Robert Flack & Donny Hathaway

Biography

Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway refers to the acclaimed musical duo formed by singers Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, who met as students at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where Flack studied piano from age 15 and Hathaway played in a jazz trio. Flack, born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, transitioned from piano to voice, becoming assistant conductor of the university choir, while Hathaway, born in Chicago, Illinois, left before graduating to pursue music professionally, working for Curtis Mayfield at Curtom Records. Their careers overlapped on Atlantic Records, with Flack including Hathaway's compositions like 'Our Ages or Our Hearts' on her debut First Take (1969) and Chapter Two (1970), where he also contributed as pianist, arranger, and background vocalist.

Suggested by Atlantic's Jerry Wexler, they released their debut duet album Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway in 1972, featuring the Grammy-winning hit 'Where Is the Love,' which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their soulful, harmonious style blended R&B, jazz, and gospel influences, producing million-selling singles like 'The Closer I Get to You' (1978). They began a second duet album in 1978, but Hathaway's struggles with paranoid schizophrenia and depression led to his suicide in 1979 at age 33; Flack completed and released it as Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway.

Their legacy endures through timeless duets that defined 1970s soul, earning a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1973. Flack continued her career with further successes, while Hathaway's innovative songwriting and keyboard work influenced soul music, despite his tragically short life.

Fun Facts

• Their duet 'You've Got a Friend' debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 just one week after James Taylor's version in 1971, reaching #29 while Taylor's hit #1.
• Flack was one of the youngest students ever to enroll at Howard University at age 15 to study piano.
• Hathaway contributed to recordings for Curtis Mayfield, the Staples Singers, and Aretha Franklin before his duo success.
• Sessions for their second duet album were half-complete when Hathaway died by suicide in 1979, jumping from his New York hotel window.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Jerry Wexler - Atlantic Records producer who suggested their duet collaboration (Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway album (1972)) [1972]

Key Collaborators

• Roberta Flack - Primary duo partner and fellow Howard University student; shared vocals, harmonies (Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (1972), Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway (1980), singles 'Where Is the Love,' 'The Closer I Get to You') [1972-1979]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia