years active	1969-1979
Label(s)	Atco Records
Associated acts	Lalah Hathaway Roberta Flack

Donny Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul musician. Image File history File linksMetadata Donny-Hathaway. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Chicago soul is a form of soul music that arose during the 1960s in Chicago. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Atco Records was a United States based subsidiary label of Atlantic Records. ... Lalah Hathaway is a contemporary R&B singer and the daughter of soul legend Donny Hathaway. ... Roberta Flack Roberta Flack (born February 10, 1937 in Asheville, North Carolina) is an American singer. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ...

Biography

Early career

He began singing in a church choir with his grandmother at the age of 3. He also began playing piano as a child, and by the time he was a teenager, his prowess at the piano earned him a fine arts scholarship to Howard University in 1964. He attended the university for three years, and performed with a jazz trio, The Ric Powell Trio. Ultimately, Hathaway was offered so much industry work that he left before graduating. A short grand piano, with the top up. ... Howard University is a Carnegie Doctoral/Research extensive historically black university in Washington, D.C. Affectionately known as Black Harvard, Howard was established in 1867 by congressional order and named after Oliver O. Howard. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ...

Personal life

Hathaway was born in Chicago, Illinois, but grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where there are currently subdivisions named in his honor. He and his wife, Eulaulah, had two daughters, Lalah and Kenya. Kenya is one of the three backup singers on the hit t.v. program American Idol. Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Lalah Hathaway is a contemporary R&B singer and the daughter of soul legend Donny Hathaway. ... AMERICAN IDOL HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO DEATH OF SIMON ...

Career

At first, Hathaway worked as songwriter, session musician and producer. He did the arrangements for The Unifics and participated in projects by The Staple Singers, Jerry Butler and Aretha Franklin, as well as with Curtis Mayfield. After becoming a "house producer" at Mayfield's label, Curtom Records, he recorded his first single in 1969, a duet with singer June Conquest called "I Thank You Baby". The Staple Singers were a United States gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. ... Jerry Butler Jerry Butler, Jr. ... Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American soul, R&B, and gospel singer, songwriter, and pianist born in Memphis, Tennessee, but raised in Detroit, Michigan. ... Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, funk and R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ...

Hathaway then signed to Atco Records, which released his first single of note, "The Ghetto, Pt. 1". His debut LP was Everything Is Everything (1970), which was critically acclaimed. His second album, Donny Hathaway, was a major hit. He also recorded an album of duets with former Howard University classmate and label mate Roberta Flack. The album was both a critical and commercial success, including the Ralph MacDonald-penned track "Where Is The Love?", which proved to be not only an R&B hit, but also went Top Five on the pop charts. [1]. The album also included a number of other covers, including versions Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" and "Baby I Love You", originally a hit for Aretha Franklin. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Roberta Flack Roberta Flack (born February 10, 1937 in Asheville, North Carolina) is an American singer. ... Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. ... Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American soul, R&B, and gospel singer, songwriter, and pianist born in Memphis, Tennessee, but raised in Detroit, Michigan. ...

Hathaway followed this flurry of work with some contributions to soundtracks, along with his recording of the theme song to the TV series Maude. Several years after their first collaboration, Hathaway renewed his collaboration with Flack and recorded several additional tracks, including the hit "The Closer I Get to You" (1978). // In film formats, the sound track is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... And Then Theres Maude (Maudes Theme) was the theme song for the television series Maude, written and performed by Donny Hathaway. ... Maude is a half-hour American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 29, 1978. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

In the mid-1970s he also produced albums for other artists including Cold Blood, where he expanded the musical range of lead singer Lydia Pense. Cold Blood is a long-standing soul-rock-jazz band founded by Larry Field in 1968 and originally based in Oakland. ... Lydia Pense (b. ...

Health challenges

At the height of his career, Hathaway began to suffer from severe bouts of depression. The illness wreaked havoc on his life, requiring several hospitalizations. The effects of Hathaway's depression also drove a wedge into Flack and Hathaway's friendship; they did not reconcile for several years, and did not release additional music until the 1978 release of "The Closer I Get To You". The single became a pop and R&B hit, and Flack and Hathaway returned to the studios to record a second album of duets. Clinical depression (also called major depressive disorder, or sometimes unipolar when compared with bipolar disorder) is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individuals social functioning and/or activities of daily living. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

Death

On January 13, 1979, Hathaway was found dead on the sidewalk in front of the Essex House in New York City, where he had been living. His body showed no signs of struggle, and the glass from the window in Hathaway's room had been removed; investigators determined Hathaway had committed suicide. Friends, fans, and the media were mystified at his death, since his career and his partnership with Flack were on an upswing. Flack was devastated by his death, and included the few duet tracks they had finished on her next album. January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... Essex House sign as seen from Central Park The Jumeirah Essex House is a luxury hotel located on Central Park South in Manhattan. ... New York, NY redirects here. ... It has been suggested that The Pros of suicide be merged into this article or section. ...

