I have been listening to alot of Donny Hathaway recently from, This Christmas to Someday We'll be Free to a Song for you. Because of the manner of his death these songs touch me deeply, more than they otherwise would. However there have been conflict on why Donny committed sucide; Was it due to his mental illness or his alleged love for Roberta?

Also their song Back together Again, which was released after Donny's death was it self-penned by the two of them?

I never knew if Donny was in love with Roberta,but he definitely had some issues going on.

Roberta Flack talked a little about Donny’s death on Wendy Williams and I’m so mad I missed a little snippet. I remember her stating that when he died, she had just left him moments before. They were together and she had gotten in a taxi and then he was dead. I don't know of any love thing.

I grew up on them but it wasn’t until I was grown that I could truly appreciate the emotion behind The Closer I Get To You, which is why I could not listen to the version with Beyonce and Luther Vandross. I don’t care if it was Luther, their cover did nothing for me especially Beyonce’s vocals.

Some things just need to be left alone. Donny and Roberta…they give me chills and at times I can even tear up. Anyway, I’m sorry Donny died as I think they could have gone to create more beautiful songs together.

I am happy someone responded to my thread.

I have heard that Donny was in love with Roberta, but because she was married at the time and so was he, he got frustrated and committed suicide. Roberta has even been asked about it in interviews and she has alway denied that was the case.

Another thing I heard was that she was actually there when he committed suicided.

Anyway because of Donny constant struggles when I listen to his music I hear it differently, for instance Someday We'll Be Free is usually sang as a Civil Rights song, but I believe when Donny co-wrote the song it was more to do with his personal struggles like his mental illness.

I heard she was there at his death too but from what I recall of the interview I couldn’t tell if she drove off in the cab or what. I know some people like to go with the idea that he fell because maybe they couldn’t accept the suicide story but mental illness is definitely gives the idea of suicide a strong believability. Add in his love for Roberta and I’m guessing he had a lot of inner struggle.

Someday We’ll All Be Free is one of my favorite songs ever. From the first note I get misty.

JackieBlue said:

Me too, it is such a soul-searching song. Apparently, Donny cried too after he finished recording the song.

The first time I heard it was to the closing credits of Malcolm X, the Aretha version and I fell in love with it then. It was only later I noted it was a Donny Hathaway song and when I listened to him sing it I saw it differently to the Civil Right song it as become. It's heart wrenching hearing Donny sing it knowing his demons.

OMG, the Aretha version will break me down if I let it. Obviously a great vocalist is key but I think the chords and melody really resonate with me in general. I heard jazz singer Diane Schuur’s version and it still made me want to wail but she’s no chump either.

Nah, the Roberta Flack fling ain't true.

The legend though was that he was a closet homosexual and it was a deep rooted struggle to him esp considering that he's from a very strict religious household(his grandmother - who raised him - was a minister I think).

You guys have to read Luther Vandross' book, there's a section about the process of recording "Back Toghether again"(in which Luther was one of the session singers). James Mtume(the session producer) had a rough time making Donny sing that song because he was in such a depressed state,,,,and when he finally sang the song, he had a meltdown @ some point and ran outta the studio, crying.

Its beyond me how Donny still doesn't have a book about his life OR music for that matter

His moving per4mance to me is his renditions of Come Ye Disconsolate & For All We Know.

Harlepolis said:

I was going to mention that I heard about him being homosexual but I didn't want to say it without knowing and that rumor is so prevalent today about near-everyone but yes, I heard that about Donny.

Wow, I don't think I'll be able to listen to Back Together Again in the same way. That's another song I like by them. It's such a upbeat song too. Really like the horn arrangements.

JackieBlue said:

Phyllis Hyman and Judy Garland suffered through the same shit that Donny had to endure.

In Judy's case though, she was introduced to prescribed drugs early in her career by the network(because she used to do 20 to 30 movies per-year and they had to keep her going) which obviously led to her deep depression that was the cause of her demise.

Okay, you know the line in the bridge of Back Together Again when he sings:
Love will last forever (Forever)
We can make it real (Got to be real)

I always thought that was the jump off inspiration for Cheryl Lynn’s Got to Be Real but never checked to see which one came first. Whaddaya think?

Harlepolis said:

Back Together Again was released after his death, and ironically that's when I actually became aware of him,as a duet partner to Roberta Flack who had died. I always felt the song was dedicated to them getting back together again after a long seperation due to Donny's illness.

It's only more recently that I have been getting into Donny's solo stuff and some of it is so heart-wrenching.

