Donny Hathaway was one of the best singer-songwriters of all-time, period. I love his music and still feel sad about the fact that he died so tragically young at the age of 34. Fortunately, he was prolific in his decade of recording so we a decent catalog of his amazing work (though not as large as it could/should have been!).
Donny was a groundbreaking performer because he introduced many R&B elements that we take for granted today such as singing riffs and incorporating such a wide vocal range with high notes. Yes, I love Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye but Donny Hathaway doesn’t get as much credit or attention as he deserves, thanks to his untimely death I’m sure. The same can be said about Otis Redding who left this Earth far too early.
Here’s a wonderful hour long special from the TV series UNSUNG that covers Donny’s life and times. He was a beautiful soul with a golden voice and a true musical genius. Just watch all of the legends who talk about him in this excellent piece.
This is my favorite song by Donny Hathaway and perhaps one of the greatest vocals of all-time