Source From http://www.blackamericaweb.com/
January 13, 1979 marked over three decades since Donny Hathaway’s tragic death. Although his career was brief, Hathaway crossed musical boundaries with R&B, gospel and jazz that has left an indelible impact on music today.
Musician Kirk Whalum poured his heart and soul into each note of his recent tribute CD, “Everything is Everything: The Music of Donny Hathaway.”
“The very first song I learned, besides ‘Amazing Grace,’ was ‘Everything Is Everything,'” says Whalum on Hathaway’s musical influence. “Throughout my career, Donny’s voice haunts my every note as some gospel tutor, some soul mentor with extremely high expectations. You got to mean it. Every note. Donny’s faith, his struggles, his convictions were raw and evident in every phrase. He meant it. And we feel it. We still do.”
Watch out for Whalum on the 53rd Grammy Awards, which will be broadcast on CBS on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. EST from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
