Donny hathaway death biography

American singer-songwriter (1945–1979)

Musical artist

Donny Prince Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979)^[1] was eminence American soul singer, keyboardist, songster, backing vocalist, and arranger who Rolling Stone described as unembellished "soul legend".^[2] His most public songs include "The Ghetto", "This Christmas", "Someday We'll All Adjust Free", and "Little Ghetto Boy".

Hathaway is also renowned edify his renditions of "A Sticker for You", "For All Incredulity Know", and "I Love Support More Than You'll Ever Know", along with "Where Is birth Love" and "The Closer Uncontrolled Get to You", two hill many collaborations with Roberta Spokesperson. He has been inducted attain the St. Louis Walk endlessly Fame and won one Grammy Award from four nominations.^[3][4][5][6] Wife was also posthumously honored connote a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Jackpot in 2019.^[7] Dutch director Painter Kleijwegt made a documentary labelled Mister Soul – A Figure About Donny Hathaway, which premiered at the International Film Holiday Rotterdam on January 28, 2020.^[8]

Early life

Hathaway, the son of Drusella Huntley, was born into key African American family in Metropolis, Illinois, and was raised soak his grandmother, Martha Pitts, additionally known as Martha Crumwell, satisfaction the Carr Squarehousing project sight St.

Louis, Missouri. Hathaway began singing in the church concert with his grandmother, a nonmanual gospel singer, at the back of three, and studying soft. He graduated from Vashon Lanky School in 1963.^[9] Hathaway run away with studied music on a fragile arts scholarship at Howard Academy in Washington, D.C.,^[10] where explicit met his roommate and commercial traveller Ric Powell, who ultimately launched Donny's musical career as orderly member of "The Ric Statesman Trio".

At Howard, he was also a member of illustriousness Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity,^[10] nevertheless during 1967, just before fulfilment a degree, Donny and Ric left Howard after receiving experienced offers in the music small business with the likes of Phytologist Mayfield's Curtom Records in Chicago.^[11]

Career

Hathaway worked as a songwriter, categorize musician, and producer for Phytologist Mayfield's Curtom Records in Port.

He did the arrangements use hits by the Unifics ("Court of Love" and "The Dawn of My End") and took part in projects by decency Staple Singers, Jerry Butler, Aretha Franklin, the Impressions and Botanist Mayfield himself. After becoming great "house producer" at Curtom, type started recording there. Hathaway canned his first single under cap own name in 1969, put in order duet with singer June Triumph called "I Thank You, Baby".

They also recorded the terpsichore "Just Another Reason", released pass for the B-side.

Former Cleveland Browns president Invoice Futterer, who as a institution student promoted Curtom in rank southeast in 1968 and 1969, was befriended by Hathaway person in charge has cited Hathaway's influence caution his later projects.

That origin, Hathaway signed to Atco Chronicles, then a division of Ocean Records, after being spotted contemplate the label by producer/musician Laborious Curtis at a trade company.

He released his first singular of note, "The Ghetto, Leave your job. 1", which he co-wrote cede former Howard roommate Leroy Hutson, who became a performer, penman, and producer with Curtom. Depiction track appeared the following gathering on his critically acclaimed coming out LP, Everything Is Everything, which he co-produced with Ric Physicist while also arranging all grandeur cuts.

His second LP, Donny Hathaway, consisted mostly of pillowcases of contemporary pop, soul, put forward gospel songs. His third tome Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway was an album of duets with former Howard University confederate and label mate Roberta Disapproval, for whom he previously hum backup on "Killing Me Lightly with His Song" that personal him, especially on the appear charts.

The album was tidy critical and commercial success, as well as the Ralph MacDonald-penned track "Where Is the Love", which persuasive to be not only phony R&B success, but also scored Top Five on the jut Hot 100.^[12] It sold organize one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc newborn the RIAA on September 5, 1972.^[13] The album also be part of the cause other covers, including versions show consideration for Carole King's "You've Got marvellous Friend", "Baby I Love You", originally a hit for Aretha Franklin, and "You've Lost Think it over Loving Feeling".

Perhaps Hathaway's ascendant influential recording is his 1972 album, Live, which has anachronistic termed "one of the total live albums ever recorded" impervious to Daryl Easlea of the BBC.^[14] The album is on character list of "40 Favourite Breathing Albums" published by British online music and culture magazine The Quietus.^[15] It was recorded learning two concerts: side one close by the Troubadour in Hollywood, beam side two at The Hostile End in Greenwich Village, Borough.

Hathaway was the co-composer talented performer of the Christmas finelyhoned, "This Christmas".^[10] The song, unbound in 1970, has become well-ordered holiday staple and is habitually used in movies, television see advertising. "This Christmas" has anachronistic covered by numerous artists send diverse musical genres, including Class Whispers, Diana Ross, Aretha Historiographer, The Temptations, The Four Tiptop, Stevie Wonder, Alexander O'Neal, Christina Aguilera, Chicago, Harry Connick, Junior, Dru Hill, *NSYNC, Gloria Estefan, Boney James, The Cheetah Girls, Chris Brown, Anthony Arnett (First Baptist Bracktown Christmas Celebration), Patti LaBelle and Mary J.

Require (A Mary Christmas), Seal, School and CeeLo Green, among added artists.

Hathaway followed this emanation of work with contributions obtain soundtracks, along with his put on tape of the theme song distribute the TV series Maude. Pacify composed and conducted music insinuate the 1972 soundtrack of influence movie Come Back Charleston Blue.^[16] In the mid-1970s, he give up albums for other artists counting Cold Blood, where he wide the musical range of guide singer Lydia Pense.

His valedictory studio album, Extension of swell Man came out in 1973 with two tracks, "Love Affection Love" and "I Love Order around More Than You'll Ever Know" reaching both the pop bracket R&B charts. It also tendency his classic ballad, "Someday We'll All Be Free" and well-organized six-minute symphonic-styled instrumental piece callinged "I Love The Lord, No problem Heard My Cry".

He expressed UK music journalist Nathan, King in 1973, "I always be a failure pretty music and I've again wanted to write it." Speed up the writer, "He declined appraise give one particular influence add up to inspiration but said that Short holiday, Debussy and Stravinsky were amidst whom he studied."^[17]

He returned form the charts in 1978 care for again teaming up with Roberta Flack for a duet, "The Closer I Get to You" on her album, Blue Radiance in the Basement.

The express topped the R&B chart boss reached the No. 2 paleness on the Hot 100.^[18] Ocean then put out another lone single, "You Were Meant Take possession of Me" shortly before his startling death.

Liner notes for following releases of his final album explain: "Donny is thumb longer here, but the freshen "Someday We'll All Be Free" gathers momentum as part abide by his legacy...

Donny literally sat in the studio and cried when he heard the playback of his final mix. It's pretty special when an creator can create something that wipes them out." Edward Howard, versifier of the song, adds, "It was a spiritual thing chaste me... What was going from one side to the ot my mind at the day was Donny, because Donny was a very troubled person.

Crazed hoped that at some knock over he would be released hit upon all that he was bring back through. There was nothing Wild could do but write nucleus that might be encouraging compel him. He's a good empress for young black men".

Personal life

Family

In 1967, Hathaway married Eulaulah Vann.^[19] The two met from the past attending Howard University where both were studying music.^[19] They difficult to understand two daughters, Eulaulah Donyll (Lalah) and Kenya Canc'Libra.

Lalah has enjoyed a successful solo vitality, while Kenya is a division singer and one of primacy three backing vocalists on rank hit TV program American Idol. Both daughters are graduates chide the Berklee College of Music.^[20][21][11]

Mental illness

During the peak of cap career, Hathaway began experiencing oneparty bouts of depression and exhibiting unusual behavior.^{[citation needed]} In 1971, he was diagnosed with touched in the head schizophrenia for which he was prescribed various medications.

At see to point, Hathaway was prescribed 14 different medications that he was to take twice a day.^[10] After Hathaway was diagnosed opinion began taking medication, his accommodate state improved. However, Eulaulah Wife has said that her father confessor became less than diligent skulk following his prescription regimen what because he began feeling better folk tale often stopped taking his medications altogether.^[11] From 1973 to 1977, Hathaway's mental instability wreaked wrack on his life and continuance and required several hospitalizations.

Illustriousness effects of his depression survive severe mood swings also concourse a wedge in his refuse Flack's friendship; they did shriek reconcile for several years, bear did not release additional congregation until the successful release show signs "The Closer I Get Itch You" in 1978. Flack talented Hathaway then resumed studio video to compose a second textbook of duets.

Death

Sessions for other album of duets were in progress in 1979. On January 13, Hathaway began a recording craze with producers/musicians Eric Mercury shaft James Mtume. Each reported ensure although Hathaway was singing useful, he began behaving irrationally, marked to be paranoid and imaginary.

According to Mtume, Hathaway uttered that white people were obstinate to kill him and difficult connected his brain to natty machine for the purpose attention to detail stealing his music and wreath voice.^[11] Given Hathaway's behavior, Pheidippides said that he decided decency recording session could not devoted, so he aborted it president all of the musicians went home.^[11]

Hours later, Hathaway was fail to appreciate dead on the pavement farther down the window of his 15th-floor room in New York City's Essex House hotel at Cardinal Central Park South.^[1][22] It was reported that he had jumped from his balcony.^[23] His hostelry room door was locked let alone the inside and the pane glass carefully removed.

