Donny Hathaway

Early Life and Education

Birth: Born Donny Edward Hathaway on October 1, 1945, in Chicago, Illinois.

Family Influence: Raised by his grandmother, Martha Pitts, a professional gospel singer, who nurtured his early musical talents.

Education: Graduated from Vashon High School in St. Louis; studied music on scholarship at Howard University (1964–1967), where he met Roberta Flack.

Musical Career

Early Work and Collaborations

Session Work: Began as a session musician, arranger, and producer in Chicago and St. Louis.

Curtom Records: Collaborated with Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, contributing to albums like The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story (1969).

Solo Career

Debut Album: Everything Is Everything (1970), featuring the instrumental "The Ghetto" (No. 23 R&B).

Live Album: Live (1972), praised for renditions of "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)" and covers of Marvin Gaye and Carole King.

Major Collaborations

• Roberta Flack: Duets and joint albums (1972–1980)
• Aretha Franklin: Played keyboards on Young, Gifted and Black (1972)
• Quincy Jones: Contributed to the Come Back Charleston Blue soundtrack (1972)

Achievements and Awards

• Grammy Awards: Won Best Pop Performance by a Duo/Group ("Where Is the Love," 1973)
• Chart Success: Multiple Top 10 R&B/Pop hits
• Cultural Impact: "Someday We’ll All Be Free" became a civil rights anthem

Mental Health Struggles

Diagnosis: Paranoid schizophrenia, diagnosed in the mid-1970s.Was it real or synthetic?

"There are voices in my head... I'm trying to fight them....." One person noted "i was watching a Unsung episode featuring Donny Hathaway, and right before he died this quote really sticks out.. Someone being interviewed stated, that while they were in a recording session, Donny Hathaway was huddled in a corner hysteric and made this comment to the person being Interviewed... "White people are trying to kill me, they have my brain hooked up to a machine, trying to steal my songs." This was right before he died..
(Reported by friends and colleagues)

Death: Died January 13, 1979, at age 33, ruled a suicide by jumping from a NYC hotel window.His friends and family claim it was an accident though

Legacy

Tributes: Roberta Flack’s The Closer I Get to You (1980) album dedication

Honors: Inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame (2013)