I know he committed suicide and his live album (import) is amazing.

What do you cats know about this soul legend?


mispelled the master's name - duh edit
[This message was edited Thu Oct 16 13:31:53 PDT 2003 by Slave2daGroove]

ALl I have to say about Mr Hathaway is My son thinks he can sing. I played him a Donnie song and I told that child...until you sang like that, don't stick your chest out too far.

illimack said:

Daym, what is his most famous tune? I heard of him so many times, and probably have sum of his stuff, jus dont know..

A PHI A in da house!!

Donny Hathaway is nothing more or less than the greatest male singer that has ever lived. It's that simple. He just has a natural gift from God. He didn't HAVE to do all types of vocal dynamics or take his shirt off to prove he was a great singer. The brother could just sing with what seemed like no effort at all and give you chills.
[This message was edited Thu Oct 16 13:04:59 PDT 2003 by VelvetJ]

I hate 2 B picky but I just can´t help corecting,
it´s Donny Hathaway.
He did´nt release that many albums but everyone of
them R masterpieces.
Especially U should get Extension of a man
from 1973.It include "Someday we´ll all get free".
His daughter Lalah Hathaway is awsome as well.
/peace Manki

Donnie's songs with Roberta Flack are some of my all-time favorite songs: The Closer I Get To You, Where Is The Love? You Are My Heaven, Don't Make Me Wait Too Long...etc., etc. His voice was/is amazing.


Hi, Manki!!!

stymie said:

Hi,Stymie!!!

Awesome info, I'm on it.

Just when all you thought people care about is top 40, people come out of the woodwork and show what great taste in music they all have.

Donny Hathaway and Bing Crosby have to be my two favorite male voices of all time. Donny's voice is "like butta" imo. I only have his import live album and GH though.. should I get his individual albums as well?

Oh, and "We're Still Friends" and "A Song for You" are two of my favorites!!!

Donny Hathaway Lives !!


P.S. Was glad to hear Prince and Rosie Gaines do the Donny Hathaway/Arif Mardin Arrangement of Leon Russell's " A Song For You" during the Nude Tour in 1990. Also heard the beginning of Donny's version of "A Song For You" during a WNPG radio show broadcast in the UK.

Just heard Alicia Keys new song entitled "You Don't Know My Name". She has a piano riff in there reminiscent of the beginning of "A Song For You". Alicia's a BIG Donny Fan!!

P.S.S. An anthology entitled "Donny Hathaway - Love, Love Love - The Anthology is rumored to be in the works. Like the Time said, "RELEASE IT !!

Slave2daGroove said:

Hey Slave2daGroove,
Pick up the remasters of Donny's albums on CD. They have excellent liner notes that give listeners the best background information available to the public.

Start with "The Donny Hathaway Collection" and then move on to:

1. Everything Is Everything
2. Donny Hathaway
3. Extension Of A Man

Make sure to get the Roberta Flack/ Donny cds:

1. Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway (1972)
2. Roberta Flack featuring Donny Hathaway (1980)

Donny was the truth. Plain and simple.

For Donny,

"Some peopel live and die, some people die and live forever",

from the poem "And How"

found in Prince's Neo Manifesto Book.

Slave2daGroove said:

Although the official cause of death was said to be suicide there are those who knew him who believe it was an accident. They say they don't believe Hathaway would kill himself. But a few things: there were no eye witnesses, and there was no report of foul play. No signs of struggle. So the authorities ruled it a suicide.

Bass player Chuck Rainey who has done tons of sessions over the years with tons of groups and artists was a good friend of Donny's. He says that in Donny's last days he had gained a lot of weight, and he believes that Donny leaned against something that gave way (I think he was talking about something he saw wherever Donny was at last {a hotel?}), and he thinks he fell out of that window accidentally. However, Hathaway did suffer from depression.

It's an absolute crime that there is no biography about Donny Hathaway's life. His biggest commercial hits were those he recorded with Roberta Flack. They met each other at Howard University while attending classes. Donny studied music there (he started out his informal musical education in church), and I think Roberta did too. If memory serves me he was a house producer for Curtis Mayfield's Curtom Records before Atco signed him to a recording contract. But throughout his life he did a lot of session work too. You can hear some of his keyboard playing on some of Aretha Franklin's classic songs, with the Staple Singers, Jerry Butler, etc.

Hathaway's is the voice you hear when the theme song to the tv show Maude is playing.

Rainey says that Hathaway didn't much care for Quincy Jones, because Jones would take credit for the session players' orchestrations. According to Rainey, many session players didn't like Quincy for that reason. But Rainey also contends that they never made a stink about it, because Quincy's name is currency, and it was more than likely that the recordings they were playing on would be successful - which also helps sometimes when tours and live gigs are booked.

I think it's pretty much a given that if you dig Stevie Wonder's classic work, you'll dig Donny's work too. Musically they have a whole lot in common, and their music is of course very versatile. So far I only own Extension Of A Man, but not for lack of being interested in anything else Donny recorded as a solo artist. Donny was the real deal. His music 30+ years ago is part of the foundation of what is NOW termed "Neo Soul."

Underrated~ Not talked about enough. Theres still many who might know how great Marivns music is, but they truly need 2 learn about Donny's 2.One of the greatest pure voices ever put 2 record. The mans soul was deep like a ocean, and his lyrics moved U like waves...A natural beautiful power unto itself...

Music lost a great one with him, he'll B 4-ever missed by those who were blessed enough 2 B graced by his soulful wayz...I'm proud 2 B "In the know" when it comes 2 Donny Hathaways music offerings~

Supernova said:

Damn. Thanks for the info.

With everything's that's been said here, I've got to buy everything the man did.

Thanks

Supernova said:

There, you just said my peace.

Phyllis Hyman & Donny Hathaway who I truely admire, struggled through the self-depression(from weight problems) and delievred music from the same aura.

Hell, even VH-1 didn't bother to make a behind the music about them.

Not 2 mention the bios that nobody bother to write about them too!

To me "Extension of a man" is simply the GREATEST SOUL ALBUM EVER, just before Marvin Gaye's "What's going on".

I agree about the connection with Stevie Wonder on two grounds: the amazing richness of harmonies ; the purity of their voice

okaypimpn said:

Amen. I miss that voice. . .I always wonder if he and Phyllis Hyman would have been given their just due had they lived.

I'm ashamed to admit this,but I don't own a single album by Donny.I do have a few Roberta Flack compilations which feature her duets with Donny,but I really need to go out and get some of his solo albums.


Donny's 1971 holiday song "This Christmas" is the BEST Christmas song of all,imo.

NOW THERE'S A CHRISTMAS SONG!!!

"You can't handle the truth"


"Be careful what you ask for, you may just get it"

"For all we know" is a classic in my book. So much emotion and heart. His songs do it for me everytime. What I strive to sound like when I sit behind the keys.

Harlepolis said:

Yeah, as I was making that post I thought about Phyllis.


VH1's BTM series seems to be about those who've made it big on the pop charts. No other chart is important, ya know.


I didn't realize there was no bio about Phyllis. Everytime I think of her suicide I think about the note she left behind: "I'm tired."

Some say that he didn't commit suicide.

This post is really wonderful you guys. Thanks for all the great Donny Hathaway info. I've had the live album, and i've noticed the songs that Roberta Flack sings that he wrote and I've always wondered about him. I didn't now he had three albums. I'm going to search them out.

I'm going to check All Music guide on him too.

Donny Hathaway is an excellent singer. One of my favourites. My fave Donny Hathaway song is 'Where Is The Love' that song is awesome.

Supernova said:

Great post, Nova...

JudasLChrist said:

Glad I could help!