R.I.P Donny

Last night, I watched the Unsung series on TVOne which spotlighted R&B composer, singer, and musician Donny Hathaway. I have always been in awe of his music and had no idea that he committed suicide in 1979 by jumping out of a window of a hotel in New York. What a tragedy. What a loss.

Hathaway suffered for many years and was classified a paranoid schizophrenic in the early 70s. He continued to work, but towards the end, he could not longer sustain the pressure. Hathaway died when he was only 34 years old. He is buried here in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was raised.

Donny Hathaway produced hits for Roberta Flack and others. The song below (also sung by the Carpenters) is my favorite song by him.