Remembering Donny Hathaway (1 Oct 1945 - 13 Jan 1979)

Having just posted a comprehensive feature on Teddy Pendergrass who died on this day in 2010, it was brought to our attention by reader Yves Lambert that another legend of soul music, Donny Hathaway, also died on this day in 1979.

Donny's name isn't as well know in the mainstream but his influence on soul music is undeniable being honoured with a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. His  biggest hits were both duets with Roberta Flack, "Where Is The Love" (#1 R&B / #5 Hot 100 in 1972) and "The Closer I Get To You" Back Together Again" (#1 R&B / #2 Hot 100 in 1978).

Hathaway was born in Chicago on 1 Oct 1945 but raised by his grandmother in St. Louis, MO. His grandmother was a professional gospel singer and he began singing in the church choir with her at the age of 3. He studied music at Howard University in Washington D.C. but left before completing a degree in 1967 after receiving opportunities in the music business. Whilst at Howard he met Roberta Flack and also formed a jazz trio.

The first recording that I can find that he was involved with is a 1967 single by Betty Wilson & The 4 Bars "I'm Yours" (well known in rare soul circles and a rare and expensive record) followed by Eddie Jasper Daye's Four Bars both on Daye's Washington D.C. label Dayco which Hathaway arranged. He also arranged "Court Of Love" for The Unicefs who were a group of students from Howard University who included Al ("I'm Back For More") Johnson as a member. The Unicefs' manager Guy Draper discovered Hathaway at Howard.

He found his way to Chicago and began working for Curtis Mayfield's Curtom Records (formed in early 1968 with Eddie Thomas) as a songwriter, producer and session musician. His first recording was a duet with June Conquest billed as June & Donnie "I Thank You Baby" (co-written with Mayfield) / "What's This I See" on Curtom in 1969 (reissued in 1972 as Donny Hathaway & June Conquest as "I Thank You" with a different B side "Just Another Reason").

Hathaway was scouted by King Curtis and joined Atlantic subsidiary Atco where he released his debut solo single "The Ghetto Pt. 1 & 2" in Oct 1969 co-written with Howard University roommate Leroy Hutson (who would replace Mayfield in The Impressions in 1971). He released four more singles on Atco, none of which charted R&B, although the classic Christmas song "This Christmas" made it to #37  Hot 100, before switching to the main Atlantic label. 

Whilst at Atco three albums were released "Everything Is Everything" "Donny Hathaway" and a soundtrack "Come Back Charleston Blue" (supervised by Quincy Jones) and then another two on Atco after his duet album with Roberta Flack on Atlantic, his "Live!" album followed by "Extensions Of A Man" which would prove to be his last album.

His first single on Atlantic was a duet with Roberta Flack with the Carol King song "You've Got  A Friend" which was one of his biggest hits (#8 R&B). It was followed by "Put Your Hand In The Hand" paired with a song that he has made a classic, his rendition of Leon Russell's "A Song For You" which failed to chart.

In 1967 Hathaway married Eulaulah Vann who he met at university and they had two daughters Eulaulah Donyll (Lalah) and Kenya Canc'Libra who both studied at Berkley College of Music and became singers. Sadly during his peak years between 1973-77 Donny suffered from depression and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia for which he was prescribed medicine but then stopped taking it. Hours after an aborted recording session for a duets album with Roberta Flack on 13 Jan 1979 he was found dead on the pavement below his 15th floor apartment in NYC aged only 33.

Out of seventeen charting singles, just over half were duets, five were with Roberta Flack, two with June Conquest and one with Margie Joseph.

During his short life Hathaway released five studio albums, one of which was with Roberta Flack, and a live album recorded at two venues The Troubadour in Hollywood and The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. A posthumous album "Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway" was released in 1980, on which Flack included tracks from the unfinished sessions, along with another live album "In Performance".

Album Discography

1970 - Everything Is Everything [Atco]

1971 - Donny Hathaway [Atco]

1972 - Come Back Charleston Blue [Atco]

1972 - Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway [Atlantic]

1972 - Live! [Atco] (Live)

1973 - Extension of a Man [Atco]

1980 - Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway [Atlantic]

1980 - In Performance [Atlantic] (Live)

Many thanks to Yves Lambert for the heads up on this.

Unfortunately not a lot of footage of Hathaway performing has survived but we've managed to find a compilation of what is available posted on YouTube by MrDomin099 Stone.

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