Hang all the mistletoe, I’m gonna get to know you better. This Christmas
So the opening line of the sleigh-bells chiming soul standard that’s been an ever-present in my Christmas playlist since the 1990s. Written and recorded by the subject of this blog post:
Born in Chicago, in 1945, young Donny was raised by his Grandmother in St Louis, and he began singing in the church choir (his Grandmother was a professional gospel singer). It is also rumoured that even at the tender age of just 3, Hathway started to play the piano. Something he continued with throughout his life.
And as we trim the tree. How much fun it’s gonna be together. This Christmas
After high school, Donny earned a scholarship to Howard University in Washington DC, where he met the yet-to-become soul legend, Roberta Flack. On graduating, Hathaway left DC as he already had offers in the music business (he led a jazz trio whilst studying).
Back then, to Chicago, Hathaway joined up with Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label/production team. Donny worked with Jerry Butler, the Staple Singers, The Impressions and Curtis of course. After 2 years of writing and producing, Hathaway stepped into the studio himself to record a duet with June Conquest. It gathered enough attention that Atco Records (a subsidiary of Jerry Wexler’s Atlantic empire) signed Donny up.
It was 1969 and socio-conscious songs were emerging through all the love ballads and dance tracks. The Ghetto Pt 1 was Donny’s first release (co-written by Curtom recording artist and Rare Groove legend LeRoy Hutson). A poignant look at the struggles in the projects (reminiscent of Donny’s own upbringing), The Ghetto Pt 1 was a top 30 R&B chart hit and his first album followed in 1970.
Fireside is blazing bright. We’re carolling through the night. And this Christmas will be. A very special Christmas for me.
Indeed, This Christmas was also recorded and released in 197o. Hathaway had made an incredible start to his music career. The timing, style and nature of his recordings were all aligned.
It was his third album though, that really thrust Hathaway into the music listeners’ & buyers’ attention. A duet album with Atco label-mate and former Howard University alumni, Roberta Flack.
“Where Is The Love” was the big hit that crossed over (and was covered in the 1980s by Will Downing & Mica Paris). A gold disc-kinda crossover with over 1 million sales. Donny really had arrived.
It led to his “Live” 1972 album being hailed as one of the best-ever live-recorded albums and cementing him as an artist of repute.
His writing continued and his 1973 album Extension Of A Man contained the Rare Groove/Modern Soul room classic Love Love Love and the epic ballad I’ll Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know (covered in the 1990s by Kenny Lattimore).
And then another epic.
Someday We’ll All Be Free. Up there with What’s Going On, Living For The City, For The Love Of Money, A Change Gonna Come, and The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Anthemic.
Presents and cards are here. My world is filled with cheer and you. This Christmas
And as I look around. Your eyes outshine the town they do. This Christmas
By now though, Hathaway was struggling to cope. After some severe bouts of depression and exhibiting unusual behaviour, he was diagnosed with mental ill-health (paranoid schizophrenia to be precise). Donny was taking a lot of prescribed medication to control his chemical imbalances and whilst this did settle his mood swings and curtailed erratic behaviour, Donny was sometimes complacent with the regularity of his medicine.
He would slip back into unpredictable behaviours. It caused a rift with Roberta Flack, although they did reconcile to repeat some of their duet successes.
Hathaway endured a 4-year break from recording until 1978 and scored more hits with Flack (“The Closer I Get To You” being one) and was about to record a further album in 1979.
On Saturday 13th January in a studio session with his producers, Hathaway began behaving very erratically forcing the session to be suspended and his backing musicians stood down for the day.
Hours later Hathaway – aged 33 – was found dead on the pavement below his 15th-floor room in a New York hotel. Donny had jumped to his death possessed with paranoid thoughts about others stealing his music and voice.
For someone so talented, destined for greater things and so revered, Hathaway’s death – all too soon – was hard for people to take.
Even now, Justin Timberlake and before her early departure, Amy Winehouse cited Donny Hathaway as their choice for the greatest singer of all time.
As Donny said in Someday We’ll All Be Free:
Keep on walking tall
Hold your head up high
Lay your dreams right up to the sky
Sing your greatest song
And you’ll keep going, going on
Take it from me, someday we’ll all be free
RIP Donny, and Merry Christmas.
Perry Timms
5 December 2022.
Perry is the Founder and Chief Energy Officer of People and Transformational HR Ltd (PTHR) and is a Chartered Member of the CIPD, a fellow of the RSA and Visiting Professor at 4x Business Schools in the UK. Perry is a 3x published author; a 2x TEDx Speaker and 5x Member of HR’s Most Influential Thinkers List ranking Number 1 in 2022.
Perry’s musical heritage is in music of black origin and particularly 1960s American R&B and British Soul & Funk from the 1980s-date.
1 Comment. Leave new
Really enjoyed listening to Donny Hathaway this morning, well played! Merry Christmas to you Perry and all at Krystal alliance. Be happy with your family and friends.