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
Hey Girl
Donny Hathaway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been watching you
The rapid beat of my heart
Means I'm falling in love with you
Why did you smile at me
Make me feel this way
Hey, girl
Girl, you're the stars in the sky that shine just for me
Girl, you're the sun & the moon & the deep blue sea
Cool breezes blow, open your heart & let me know
Got to know how you really feel
Got to know if your love is for real
(Like) baby buggies & spinning wheels
We're together now, oh what a thrill
Flowers that bloom & birds that sing
Come on baby, let's do our thing, yeah
Softly I tell you that I love you
& it's your man I truly want to be
Hey, make up your mind
Girl we ain't got much time
Hey girl
We ain't got a lot of time
Don't you know we ain't got much time
Donny Hathaway's Hey Girl is a classic love song where the singer expresses their interest in a girl, someone who has caught their eye, by telling her that they have been watching her and that their heart is beating rapidly, indicating that they are falling in love with her. The singer acknowledges that the girl smiled at them, causing them to feel this way. The lyrics go on to say that the girl is the stars in the sky, the sun, and the moon, and the deep blue sea, referencing her beauty and the power she has over the singer's heart.
The song has an urgent tone, with the singer pleading with the girl to open her heart and let him know how she truly feels. He compares their relationship to things like baby buggies and spinning wheels, and flowers that bloom and birds that sing, conveying a sense of innocence and lightheartedness. In the end, the singer tells the girl that he loves her and that he truly wants to be with her, but that they don't have much time, urging her to make up her mind.
Overall, Hey Girl is a heartfelt love song that captures the earnestness and urgency of young love. The lyrics paint a picture of a young man who has fallen head over heels for a girl and is desperate to know if his love is reciprocated. Through his words, the singer conveys a sense of innocence and wonder, highlighting the magic and beauty of falling in love for the first time.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey girl
Starting a conversation with the girl he's interested in
I've been watching you
He has been observing her for some time and caught her eye
The rapid beat of my heart
His heart is beating fast because he is falling in love with her
Means I'm falling in love with you
Explaining what the rapid heartbeat signifies
Why did you smile at me
Asking the girl why she smiled at him and made him feel this way
Make me feel this way
Wondering why she had such an intense effect on him
There's something I'd like to say
Expressing his desire to communicate something important
Girl, you're the stars in the sky that shine just for me
Comparing the girl's beauty and presence in his life to the stars in the sky
Girl, you're the sun & the moon & the deep blue sea
Further emphasizing how important she is to him
Cool breezes blow, open your heart & let me know
Encouraging her to open up her feelings to him
Got to know how you really feel
Expressing his need to understand her emotions towards him
Got to know if your love is for real
Questioning if her feelings are genuine
(Like) baby buggies & spinning wheels
Simile expressing their compatibility
We're together now, oh what a thrill
Excitement he feels because they're together
Flowers that bloom & birds that sing
Metaphor for the beauty of the moments they share
Come on baby, let's do our thing, yeah
Inviting her to continue enjoying their time together
Softly I tell you that I love you
Gently expressing his love for her
& it's your man I truly want to be
Offering himself as a genuine partner and someone who is committed to her
Hey, make up your mind
Urging her to make a decision about their future together
Girl we ain't got much time
Recognizing the limited time they have to make a decision
Hey girl
Repeating the opening line to address her again
We ain't got a lot of time
Reiterating the urgency of making a decision about their relationship
Contributed by Kaelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.