Hathaway, the son of Drusella Huntley, was born in Chicago, but spent most of his youth in St. Louis. He lived with his grandmother, Martha Pitts, also known as Martha Crumwell, in the Carr Square housing project. Hathaway began singing in a church choir with his grandmother, a professional gospel singer, at the age of 3. He also played the ukulele and, fascinated by Liberace, began studying piano as a child. Hathaway began singing professionally as "Donny Pitts, The Nation's Youngest Gospel Singer". By the time he was a student at Vashon High School, he was known as a piano prodigy, which earned him a fine-arts scholarship to Howard University in 1964 where he was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He attended Howard for three years and performed with The Ric Powell Trio, a jazz trio. Hathaway received so many job offers that he left Howard without a degree in 1967.
At first, Hathaway worked as songwriter, session musician and producer. Working first at Chicago's Twinight Records, he later did the arrangements for The Unifics ("Court of Love" and "The Beginning Of My End") and participated in projects by The Staple Singers, Jerry Butler and Aretha Franklin, as well as with Curtis Mayfield. After becoming a "house producer" at Mayfield's label, Curtom Records, he recorded his first single in 1969, a duet with singer June Conquest called "I Thank You Baby".
Hathaway then signed to Atco Records, which released his first single of note, "The Ghetto". His debut LP was Everything Is Everything (1970), which was critically acclaimed. His second album, Donny Hathaway, was a major hit. He also recorded an album of duets with former Howard University classmate and label mate Roberta Flack. The album was both a critical and commercial success, including the Ralph MacDonald-penned track "Where Is The Love", which proved to be not only an R&B hit, but also went Top Five on the pop charts. The album also included a number of other covers, including versions of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" and "Baby I Love You", originally a hit for Aretha Franklin.
Hathaway followed this flurry of work with some contributions to soundtracks, along with his recording of the theme song to the TV series Maude. He also composed and conducted music for the 1972 soundtrack of the movie Come Back Charleston Blue.
In the mid-1970s he also produced albums for other artists including Cold Blood, where he expanded the musical range of lead singer Lydia Pense.
At the height of his career, Hathaway began to suffer from severe bouts of depression. It was found that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and was known to have taken up to 14 pills two to three times a day to control this disease. This condition wreaked havoc on his life and led to several hospitalizations.
The effects of Hathaway's deep depression also drove a wedge into Flack and Hathaway's friendship; they did not reconcile for several years, and did not release additional music until the 1978 release of "The Closer I Get To You". The single became a pop and R&B hit, and Flack and Hathaway returned to the studios to record a second album of duets thereafter.
On January 13, 1979, Hathaway was found dead on the sidewalk in front of the Essex House in New York City, where he had been living. His body showed no signs of struggle, and the glass from the window in Hathaway's room had been removed; investigators determined Hathaway had committed suicide. Friends, fans, and the media were mystified at his death, since his career and his partnership with Flack were on an upswing. Flack was devastated by his death, and included the few duet tracks they had finished on her next album. The Reverend Jesse Jackson conducted Hathaway's funeral, which was attended by many notable people including Roberta Flack and Stevie Wonder. He was buried in Lake Charles Cemetery in Bel-Nor, Missouri.
Hathaway met his wife, Eulaulah, at Howard University. They had two daughters, Eulaulah Donyll (Lalah Hathaway) and Kenya Canelibra. Lalah has enjoyed a successful solo career, while Kenya is one of the three backing vocalists on the hit TV program American Idol.
While separated from Eulaulah, Hathaway had another daughter named Donnita Hathaway.
Legacy
Donny Hathaway Live, which featured noted R&B musicians Willie Weeks (bass guitar) and Cornell Dupree (guitar), has been cited as an influence by numerous artists including George Benson, India.Arie and Stevie Wonder, Brian McKnight, Anthony Hamilton, and Frank McComb are among the contemporary artists whose work echoes Hathaway's. His use of the Rhodes Piano on his early Atco R&B recordings has also influenced many Neo Soul artists & producers.
Hathaway was considered an eccentric by many. He cultivated many unusual interests, and was a devotee of mid-20th century French classical composers. Several anecdotes about Hathaway are contained in Jerry Wexler's book Rhythm And The Blues.
On soul group The Whispers' 1980 self-titled album, the group paid homage with "A Song for Donny," written by fellow soul singer Carrie Lucas. The song was set to the melody of Hathaway's "This Christmas."
On Jim Jones's song "Certified Gangstas", rapper The Game refers to Donny Hathaway with the lines "blowin in the crowd like Don Hathaway"
He was a major influence on the singing style of singer-guitarist George Benson.
In 2005, neo-soul singer songwriter guitarist, [artistRaul Midón (Blue Note) worked with Hathaway's longtime producer Arif Mardin (known for collaborations with The Bee Gees, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Norah Jones & Aretha Franklin) and created a tribute song to Hathaway called "Sittin' in the Middle."
Amy Winehouse refers to "Mr. Hathaway" in her song "Rehab" about depression and alcoholism. She also covered A Song For You, on her first posthumous album, Lioness: Hidden Treasures.
On NY artist Nas's album Hip Hop is Dead on the song "Blunt Ashes", he tells a story that includes reportedly claiming Donny Hathaway "freefell" from his balcony.
