It may be fairly laborious speaking about among the music legends we’ve misplaced over time, notably those who’ve perished in ways in which have been something however peaceable. Sadly, Seventies R&B icon Donny Hathaway was considered one of them.
With a voice that may by no means be in contrast, Hathaway began off robust with 4 back-to-back albums to kick off a brand new decade in rhythm & blues that noticed the official introduction of an R&B class on the GRAMMYs and solo debut years by the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Minnie Riperton, Parliament and Funkadelic — this was earlier than the latter two joined forces to develop into Parliament-Funkadelic! Very like Mayfield (kind 2 diabetes; 1999) and Riperton (breast most cancers; 1979), we misplaced Donny far too quickly on account of a strenuous inside battle he was having with melancholy stemming from psychological sickness. He would sadly commit suicide on January 13, 1979 after going six years with no follow-up album to his fourth and remaining LP, Extension of a Man.
In the present day (October 1), he would’ve been celebrating his milestone eightieth birthday as his celebrity daughter, Lalah Hathaway, made be aware of on social media.
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From his fan-favorite collaborative album with fellow R&B star Roberta Flack, to the Reside album that will be his solely solo effort to go Gold, Donny Hathaway was in a position to match a whole lot of superb work into a brief time frame. Nevertheless, he nonetheless has a couple of gems within the catalog that positively might use some limelight. As many music followers have a good time the lifetime of an authorized soul legend right this moment, we determined to point out good ol’ Donny Pitts how a lot he’ll perpetually be missed by placing you all on to his finest deep cuts. Granted, a profession as brief as Hathaway’s doesn’t present us a lot to work with, however we sonically loved the method of discovering out.
We labored our means by means of his grand debut with Every part Is Every part, the self-titled sophomore effort, the Gold-certified Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway and the aforementioned Extension of a Man and got here up with a range we expect you’ll all agree with. Along with compilation CDs, posthumously-released stay albums and his contribution to the 1972 movie soundtrack for Come Again, Charleston Blue, you’ll positively get your Donny repair from this set of songs.
We nonetheless miss you, king.