Discography

Albums

• Everything Is Everything (ATCO, 1970)
• Donny Hathaway (ATCO, 1971)
• Live (ATCO, 1972)
• Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (1972)^R
• Extensions Of A Man (1973)
• Featuring Donny Hathaway (1980)^R
• In Performance (1980)

Singles

• "I Thank You Baby" (Curtom, 1969)
• "The Ghetto, Pt. 1" (ATCO)
• "This Christmas" b/w "Be There" (ATCO, 1970)
• "A Song For You" (1971)
• "Magnificent Sanctuary Band" b/w "Take A Love Song" (1971)
• "You've Got A Friend" (1971)^R
• "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" (1971)^R
• "Giving Up" (1972)
• "Where Is The Love?" (1972)^R
• "The Closer I Get To You" (1978)^R
• "Back Together Again" (Atlantic, 1979)^R
• "You Are My Heaven" (1980)^R

Compilations

• The Best of Donny Hathaway (Atlantic, 1978)
• A Donny Hathaway Collection (1990)
• These Songs For You, Live (Rhino, 2004)

^R - Billed as Roberta Flack featuring Donny Hathaway.

Legacy

• Donny Hathaway's Donny Hathaway Live, which featured noted R&B musicians Willie Weeks (bass guitar) and Cornell Dupree (guitar), has been cited as an influence by numerous artists, including India.Arie and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Arie, Brian McKnight, Anthony Hamilton and Frank McComb are among the contemporary artists whose work echoes Hathaway's.
• Hathaway was considered an eccentric by many. He cultivated many unusual interests, and was a devotee of mid-20th century French classical composers. Several anecdotes about Hathaway are contained in Jerry Wexler's book Rhythm And The Blues.
• On soul group The Whispers' 1980 self-titled album, the group paid homage with "A Song for Donny," written by fellow soul singer Carrie Lucas. The song was set to the melody of Hathaway's "This Christmas."
• He was a major influence on the singing style of singer-guitarist George Benson.
• Pop singer Justin Timberlake claims Hathaway is his favorite artist and biggest musical influence.
• In 2005, Neo-soul singer songwriter guitarist, Raul Midon (Blue Note) worked with Hathaway's longtime producer Arif Mardin (known for collaborations with The Bee Gees, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Norah Jones & Aretha Franklin) and created a tribute song to Hathaway called "Sittin' in the Middle."
• Hathaway's daughter Lalah is an accomplished R&B/jazz singer.
• Amy Winehouse refers to "Mr. Hathaway" in her song "Rehab" about depression and alcoholism.
• On NY artist NAS's album "Hip Hop is Dead" on the song Blunt Ashes, he tells a story that includes reportedly claiming Donny Hathaway was thrown from his window.