Hathaway's name is mentioned multiple times in rapper Common's lyrics. Also, Common's duet with Lauryn Hill entitled "Retrospect for Life" contains a sample from Hathaway's "Song for You".
In the 2001 hit by Jay-Z "Girls,Girls,Girls" Donny Hathaway's song "Love,Love,Love" is sampled.
Jennifer Holliday and Aaliyah, both, covered Hathaway's single, "Giving Up."
Rhymesayers artist Brother Ali mentions Donny Hathaway in his song, "Room With A View."
Soul Position mentions Hathaway in their song, "Hand-Me-Downs."
Talib Kweli mentions Hathaway in his song "The Beautiful Struggle"
2008, Ed Pavlic published "Winners Have Yet To Be Announced" (University of Georgia Press), poems reimagining the life of Donny Hathaway.
Bizzy Bone's song entitled “A Song For You,” is a poignant track that includes an interpolation of Donny Hathaways’s original recording of the same name.
The song "What a Catch, Donnie," from Fall Out Boy's fourth studio album, Folie a Deux, is named for him and mentions Roberta Flack, his writing partner.
In November 2008 the famous Dutch singer, Gordon Heuckeroth, made an album, called: A Song For You, with several songs by Hathaway.
Rapper Scarface mentions Hathaway in his song "Still Here" off of the "Emeritus" album released
Baby I Love You
Donny Hathaway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can say I told you so
And if I ever hurt you
You know, I hurt myself as well
Is that any way for a man to carry on
Do you think I want my loved one gone
Said I love you
More than you'll ever know
When I wasn't making much money
You know where my paycheck went
You know, I brought it home to you, baby
And I never spent a red cent
Is that any way for a man to carry on
Do you think I want my loved one gone
Said I love you
More than you'll ever know, yeah
More than you'll ever know
Now listen to this
I'm not trying to be just any kind of man
No, I ain't
I'm just trying to be somebody
You can love, trust and understand
I know, I know, I know that I can be
A part of you that no one else could see, yeah
But I gotta hear you say
I got to hear you say
It's alright
I'm only flesh and blood
But I can be anything that you demand
I can be King of everything
Or just a tiny grain of sand
Now tell me
Is that anyway for a man to carry on
Do you think that I want my loved one gone
I love you
More than you'll ever know
I said I love you
I love you, I love you, hey
Don't want nobody else but you
The lyrics of Donny Hathaway's "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" are a powerful expression of love, devotion, and vulnerability. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, as Hathaway tells his beloved that if he ever leaves or hurts her, he also hurts himself in the process. This line reveals the depth of his love and the pain that would come with losing her.
The second verse is equally moving, as Hathaway speaks about his financial sacrifices for his partner. He asserts that his love for her is more important than any monetary gain, and he willingly gives up his own paycheck to support her. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the importance of this sentiment, as Hathaway's declaration of love grows stronger each time he sings it.
The bridge of the song is another highlight, as Hathaway speaks directly to his partner, telling her that he wants to be someone she can love, trust and understand. He acknowledges his imperfections, but also expresses his willingness to be anything that she needs him to be. He begs her to reassure him that everything is alright, and that she loves him just as much.
Overall, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" is a beautiful and heart-wrenching song that showcases the raw emotional power of Donny Hathaway's voice and lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
If I ever leave you, baby
I want you to know that leaving you is not in my plans.
You can say I told you so
But if I ever do, you can say you warned me.
And if I ever hurt you
If I ever do anything that causes you pain..
You know I hurt myself as well
...It hurts me just as much, if not more.
Is that any way for a man to carry on
I don't think that's how a man should behave.
Do you think I want my loved one gone
I hope you don't think that's what I want.
Said I love you
I just want you to know that I love you.
More than you'll ever know
More than I could ever express.
When I wasn't making much money
During the times when I wasn't bringing home a lot of money...
You know where my paycheck went
...You knew that every penny went toward taking care of us.
You know, I brought it home to you, baby
I made sure to bring my earnings home to provide for you.
And I never spent a red cent
And I never wasted a dime on anything else.
Now listen to this
I have something important to say...
I'm not trying to be just any kind of man
I want to be the kind of man who deserves your love.
No, I ain't
I'm not trying to deceive you.
I'm just trying to be somebody
I'm doing my best to be the person you need in your life.
You can love, trust and understand
Someone who you can love, trust, and relate to.
I know, I know, I know that I can be
I know that I have the potential to be..
A part of you that no one else could see, yeah
...A part of your life that only I can fill.
But I gotta hear you say
But I need to hear you say it...
I got to hear you say
...That it's okay.
It's alright
That you trust me and believe in us.
I'm only flesh and blood
I am human after all and prone to make mistakes.
But I can be anything that you demand
But I will do everything I can to be what you need me to be.
I can be King of everything
I'm capable of great things.
Or just a tiny grain of sand
But I'm also humble and willing to be whatever you need me to be.
Now tell me
So, can you tell me...
Is that any way for a man to carry on
...If this is the way a man should behave?
Do you think that I want my loved one gone
...Do you think I want us to fall apart?
I love you
Because I love you.
More than you'll ever know
In a way that I could never explain fully.
I said I love you
I'll never stop telling you how much I love you.
I love you, I love you, hey
In every possible way, forever.
Don't want nobody else but you
I only want you in my life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL KOOPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind