Home » Jazz Musicians » Donny Hathaway

Donny Hathaway

A cult figure which continues to loom large in the annals of soul singers, Donny Hathaway in his short time on earth, left behind an inspiring legacy of elevating the music into a more spiritual plane. This short bio is to pique the interest in Hathaway, and guide readers to the more extended profile of the man here @ all about jazz in an outstanding article by C.N. Harold entitled: Donny Hathaway; Celebrating the Spirit and the Soul. Hathaway was born in Chicago on October 1, 1945, but spent much of his childhood in St. Louis, where he lived in the Carr Square public housing project with his grandmother, Martha Pitts, who also went by the name Martha Crumwell. Pitts was a professional gospel singer, and Hathaway spent his early childhood time in church, watching her rehearse and perform. Inspired by this environment and the natural development of his talents he was drawn to a life of music. Hathaway soon began singing professionally as "Donny Pitts, The Nation's Youngest Gospel Singer." He also played the ukulele on stage, studied the piano, and as a child was fascinated by flamboyant piano virtuoso Liberace. At St. Louis's Vashon High School, he quickly made a name for himself as a piano prodigy. Backed by the support of his teachers, Hathaway earned a fine-arts scholarship to Howard University and entered in 1964. During his time at Howard, he met his future wife, Eulaulah, and recording artist Roberta Flack. Hathaway would leave Howard without his degree after three years of study; he had begun to receive lucrative job offers, in part because of his membership in a group called the Rick Powell Trio. While at Howard, Hathaway achieved early success in the recording industry by working as a producer and arranger for several acts, including Aretha Franklin and the Staple Singers. He also produced artists for Chess and Stax Records, and served as the band director for the Impressions, a group fronted by another Howard classmate, Leroy Hunter. In 1969, Hathaway teamed with a singer named June Conquest and recorded the single "I Thank You" for Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label and sang backup with the Mayfield Singers. Signed by Atlantic Records in 1969, Hathaway's first single, "The Ghetto, Part I," was released in late October and peaked on the R&B charts at No. 23 the following January. The heartbreaking, mournful tale of inner-city misery quickly established Hathaway as a talented singer/songwriter with a deep debt to his gospel roots.

Read more

Tags

598
Extended Analysis

Donny Hathaway: Someday We'll All Be Free

Read "Donny Hathaway: Someday We'll All Be Free" reviewed by Jeff Dayton-Johnson


Donny HathawaySomeday We'll All Be FreeRhino France2010 Critical opinion has not always been kind to the singer Donny Hathaway, who died in 1979 at the age of 33. Some have decried an alleged bourgeoisification of soul; but more cruel, perhaps, is the general neglect of critical and commercial attention in which Hathaway's records languish. Rarely is he--or indeed, was he, during his lifetime--mentioned in the same breath as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder ...

1,549
Profile

Donny Hathaway: Celebrating the Spirit and the Soul

Read "Donny Hathaway: Celebrating the Spirit and the Soul" reviewed by C.N. Harold


Few artists in Soul music incorporated the rhythms, technological interventions, and spiritual ethos of American jazz more fully than the late Donny Hathaway. Over the course of his recording career, the Chicago soul legend produced music which reminded many listeners of the fusion work of Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, Archie Shepp, Alice Coltrane, and Yusef Lateef. Connecting Hathaway with these and other jazz artists of the late sixties and seventies was his efforts to provide an aural landscape of black ...

Read more articles

Recording

Shout! Factory to Reissue Two Acclaimed Donny Hathaway Live Albums July 17

Shout! Factory to Reissue Two Acclaimed Donny Hathaway Live Albums July 17

Source: Chris M. Slawecki

Shout! Factory has announced plans to celebrate renowned soul artist Donny Hathaway with a new 2-Disc reissue titled Donny Hathaway Live + In Performance, to be released on July 17. The set features 2 albums of live material produced by Jerry Wexler & Arif Mardin, including the critically acclaimed Donny Hathaway Live album on Disc 1, and Donny Hathaway In Performance on Disc 2. A dedication written for Donny Hathaway Live + In Performance has been provided by Hathaway’s daughter, ...

184

Recording

Kirk Whalum's Donny Hathaway Tribute out Now: Everything is Everything

Kirk Whalum's Donny Hathaway Tribute out Now: Everything is Everything

Source: Giant Step

Donny Hathaway would have been 65 years old on October 1, 2010. Tenor saxophonist Kirk Whalum's work has similarly crossed the boundaries between R&B, gospel and jazz with an emotional immediacy that is beyond compare. Kirk's new release, Everything Is Everything: The Music of Donny Hathaway brilliantly exhibits 8-time Grammy nominee Kirk's singular interpretive skills. Highlights include “You Had To Know," featuring a heartfelt performance by Donny's daughter, Lalah Hathaway, and Musiq Soulchild's retro take on “We're Still Friends."

RSVP ...

Photos

Music

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.