Harlepolis said:

Harlepolis, I was just going to mention Phyllis Hyman. I also thought part of her struggle was that she just couldn’t find someone to love in general but a large part of that was her sexuality. Her death really broke my heart. I went to the memorial service where Roberta sang and it was just heartwrenching.

It really saddens me to think how many people have died or are burdened with either not being able to accept who they are or afraid to come out because of our society will view/treat them.

I had no idea about Judy Garland.

JackieBlue said:

Yep, Hymans's demons laid in her weight issues and her 'intimidating demeanour'.

She said once that she hated being tall because men were always intimidated by that.

I'll never get over the fact that somebody THAT fine was inscure about their looks self-doubt is really a very complex sickness, indeed.

Harlepolis said:

I always thought she was so beautiful.

I love height and maybe she was taller than what I'd probably be comfortable with, she also had beauty.

I met her once and while she was not the friendliest (I'd already heard about her so I wasn't really deterred) her statuesque presence lended to her beauty and I felt like a peon--shorter than her, young and insecure and she was there like a goddess! I can barely listen to her music now especially Living All Alone.

JackieBlue said:

Hyman's tantrums were def notorious.

My cousin & his boys met her while she was smoking outside some building in Philly. He waved @ her and she cussed him out talking 'bout "Keep it moving, lil' motherfucker. And do something about that ugly ass gumby of yours".

You remember the gumby, don't you? That was a long time ago, child.

I know we all have our personal struggles, but when you hear the likes of Donny, Phyllis and even Marvin it makes you wonder whether their little demons were the thing making them sound so soulful.

I heard Donny was very hard to work with too, that's why he and Roberta stopped working with each other for a long time.
[Edited 8/21/07 9:04am]

whatsgoingon said:

Well you know what they say,,,,you make gold out of pain. If that is a myth, I sure as hell am believing it

Harlepolis said:

*DEAD*

Damn, that was cold. I remember gumby. I guess I got over easy. I think she just said something about what do you want or what are you looking at. I managed to ask her for an autograph (which I unfortunately lost over the years). She gave it to me tho.

I've always had a hard time believing the mental disorder about Donny. In an interview I have on CD, he talks about his love of learning and making an opera. He does so with as much passion as I have about music and it didn't sound like the people I've experienced that have depression. They are not making plans for the future. The homosexual aspect is something I'd never heard before, that's just tragic. When will we all be free indeed.

Slave2daGroove said:

The depression was diagnoised around the early 70s when his career was really taking off and it was also around the time he co-wrote Someday We'll be free and if you listen to the first words of the song:
Hang on to the World as it Spin around
Just don't let the spin get you down
This alone tells a story of probably what was happening to him at the time.

And like most things depression comes and goes, one minute your up and the next your down.
[Edited 8/21/07 9:26am]

Donny Hathaway...homosexual?!! hard to believe if it was true. But how many singers/musicians from that era weren't struggling with something? My mom (who was my age during Donny's career height) believe's he might have been on a hard drug (herion) and couldn't cope with it, but Donny being a drug addict doesn't even sound right either. Someday we'll all be Free is one of my personal favorites along with the song after that one...Flying Easy.

Phyllis Hyman...I remember the day they announced her death on the radio. Just watched School Daze this weekend, Be One .
I remember my mom liked that song Living All Alone and had her album Somewhere in my Lifetime. Gonna make Changes was my theme song to myself in I was high school. That album is a gem. Being itmindating to certain men cuz of her height is no surprise but she was so beautiful. They are two talented individuals that had parallel struggles and made beautiful music I appreciate.

JazzyJ said:

I know, the gay line is quite new to me too. I heard about his depression, his alleged love for roberta and his other addictions but I have never heard of him being gay but you never know.

whatsgoingon said:

An assistant engineer who was involved in the 2nd Roberta/Donny album told me about his big problems about being gay and also that he was very overweight around that time. Donny's voice is easily the most beautiful voice in recorded music, as well as being the saddest; he never fails to make me cry.

Mong said:

He did look quite overweight at one time, but that could be down to the medication he was taking. Apparently he was hospitalize quite a few times.

Mong said:

This makes me think of Lalah's voice. I think it's a little reminiscent to her father's and no matter the material, I always feel a bit of sadness when listening to her. I'm sure her dad's sudden passing has a lot to do with it.

JackieBlue said:

Lalah looks quite a lot like her father. Apparently her sister is one of the session singers on America Idol.

Wow...this has turned into an interesting thread!

Alot of stuff that I didn't know.

SoulAlive said:

Yea, I think Donny Hathaway is probably taken over from Marvin Gaye as my favourite singer.