Lalah Hathaway

Last updated

Lalah Hathaway
Lalahwiki.jpg
Hathaway in 2018
Background information
Birth nameEulaulah Donyll Hathaway
Born (1968-12-16) December 16, 1968 (age 54)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active1990–present
Labels
Website lalahhathaway.com
jazznerdz.com

Eulaulah Donyll "Lalah" Hathaway (born December 16, 1968) is an American singer. [1] In 1990 Hathaway released her first album titled Lalah Hathaway . After releasing another album, titled A Moment (1994), it debuted at number 34 on the Top R&B albums chart. In 1999 she collaborated with Joe Sample on the album The Song Lives On . After a five-year hiatus, she returned with her fourth album, Outrun the Sky (2004). The single "Forever, For Always, For Love" peaked at number 1 on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay.

Contents

Stax Records released her fifth album Self Portrait in 2008. It debuted at number 63 on the Billboard 200 and reached the top 10 on the Top R&B albums chart, making this album her most successful album to date. She is the daughter of American soul singer and musician Donny Hathaway. [2] According to her website in March 2020 Hathaway is working on a studio album entitled, L.A.L.A.H. Rebirth. [3] Hathaway received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 2022. [4]

Recording career

In 1990 Hathaway released her self-titled first album, which she recorded while still a student at Berklee College of Music. [5] The album debuted at number 191 on the Billboard Hot 200 and number 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. [6]

In July 1991, a version of Sly Stone's "Family Affair" was released by a Heaven 17 side-project called the BEF (British Electric Foundation) which featured Lalah Hathaway on vocals. This cover would reach number 37 on the Gallup/Top of The Pops/UK Singles Chart Top 40, the only record by the BEF to do so (away from regular Heaven 17 releases). [7]

In 1992, Hathaway sang lead vocals on the single Love Like This released by Grover Washington Jr. from his Next Exit album. [8]

In 1994, A Moment debuted at number 34 on the Top R&B albums chart and number 23 on the Heatseekers chart. [6]

She has worked with established musicians such as Mary J. Blige, Marcus Miller, Take 6, and The Winans, writing, producing, and singing background vocals. In 1999, she joined GRP and collaborated with Joe Sample on The Song Lives On , which reached No. 2 on the jazz album chart. [6] It became her second debut on the Billboard Hot 200 and later charted on Top R&B album chart. [6]

In 2004, she released a cover version of Luther Vandross's song "Forever, for Always, for Love". The song appeared on the all-star tribute album Forever, for Always, for Luther and on her fourth album Outrun the Sky . It reached number 1 on the Adult R&B chart. "Forever, for Always, for Love" became her first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, charting at number 112 and number 37 on the Hot R&B. Her first solo album in five years was produced by Rex Rideout, Mike City, and Chris Parks. [9]

Hathaway was featured on Donald Lawrence's debut solo album I Speak Life as a lead vocalist on "Don't Forget to Remember". In 2005, she was seen on the international Daughters of Soul tour with Sandra St. Victor, Nona Hendryx, Simone, and Joyce Kennedy. [10]

After Stax signed Hathaway, she stated "The foundation of soul music is rooted in Stax Records. Working with Maurice White on the Interpretations project was more than special to me. There is no higher compliment than to be signed to a label whose music is timeless. I'm proud to carry the torch that will continue to bring quality soul music to a new audience." [11]

Her first single was "Love's Holiday" from the Earth, Wind & Fire tribute album Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire. [12] In April 2008, Stax released "Let Go", which debuted at number 51 on the Hot R&B chart and number 16 on the Hot Adult R&B. In June 2008, Self Portrait was released. Collaborating again with producer Rex Rideout and working with Rahsaan Patterson and Sandra St. Victor, Self Portrait became her most successful album to date, debuting at number 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 63 on the Hot 200. [6] [13]

