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About Donny Hathaway
Hometown
Chicago, IL, United States
Born
October 1, 1945
Genre
R&B/Soul
Donny Hathaway’s emotive croon and expansive, gospel-reared artistry sparked a sea change in ’70s soul music. Born in Chicago in 1945, the St. Louis-raised singer-songwriter was a child prodigy, honing his vocal and piano gifts in the church. His short-lived studies at Howard University prompted him to commit to a music career, emerging as a prolific collaborator for the likes of Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Jerry Butler, and Roberta Flack. During soul music’s progressive period in the early ’70s, Hathaway brought a gospel-charged blend of Chicago soul, jazz, and blues to the fore of his landmark 1970 debut, Everything Is Everything. He followed it with other seminal works like 1971’s cover-heavy Donny Hathaway, 1972’s Live, and his adventurous 1973 swan song, Extension of a Man, which testified to the full breadth of his talents as an interpreter and composer. While his 1979 death is among music’s most tragic losses, his rich artistry is felt across R&B and gospel today.
Musical InfluencesDonny Hathaway's musical influences include Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and more.
Influenced by Donny HathawayDonny Hathaway has influenced the music of Whitney Houston, John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and more.
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