Donny Hathaway (Unsung: Part 3)

[VenetianSymbol]

He look like he's getting ready to get into his sh@# at 8:43, lol. 

[faithful31us]

This Christmas

[MisterCrazyLegs]

Had it not been for mental illness, I've always thought that Donny would have been the only real peer to Wonder and Gate, and may have left both in his smoke

[BowleggedBrooklyn]

My ALL TIME FAVORITE artist, musician, etc. There ISNT a voice Ive ever heard that is more appealing to me. He sings from the deepest darkest crevice is his soul. Pit of his stomach. I could go on for hours and hours about Donny. I wasnt even no where near being born when Donny was at his peak, but, Im an old soul. Music is most important in my life. Music is like the sountrack of my life. My god Donny, you're so incredible!

[terriwilliams193]

it isnt christmas in my house untill i hear "This Christmas" love Donny Hathaway

[vsx74txvi]

the man was very gifted.

[myfathersprincess]

They could have let a song for you play a little longer!

[DawgcityClev]

All of this is bullshit. Media bullshit, and the ignorance of those surrounding him. You can't tell someone they aren't hearing voices in their head. People say "Something told me this or told me that" all the time. But they aren't medicated. We tap into our higher senses everyday. intuitions, Clairvoyance etc. Yet these ignorant ass zombies had no idea. And I don't buy that he just leaped from a window. This was the beginning of the Devil Worship in music back then. And Donnie wanted out.

[nogerdsurg]

I believe that Donny either was given or taking drugs which induced his delusional behavior. I am sure that this man had many haters, being that gifted and talented. LSD and other hallucinogens were rampant back then.

[ministryofspoknwrd]

I was listening to a Donny Hathaway song in the car with my mother and cried as I told my mother about the new special man that I had met. That same man became my husband and we have married nine years. It was a special moment between my mother and I. I still think about that day.

[patisserie1]

"This Christmas" makes my heart glad every time I hear it every Christmas.

[Ra1nemaker]

To Shydmples -Thanks very much for this info, just downloaded the mp3s of the duets of Donny with Ms Conquest from Amazon Much appreciated and a great start to the year in obtaining these. God bless and all the best for the New Year!!

[Ra1nemaker]

To Vawnalex Fortunately it's easy to recognize the God given talent in Donny's ministry- and it really is a ministry- and nice to know that its been passed down to Lalah H. All the best and God bless!

To famousfuture.I absolutely agree with you - Its the joyous end sequence in "This Christmas" that gets me every time. That has to be played more than once a year! That and "Come Little Children" is feelgood music of the highest order. God Bless the memory and music of Donny Hathaway!!

[Odawg96]

@pharrisbaritone You're right, man. Knowing that he was schizophrenic definitely puts that song in a whole different light. Makes me wonder how long he'd been hearing the voices before anyone else noticed his pecularities.

[famousfuture]

am i the only one who plays "This Christmas" anytime of the year? lol i mean i do especially when i am having a really bad day, i will grab that cd and play This Christmas...LOUD! then i felt so much better

[Ra1nemaker]

Hey folks- does anyone know where I could get those songs Donny duetted on with Judy Conquest mentioned below in previous comments? I have been trying to get this material for years!

[shydmples]

@Ra1nemaker Try looking on Amazon.com or even Ebay (that's where I bought my 45) June Conquest/Donny Hathaway 1. Thank You 2. Just Another Reason (my personal favorite)

[MsVarrie85]

is it jus me, or does the ones who musically or educationally influence the world.. often hav a mental disease??

[eqagj]

@MsVarrie85 Yes, Jaco, Thelonius Monk

[imthebrother]

Seeing Donny being messed up like this with this crazy disease called paranoid schizophrenia can be real badly and so hard to cure. If you look at movies like A Beautiful Mind or The Soloist you can tell the difference behind this real disease. To this day its real hard and painful to watch b/c of thru this musical soul brother's life and stuggle. So far a good profile, they could spoke real more on the music or they were going too dark on some parts.

[Summer2k]

Great show, BUT...I can't stand the narrator's "perv" voice!

[shydmples]

Donny was the best...he also played organ on Aretha Franklin's 'Spanish Harlem', and also played Fender Rhodes on her hit 'Til You Come Back To Me'. That man left us too soon.

[imthebrother]

@shydmples he also played organ on Woody Herman's Heavy Exposure album plus some piano and arrangin work for Lena Horne, Carla Thomas, Phil Upchurch, Jerry Butler, Roberta Flack also, to name a few. This brother had so much style in his music. To this day since watchin the unsung proflie a few years ago and taping also, I find it very informational, but sometimes real painful and scary. Donny didn't had to die like this even if he ever recovered.