After the release of Self Portrait, Hathaway went on tour beginning in July 2008. [14] The Self Portrait Tour contained 10 tour dates in America and a collection of songs from her previous albums, Lalah Hathaway and Outrun the Sky and a few songs from Self Portrait. The tour only reached America. In late 2008, "That Was Then" was released as the album's second single. The single debuted at number 105 on the Hot R&B chart and number 32 on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay. [15]

In November 2008, Hathaway joined Will Downing and Gerald Albright for the Soulful Chr*stmas Tour in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Atlanta. [16] In January 2009, she appeared on Black Entertainment Television in an interview and performed before an audience. She continued to support the album and was scheduled to perform at the Capital Jazz Festival in Columbia, Maryland, the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, and Circle of Promise, which took place in July 2009. [17] In December 2009 she won the Song of the Year award in the SoulTracks Readers' Choice Award for her duet with singer Eric Roberson on "Dealing". [18]

Music and voice

Hathaway performing in 2018 Lalah Hathaway 2018.jpg
Hathaway performing in 2018

During the recording process of her fifth studio album she stated, "I don't necessarily want to fit into what's happening now, but I want to stand with it, doing my own thing. I would really love it if people need the record. I put a lot of myself into this album, so I hope people can hear me and understand who I am." [19]

Although she has created a space for herself, Hathaway remains connected to her late father and his classic sound. She has stated, "I am his daughter and that's the truth of who I am, every day. When I was 15, and then, 20, I didn't get why people were asking me how I felt about him and his music. But when I turned 25, I began to understand. Like my father, I want to leave a legacy of music that makes people really feel something, whether it be happiness, sadness, grief or heartache. I also want them to appreciate my humor which I know can be difficult to interpret in a song." [19]

Hathaway masters a rare type of multiphonic ("overtone") singing which allows her to "split" her voice and sing several notes at the same time. [20] Hathaway earned her first career GRAMMY for 2013 for Best R&B Performance for "Something" with Snarky Puppy, where she displayed this ability. [21]

Songwriting and producing

Between album projects, Hathaway, who has recorded collaborations with Marcus Miller, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Mary J. Blige, keeps her creativity nourished by contributing her voice to Daughters of Soul Tour, a musical mélange founded by Sandra St. Victor and featuring Nona Hendryx, Joyce Kennedy, as well as Indira and Simone, daughters of Chaka Khan and Nina Simone. [19]

Although it might seem that "On Your Own" from Self Portrait, which reunites her with Rex Rideout and Rahsaan Patterson, is inspired by a past heartbreak, the idea for the song came to her in a dream. While Hathaway is often known for singing down tempo songs, during the period of 2004 and 2008, she had done mid-tempo songs such as "Let Go", "Let Me Love You", and "Better and Better". Keeping with the theme of her family, she often journeys back to her childhood with "Little Girl", which she co-produced with Rex Rideout, Rahsaan Patterson, and Sandra St. Victor. [19]

Stage

On stage, Hathaway often performs songs longer than their album equivalents, with many exceeding the five-minute mark and occasionally with new arrangements. Hathaway's band generally consists of a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, and drummer. Hathaway's vocal prowess has led to audiences demanding her microphone be turned up in the mix during live performances. Dawn E. Robinson of VocalMusician.com stated in a review: "The sound in the house was strange – the band was really too loud all evening. Even when the sound guy turned Lalah's vocals up (at the audience's request), the band got louder. I got the impression that the sound onstage was good though, because none of the singers appeared to be over-singing." [22]

Discography

Studio and live albums
Collaboration albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earth, Wind & Fire</span> American musical group

Earth, Wind & Fire are an American musical group. Their style and sound span various music genres such as jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin, and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omarion</span> American singer and dancer (born 1984)

Omari Ishmael Grandberry, better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actor, and dancer. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. The group achieved success in the early 2000s with their singles "Gots ta Be", "Uh Huh", "Girlfriend", and the number-one hit "Bump, Bump, Bump".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rahsaan Patterson</span> American singer and actor (born 1974)