Willie Weeks (born in Salemburg, North Carolina) is an American bassist. ... Martin EB18 Bass Guitar in flight case. ... Cornell Dupree loves the penis. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... India Arie Sampson (born October 3, 1975), professionally known as India. ... Stephen (Stevie) Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990), born in Dallas, Texas, was an American blues guitarist. ... Brian McKnight on the cover of his 2005 album Gemini Brian McKnight (born June 5, 1969 in Buffalo, New York) is a Grammy nominated American singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and one of the prominent singers of his years, specializing in pop and R&B. He is a multi-instrumentalist and... Anthony Hamilton Anthony Hamilton (born in Charlotte, North Carolina) is an R&B/soul singer and songwriter who rose to fame with his 2003 debut album Comin From Where Im From, which featured the singles Comin from Where Im From, Charlene, and Im a Mess. ... Frank McComb (born July 15, 1970, Cleveland, Ohio, USA) is a jazz singer and keyboardist. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Jerome Jerry Wexler (born 10 January 1917) is a music journalist turned highly influential music producer, and is regarded as one of the major record industry players behind 1960s soul music. ... The Whispers are a R&B/ dance vocal group from Los Angeles California. ... Carrie Lucas Was A Member Of The Soul Train Gang, In 1975. ... This is an article about George Benson, Jazz musician. ... Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is a two-time Grammy Award-winning American pop/R&B singer, and actor. ... Raul Midón is a guitarist from New Mexico currently living and performing in New York City. ... Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 - June 25, 2006) was a renowned Turkish-American music producer, who worked with a wide range of artists, across many different styles and genres of music. ... The Bee Gees: Maurice, Barry and Robin The Bee Gees were a British and Australian band, originally a pop singer-songwriter combination, reborn as funk and disco. ... Chaka Khan (born Yvette Marie Stevens on March 23, 1953 in Great Lakes, Illinois) is an American singer best known for her 1984 cover of Princes I Feel For You, for her smash hit Im Every Woman and as a member of the funk band Rufus, with whom... Bette Davis Midler (born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known to her fans as The Divine Miss M. She is named after the actress Bette Davis although Davis pronounced her first name in two syllables, and Midler uses one. ... Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar on March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and occasional actress. ... Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American soul, R&B, and gospel singer, songwriter, and pianist born in Memphis, Tennessee, but raised in Detroit, Michigan. ... Lalah Hathaway is a contemporary R&B singer and the daughter of soul legend Donny Hathaway. ... Amy Jade Winehouse (born 14 September 1983) is an English jazz and soul singer and songwriter from Enfield, North London. ...

Trivia

• Hathaway was a prominent member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established by African Americans.
• His death followed by exactly one year the death of his fraternity brother (honorary), Hubert Humphrey.
• Hathaway is among the many notable and famous Alumni of Howard University in Washington D.C..
• Donny composed and conducted music for the 1972 soundtrack of the movie Come Back Charleston Blue. ^[1]

Alpha Phi Alpha (ΑΦΑ) is the first intercollegiate fraternity established by African Americans. ... The Greek alphabet is an alphabet that has been used to write the Greek language since about the 9th century BCE. It was the first alphabet in the narrow sense, that is, a writing system using a separate symbol for each vowel and consonant alike. ... The terms fraternity and sorority (from the Latin words and , meaning brother and sister respectively) may be used to describe many social and charitable organizations, for example the Lions Club, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Delta Sigma Phi, Rotary International, Optimist International, Ordo Templi Orientis or the Shriners. ... Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. ...

American Idol connection

• Modern R&B singer and 2003 American Idol winner Ruben Studdard grew up with Hathaway's music, and did cover versions of the Hathaway songs "For All We Know" and "This Christmas."
• Another American Idol contestant, 2006 second runner-up Elliott Yamin, covered Leon Russell's "A Song for You", popularized by Hathaway, in his audition, during Hollywood Week and again during the show's primetime performances, as well as in front of a crowd at the baseball stadium during his visit back home (when he was eliminated, his final video clips segued through several of the performances). After the April 25, 2006 show in which Yamin performed "A Song for You" and said he wanted to return the "spotlight" to Donny Hathaway, sales of A Donny Hathaway Collection shot all the way up to twenty-third on Amazon.com CD sales chart, with some commenters citing the performance as their reason for buying Hathaway's CD. In December 2006, Yamin also released a cover of "This Christmas", and Yamin's March 2007 self-titled debut album featured a cover of "A Song For You".
• Hathaway's daughter, Kenya, is a backup singer in the house band for American Idol.
• Season 6 finalist Chris Richardson auditioned with Hathaway's "A Song for You."

AMERICAN IDOL HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO DEATH OF SIMON ... The second season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2003 and continued until May 20, 2003. ... Christopher Ruben Studdard (born September 12, 1978) is an American pop/R&B/gospel singer who rose to fame as winner of the second season of the American Idol television program. ... The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. ... Elliott Yamin (born Efraym Elliott Yamin[1] on July 20, 1978) is an American singer who was the third-place finalist on the fifth season of American Idol. ... Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges on April 2, 1942 in Lawton, Oklahoma) is a singer, songwriter, pianist, and guitarist. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (116th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 2007 is the third month of the year. ...

References

Footnotes

1. ^ 'Come Back Charleston Blue' on Discogs.

Other References

• Roberta Flack on Discogs
• Donny Hathaway on Discogs
• Donny Hathaway at All Music Guide

Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about music recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and certain bootleg or off-label releases. ... Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about music recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and certain bootleg or off-label releases. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ...

External links

• Donny Hathaway's Gravesite
• T.I.R.M. Legend - Donny Hathaway