[shydmples]

@imthebrother The man was awesome...I play Donny AT LEAST once a day...if not more....have done so for years...I've even watched this video over & over...even though I know it from startt to finish...just like his music.....A few overlooked tunes you should look into are duets with June Conquest...'Thank You' and 'Just Another Reason'...he also has a nice cut called "What A Woman Really Means'....I honestly would like to know if there are some unreleased material out there. Above genius.

[imthebrother]

@shydmples Look into These Songs For You Live CD, In Performance CD, the unreleased live version of "Giving Up" available on youtube, etc.....

[shydmples]

@imthebrother lol...oh, I'm way ahead of you...I've had that stuff for years...lol...albums, cassette & CD...and when 'These Songs for You' came out, you KNOW I got that...lol....as for the "Givin' Up' live version...I still wonder where they got that one from...that is timeless & awesome....and call me nuts, if you listen closely at the end of that performance, I can tell by one not ehat songe he was going to sing next...it was his live version of "You've Got A Friend" which has been released .

[chronwell]

Be Real Black For Me is a tune that touches my soul!

[duzildorf]

DEEP DEEP MUSIC!!!!!!

[LinJapanese]

"someday we'll all be free" ALWAYS gives me the chills.

[thasy2n8]

that has to be one of the greatest musical projects in history...hands down

[kdivala]

Dang I never knew he was the man behind This Christmas!!! True Classic!!!

[jaticem]

lol

[AnnaMaeBullock]

lol 8:37 - 8:58. "Ay man, when the fuck are you going onstage man? I'm up here to check you out and I don't want no BS playin. I wanna hear some 'get down'...And Donny played [his best]...." Too funny!

[shydmples]

lol...that's one of my favorite parts...lol

[jazzaymfka]

Hands down, my favorite artist. No question.

[ionahoopii]

Thanks for posting these clips. I truly believe Donny was the greatest voice ever recorded.

My wife and I did our first dance to I Know It's You.

[jl2279]

God Bless you Deena. Donny Hathaway's musical catalogue has been the soundtrack to my life since I was little. Words can not describe what For All We Know does to me. I played it at my Aunt's wake and it is amazing to see a room of 300 people and not a dry eye in the room. Thatnk you Deena and thank you Donny.

[antij1]

I listen to "This Christmas" all year long.

[ozziedavis]

God, what we do if we didnt have his recording, people like him and Luther who are effortless in their singing...

[sbrownie]

the best male voice EVER!...effortless, powerful and peaceful all at once...God, i miss him SO MUCH!...but thank God for recordings!

[shadowsquadbeats]

AMEN to that!

[antij1]

Has anyone ever written a book on Donny?

[imthebrother]

@antij1 Ed Pavlic did a book on him, this time is wasn't a biography just a book of poems dedicating his word to Donny.

[Lilmusicman13]

It's a shame what crock R&B has evolved into. We need more artists like Alicia Keys and Anthony Hathaway. They honor his music. Not many complexed influencial people in my generation.

[1980Triumph]

Man, R&B is the biggest joke in music today.

[LoliLoli83]

@Lilmusicman13 Anthony Hathaway??

[Lilmusicman13]

@LoliLoli83 I meant Anthony Hamilton. Sorry for the misprint everybody.

[LoliLoli83]

@Lilmusicman13 LOL Gotcha ;)

[MrJacksonvill]

Donny Hathawy was a great Artist...it doesn't matter that he had an illness..it didn't affect the great music he left us..

[tjn2007]

It's a shame we didn't know more about mental illness then...probably could have saved his life.

[GeneralTrousers]

Wow ... deep stuff in this Part 3

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[Ra1nemaker]

Dear Deena

Very humbled by your response to my paltry words. They don't even begin to sum up his greatness and continued influence over our music. God bless you!!!!

[tsarita]

God who is narrating this! His voice is so annoying!

[blachubear]

That's Al B. Sure doing the narrating.

[Ra1nemaker]

Dear Deena

I wholeheartedly agree with your synopsis of Donny's place in RnB music but regarding the riffs- if you notice he really didn't riff or slur that much in his songs. It was all about the richness, the purity, emotion and soulfulness of his voice that resonate to this day and will surely continue to do so for many years to come. Again thanks you some much for sharing this with us.

[DeenasWorld]

I will listen to Donny's Music and look for riffs, but I do agree with your synopsis of Donny's Music being more influencial for it's purity and emotion! Again, another beautiful narration to describe how important Donny's Music was!

Thanks RA 1!~=

[LHOU72662]

@Ra1nemaker your right on point!!

[vawnalex]

@Ra1nemaker Holy Jesus of Nazareth...I so agree with you. U must know art.

[cooperyahoo]

Thxs!

[magnnum01]

Great stuff Deena!

[miznay30]

THANKS DEENA