Rahsaan Patterson is an American singer and actor, best known for portraying "The Kid" on the 1980s television show Kids Incorporated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donny Hathaway</span> American singer-songwriter (1945–1979)

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", 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carla Thomas</span> American singer (born 1942)

Carla Venita Thomas is an American singer, who is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul. She is best known for her 1960s recordings for Atlantic and Stax including the hits "Gee Whiz " (1960), "B-A-B-Y" (1966) and "Tramp" (1967), a duet with Otis Redding. She is the daughter of Rufus Thomas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamia</span> Canadian singer and songwriter (born 1975)

Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development deal with Warner Bros. Records, she was asked by veteran producer Quincy Jones to appear on his album Q's Jook Joint (1995), earning her Grammy Award nominations for their collaboration on "You Put a Move on My Heart" and "Slow Jams". Her self-titled debut album was released in 1998 and followed by a series of successful albums with Elektra Records, including A Nu Day (2000) and More (2004). Several songs from these albums became hit singles on the pop and R&B record charts, including "So Into You", "Stranger in My House", and "Imagination", as well as her collaborations "Into You", "Missing You", and "Spend My Life with You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Winbush</span> American singer

Angela Lisa Winbush is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who rose to fame first in the 1980s R&B duo René & Angela, also scoring hits as a solo artist. To date, Winbush has sold over 10 million albums and singles worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Stone</span> American singer and actress (born 1961)

Angela Laverne Brown known professionally as Angie Stone, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as member of the hip hop trio The Sequence. In the early 1990s, she became a member of the R&B trio Vertical Hold. Stone would later release her solo debut Black Diamond (1999) on Arista Records, which was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and spawned the single "No More Rain ".

The Emotions are an American soul/R&B vocal group from Chicago. The group started out in gospel music but transitioned into R&B and disco music. The Emotions were named by VH1 as one of the 18 most influential girl groups of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice White</span> American musician (1941–2016), founder of Earth, Wind & Fire

Maurice White was an American singer, musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer. He was best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leela James</span> American singer-songwriter from California

Alechia Janeice Campbell known professionally as Leela James, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter.

<i>Outrun the Sky</i> 2004 studio album by Lalah Hathaway

Outrun the Sky is the third studio album by American singer Lalah Hathaway. It was released on September 28, 2004, via then Universal-distributed Mesa/Blue Moon Recordings. Her first album in a decade, it peaked at number 34 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Closer I Get to You</span> 1978 romantic ballad by Donnie Hathaway and Roberta Flack

"The Closer I Get to You" is a romantic ballad performed by singer-songwriter Roberta Flack and soul musician Donny Hathaway. The song was written by James Mtume and Reggie Lucas, two former members of Miles Davis's band, who were members of Flack's band at the time. Produced by Atlantic Records, the song was released on Flack's 1977 album Blue Lights in the Basement, and as a single in 1978. It became a major crossover hit, becoming Flack's biggest commercial hit after her success with her 1973 solo single, "Killing Me Softly with His Song". Originally set as a solo single, Flack's manager, David Franklin, suggested a duet with Hathaway, which resulted in the finished work.

<i>Self Portrait</i> (Lalah Hathaway album) 2008 studio album by Lalah Hathaway

Self Portrait is the fourth studio album by American singer Lalah Hathaway. It was released by Stax Records on June 3, 2008 in the United States. Chiefly produced by Rex Rideout, it marked her debut with the label and became Hathaway's highest-charting album by then, reaching number six on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, her first top ten entry on that chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Stone discography</span>

American singer and songwriter Angie Stone has released ten studio albums, one compilation album, and more than two dozen singles. She has sold near five million records as a solo artist, including over 1.4 million albums in the United States. Stone's career began as a member of the hip hop trio The Sequence in the late 1970s. In 1999, she released her first solo album, Black Diamond on Arista Records. It debuted at number 46 on the US Billboard 200 and peaked at number nine on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, eventually selling more than 750,000 copies. Black Diamond was awarded gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and produced the singles "No More Rain ", "Life Story" and "Everyday", the former of which became a number-one hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart.