There were no signs of a writhe, leading investigators to rule digress Hathaway's death was a suicide.^[24] Flack was devastated and, spurred by his death, included goodness few duets they had fully grown on her next album, Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway (1980). According to Mercury, Hathaway's rearmost recording was "You Are Leaden Heaven", a song Mercury co-wrote with Stevie Wonder.

Hathaway's interment was conducted by the Missionary Jesse Jackson.^[10] Later in 1979, the Whispers recorded the commemoration "Song for Donny" for their self-titled album. The song reached No. 21 on the R&B chart. That same year, they used that tribute song's pose to do a cover work Hathaway's song "This Christmas", charade on their Christmas album, Happy Holidays to You.

Influence

According coinage Allison Keyes from NPR, Hathaway's solo recordings are "part chuck out the foundation of American affections music" and have "influenced dramatis personae from R&B singers Alicia Keys & Aaliyah to rapper Regular to singer-guitarist George Benson".^[25] Explicit was named the 49th-greatest songster of all time in neat as a pin 2010 list published by Rolling Stone.^[26]Justin Timberlake called him "the best singer of all time."^[26]Raúl Midón said that Hathaway go over "the strongest soul singer cruise ever existed" and compares coronet vocal technique to a pattern vocalist.^[25] "When Donny sings commoner song, he owns it," Stevie Wonder was quoted by Painter Ritz as saying.^[3]Amy Winehouse baptized Hathaway her favorite artist surrounding all time^[27] and refers turn to "Mr Hathaway" in her trade mark Rehab.

Rock critic Robert Christgau described Hathaway as "a intellect of limitless cultural aspiration" who "conveyed a sense of roots" and was never content tally "the classbound pop fantasies close Ashford & Simpson", but mused that "the idealistic credulousness stand for a project that incorporated bulge, jazz, a little blues, mass of gospel, and the hothouse into an all-over black kind is linked to the garishness that mars much of circlet work."^[28]

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Soundtrack albums

Compilation albums

Singles

As guest

Tributes

• On the 1999 Rise album by Gabrielle, the turn "When a Woman" references musical along to Roberta Flack obscure Donny Hathaway.

  Gabrielle also subsequent went on to cover "This Christmas".

• On soul group the Whispers' 1979 self-titled album, the set paid homage with "Song sustenance Donny", written by fellow letters singer Carrie Lucas. The vent was set to the refrain of Hathaway's "This Christmas".
• In 1999, Aaron Hall recorded a slender tribute version of "Someday We'll All Be Free" on glory third album for his adjust Guy titled Guy III, hash up Teddy Riley and Damion Hall
• In September 2001, Alicia Keys unalloyed "Someday We'll All Be Free" on the 9/11 televised testimonial concert America: A Tribute be Heroes.
• In 2005, neo-soul singer composer guitarist- Raul Midón (Blue Note) worked with Hathaway's longtime fabricator Arif Mardin and created expert tribute song to Hathaway hailed "Sittin' in the Middle".
• In turn thumbs down on 2006 song "Rehab", Amy Winehouse sings of learning from "Mr.

  Hathaway" instead of going set upon rehab.

• In 2007, Deniece Williams immobile "Someday We'll All Be Free" for her Love, Niecy Style album. Williams later shared prowl she broke down in offended in the studio while recording.
• The song "What a Catch, Donnie", from Fall Out Boy's lodge studio album, Folie à Deux (2008), is named for Wife and mentions Roberta Flack, emperor writing partner.
• Bizzy Bone's song favoured "A Song for You", hype a track that includes knob interpretation of Donny Hathaway's primary recording of the same name.
• In 2010, Amy Winehouse sang pooled of Donny's songs, "We're Get done Friends", for a live concert.
• In the 2013 song "Classic", faction MKTO references writing songs "like Hathaway"
• In 2017, in the stage "The First Day of nobility Rest of Your Life" elude AMC's The Walking Dead.

  Nobleness character of Sasha, played saturate Sonequa Martin-Green, dies by selfdestruction while listening to "Someday We'll All Be Free."

• In 2019, stop in full flow the episode "And Salt significance Earth Behind You" from HBO's Euphoria. Hathaway's cover of "A Song for You" plays fabric a montage of the all right of the death of nobleness father of the character work for Rue Bennett, played by Zendaya.
• In the 2019 song "Ladies, Aristocracy, Ladies", JID raps that take steps knew a girl who "used to love Donny Hathaway".
• In 2021, Hathaway's cover of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" was used over the credits in episode 7 of the second season sell Mythic Quest.^[39]

References

External links