b. 1st October 1945, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
d. 13th January 1979, New York, U.S.A.
Donny Hathaway hailed from Chicago, Illinois, although he grew up in St. Louis with his grandmother, Martha Cromwell, who was a respected Gospel singer in her own right.
Donny grew up, as did many of his contemporaries, with Gospel roots.
He studied music at Howard University in Washington during 1964, where his room mate was Leroy Hutson.
The pair were later to pen the song 'The Ghetto', together.
Donny majored in musical theory before performing in a cocktail jazz group called the Ric Powell Trio.
He was then employed as a producer with Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label, while a duet with June Conquest, 'I Thank You Baby', became his first hit in 1969.
Donny later worked at the Chess and Stax labels with The Staples Singers, Carla Thornas and Jerry Butler.
While at a music fair he met King Curtis who took him to Atco / Atlantic Records, who signed him as a solo artist.
An album 'Donny Hathaway' was released in 1970.
Donny's albums included 'Everything is Everything', 'Come Back Charleston Blue' (a soundtrack) and 'Extensions Of A Man', including 'Flying Easy', 'Love Love Love', 'Someday We'll All Be Free' and 'Valdez In The Country'.
He also recorded the theme song for the TV series 'Maude', and wrote the film soundtrack to 'Come Back Charleston Blue'.
His compositions were recorded by acts such as Aretha Franklin and Jerry Butler, however, Donny is best remembered for his duets with Roberta Flack.
The coupling reached their pinnacle on the singles 'Where Is The Love' (1972) and 'The Closer I Get To You' (1978), both of which reached the U.S. Top 5.
bootleg 1972
Donny was also, throughout the decade, battling severe bouts of depression, which occasionally required him to be hospitalized.
Sessions for a second album of duets with Roberta were underway when, on the 13th January 1979, Donny was found dead, at the age of 33, on the sidewalk below the 15th floor window of his room in New York's Essex House hotel.
The glass had been carefully removed from the window, and there were no signs of struggle, leading investigators to rule his death a suicide.
Donny's close friends were mystified, considering that his career had been on the ascendancy.
Towards the end of his life he suffered from personal and identity problems, which hospitalised him from time to time.
He left a number of children including daughter Lalah Hathaway.
In 1980, Hathaway achieved a posthumous U.K. number 3 hit with another Roberta Flack duet, 'Back Together Again'.
http://www.donnyhathaway.info/
Albums:
Everything Is Everything (Atco Records 1970)
Donny Hathaway (Atco Records 1971)
Donny Hathaway Live (Atco Records 1972)
Donny Hathaway Live At The Astrodome (Nasty Records 1972)
Come Back Charleston Blue film soundtrack (Atco Records 1972)
with Roberta Flack: Roberta Flack And Donny Hathaway (Atlantic Records 1972)
Extension Of A Man (Atco Records 1973)
The Best Of (Atlantic Records 1978)
with Roberta Flack: Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway (Atlantic Records 1980)
In Performance (Atlantic Records 1980)