<i>Pink Elephant</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Ndambi

Pink Elephant is the fourth studio album by American recording artist N'Dambi. A neo soul record that incorporates elements of jazz and funk, it focuses on themes including double lives, love-hate relationships, true love, betrayal, and the music industry. N'Dambi highlighted classic R&B artists such as Betty Davis and Smokey Robinson as her influences when recording the album; for the album's writing and production, she worked with Leon Sylvers III, who was known for his work with artists including Gladys Knight, Shalamar, and Blackstreet.

<i>Where It All Begins</i> (Lalah Hathaway album) 2011 studio album by Lalah Hathaway

"Where It All Begins" is the fifth studio album by American singer Lalah Hathaway. It was released on Stax Records and Concord Music Group on October 18, 2011.

<i>Lalah Hathaway Live</i> 2015 live album by Lalah Hathaway

Lalah Hathaway Live is the first live album by American singer Lalah Hathaway. It was released on October 30, 2015 through her own label, Hathaway Entertainment, and eOne. The album won Best R&B Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2017. She also earned a Grammmy for Best Traditional R&B Performance for her cover of "Angel" by Anita Baker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lalah Hathaway discography</span>

This is the discography for American jazz singer Lalah Hathaway.

<i>Honestly</i> (Lalah Hathaway album) 2017 studio album by Lalah Hathaway

Honestly is the sixth studio album by American singer Lalah Hathaway. It was released on October 20, 2017 through her own label, Hathaway Entertainment. The album, produced entirely by Tiffany Gouche and Hathaway, earned two Grammy Award nominations in 2019, with "Y O Y" being nominated for Best R&B Performance and Honestly receiving a Best R&B Album nomination. A deluxe edition of the album was released digitally on June 27, 2018.

References

  1. "Lalah Hathaway". Grammy.com. November 19, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  2. Edwards, Gavin (July 22, 2019). "Donny Hathaway's Daughter Lalah Is Finally Ready to Honor Him in Concert". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  3. "2020lalah". Lalahhathaway.com.
  4. "Berklee Honors Ringo Starr, Lalah Hathaway, James Newton Howard, and Chuck Rainey at Commencement | Berklee". www.berklee.edu. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  5. "Hathaway, Lalah | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Wynn, Ron. "Lalah Hathaway". AllMusic . Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  7. "BEF FEAT. LALAH HATHAWAY | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  8. Grover Washington, Jr. Featuring Lalah Hathaway - Love Like This, October 7, 1992, retrieved November 12, 2022
  9. "eJams: Lalah Hathaway". EJams.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  10. Shelah Moody (October 20, 2005). "Lalah Hathaway grateful for her father's gifts". San Francisco Chronicle.
  11. "Lalah Hathaway Signs with Stax Records". SoulTracks. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  12. "Everybody Loves Tichina". Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved June 14, 2007.
  13. "Disturbed's Indestructible Knocks Usher Off Top Of Billboard Chart". MTV.com. November 6, 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  14. "Lalah Hathaway introduces LalahTV and New Tour Dates". Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
  15. "Lalah Hathaway – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  16. "Will Downing, Lalah, Gerald to Headline Soulful Christmas tour | SoulTracks – Soul Music Biographies, News and Reviews". SoulTracks. October 27, 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  17. "Buy and Sell Tickets". Tickets.latimes.com. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  18. "2009 SoulTracks Readers' Choice Awards Winners!". SoulTracks. December 7, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "A Little About ME". Archived from the original on July 14, 2009. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  20. "Snarky Puppy feat. Lalah Hathaway – Something (Family Dinner – Volume One)". YouTube. September 23, 2013. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  21. "How did Lalah Hathaway make 'Something'?". Grammy.com. May 15, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  22. "Lalah Hathaway". Vocalmusician.com. February 3, 2004. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2015.