| Born: Genre: Style: |
1945 – Chicago, Illinois, USA – 1979 Ϯ Funk / Soul Soul |
| Year | Album Title | Label | In House |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Everything Is Everything | ATCO Records | On Website |
| 1971 | Donny Hathaway | ATCO Records | YES |
| 1972 | Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway | Atlantic | YES |
| 1972 | Live | ATCO Records | YES |
| 1973 | Extension Of A Man | ATCO Records | YES |
| 1978 | The Best Of Donny Hathaway | Atlantic | On Website |
| 1979 | Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway | Atlantic | YES |
| 1980 | In Performance | Atlantic | No |
| 2014 | Live At The Bitter End 1971 | ATCO Records | No |
Singer-composer-arranger Donny Hathaway may be best known for his duets with singer Roberta Flack, but the legacy of his solo work he left behind upon his death in 1979 is part of the foundation of American soul music. His songs have influenced artists from R&B singer Alicia Keys to rapper Common to singer-guitarist George Benson.
Hathaway's voice was clear and powerful, and his piano playing was distinctively his own. He exerted uncanny control over both instruments. Contemporary singer-songwriter Raul Midon—often compared to Hathaway—says, "Hathaway not only had an incredible voice, but also the technique of a classical singer."
Hathaway was born on October 1, 1945, in Chicago, Illinois, and raised by his grandmother in a St. Louis public housing project. By the age of three, he was already a professional gospel singer. His piano skills earned him a scholarship to Howard University and eventually landed him work as a producer and arranger for none other than Aretha Franklin and the Staple Singers. In 1969, he signed with Atlantic Records and released his first single, "The Ghetto, Pt. 1."
“When I listened to him I heard someone who has something to say, and you have to hear it,” says producer and arranger Joe Mardin.
"He's simply the strongest soul singer who ever lived," he says. "Call it gospel. Call it soul. Call it whatever you want. That tradition of singing… Black singers, African-American singers. He came from that tradition."
Raul Midon, singer, guitarist and songwriter
Mardin was still a child when he met Hathaway. His father, Arif, produced numerous albums and was responsible for the lush arrangements that cradle Hathaway's voice in "A Song For You." He scoffs at the number of people who claim to have been influenced by Hathaway. Not that it's unwelcome to see Hathaway getting the credit he deserves. But most singers and musicians simply can't match Hathaway's level of skill.
"I think very few people come close to Donny's singing style," he says, "or the depth of sound and emotion in his singing." Mardin says many don't realize that besides Hathaway's extraordinary voice, he was an accomplished songwriter, arranger, and conductor. He points to "I Love The Lord; He Heard My Cry (Parts 1 and 2)"—with its symphonic arrangement—from Hathaway's final solo album, Extension Of A Man.
"Nobody could write a song like him," says legendary guitarist Phil Upchurch. "You receive it, wake up in the middle of the night, and God speaks to you and says, 'Go write this.'"
Upchurch, who performed with Hathaway frequently, says he's never been so touched by another musician. "The clarity and feeling could actually make the hair on your arms stand up, make you cry, and give you goosebumps all at the same time," he says.
The diverse style of Hathaway's final solo album expanded beyond his soul and gospel roots, which included Latin jazz and honky-tonk. Such breadth might have been difficult to grasp for a music industry predicated on selling strictly separate genres. Hathaway's diversity is also remarkable considering that—at this point in his career—he was battling depression and schizophrenia.
Producer Eric Mercury was with Hathaway in January 1979 for what would become his final recording session. Mercury still speaks reverently of Hathaway's talent and the rare gift he had of hearing a piece of music, in his mind, as a fully formed part. "He hears the music, he hears the strings, he hears the production, he hears the drums, he hears the lyrics all at the same time," Mercury says. "Donny Hathaway intimidated great singers."
In a 1973 interview recorded on the album called Songs for You, Live!, Hathaway spoke personally about his approach to music.
"When I think about music, I think about it in its entirety, complete," he said. "From the lowest blues to the highest symphony, you know, so what I'd like to do is give examples of styles from as many periods as I possibly can."
But Hathaway never got the chance. On January 13, 1979, his body was found outside New York's Essex House beneath his 15th-story hotel room. His death was ruled a suicide. He was only 33 years old.
