Donny Hathaway, born on October 1, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois was the son of Drusella Huntley. Growing up mostly in St. Louis, Missouri. He lived with his grandmother, Martha Pitts, also known as Martha Crumwell, in the Carr Square housing project. Hathaway began singing in a church choir with his grandmother, a professional gospel singer, at the age of 3. Fascinated by Liberace, began studying piano as a child. Hathaway began singing professionally as "Donny Pitts, The Nation's Youngest Gospel Singer". By the time he was a student at Vashon High School, he was known as a piano prodigy, which earned him a fine-arts scholarship to Howard University in 1964 where he was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. While at Howard University, Hathaway met his wife, Eulaulah. He had three daughters, Eulaulah Donyll (Lalah Hathaway), Kenya CancLibra and Donnita Hathaway whom is the youngest from another relationship before he passed away. Hathaway received so many job offers that he left Howard without a degree in 1967.At first, Hathaway worked as songwriter, session musician and producer. Working first at Chicago's Twinight Records, he later did the arrangements for The Unifics and participated in projects by The Staple Singers, Jerry Butler and Aretha Franklin, as well as with Curtis Mayfield. After becoming a "house producer" at Mayfield's label, Curtom Records, he recorded his first single in 1969, a duet with singer June Conquest called "I Thank You Baby". Hathaway then signed to Atco Records, which released his first single of note, "The Ghetto, Pt. 1". His debut LP was Everything Is Everything (1970), which was critically acclaimed. His second album, Donny Hathaway, was a major hit. He also recorded an album of duets with former Howard University classmate and label mate Roberta Flack. The album was both a critical and commercial success, including the Ralph MacDonald-penned track "Where Is The Love?", which proved to be not only an R&B hit, but also went Top Five on the pop charts.
Hathaway followed this flurry of work with some contributions to soundtracks, along with his recording of the theme song to the TV series Maude. He also composed and conducted music for the 1972 soundtrack of the movie Come Back Charleston Blue. In the mid-1970s he also produced albums for other artists including Cold Blood.Donny Hathaway was American soul. Rolling Stone magazine marked him as "a major new force in soul music." His collaborations with Roberta Flack took him to the top of the charts and won him the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the duet "Where Is the Love?" in 1973. On January 13, 1979, his body was found outside the luxury hotel Essex House in New York City*Some notes taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaAll Albums:
