◇ image via WikipediaDonny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway is a Blues and Gospel act. Their catalogue also touches House and Jazz. Their sound grew out of Van McCoy, Leon Ware, Arif Mardin, Hotter than July and Phil Upchurch. Those roots explain a lot about how Donny Hathaway arrange songs and choose their tones. They run in the same orbit as Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, Bill Withers, Isaac Hayes and The Spinners, sharing audiences, venues and reference points rather than a straight line of influence. Their influence carried into Luke James, Mary J. Blige, Seal, Train and Ruben Studdard, where the same ideas turn up rearranged for a later generation. Altogether the chart holds 98 connections around Donny Hathaway, reaching back through Van McCoy and forward to Luke James. Follow any of those threads to keep travelling the influence between bands and genres on Starverb.
Background
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and arranger who Rolling Stone described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include "The Ghetto", "This Christmas", "Someday We'll All Be Free", and "Little Ghetto Boy". Hathaway is also renowned for his renditions of "A Song for You", "For All We Know", "Jealous Guy" and "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", along with "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You", two of many collaborations with Roberta Flack. He has been inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame and won one Grammy Award from four nominations. Hathaway was also posthumously honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. Dutch director David Kleijwegt made a documentary called Mister Soul – A Story About Donny Hathaway, which premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on January 28, 2020.
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Donny Hathaway connections
Donny Hathaway grew out of Van McCoy, Leon Ware, Arif Mardin and Hotter than July, shares an orbit with Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, Bill Withers and Isaac Hayes, went on to shape Luke James, Mary J. Blige, Seal and Train. 98 connections mapped across roots, kindred and legacy.
Who influenced Donny Hathaway
Sounds and acts that shaped Donny Hathaway.
Artists similar to Donny Hathaway
Artists and scenes sharing an orbit with Donny Hathaway.
- Marvin Gayeartist
- Roberta Flackartist
- Bill Withersartist
- Isaac Hayesartist
- The Spinnersartist
- Roy Ayers Ubiquityartist
- Rufusartist
- L.T.D.artist
- The Dramaticsartist
- David Ruffinartist
- D'Angeloartist
- Barry Whiteartist
- Harold Melvin & the Blue Notesartist
- Otis Reddingartist
- Smokey Robinsonartist
- Ohio Playersartist
- The Stylisticsartist
- Baby Hueyartist
Bands Donny Hathaway shaped
Where the influence of Donny Hathaway travelled next.
- Luke Jamesartist
- Mary J. Bligeartist
- Sealartist
- Trainartist
- Ruben Studdardartist
- Bobby Kimballartist
- Frazey Fordartist
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