Lalah Hathaway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification.

Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons
that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if
potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this
template message)
Lalah Hathaway
Birth name Eulaulah Donyll Hathaway
Born December 16, 1968 (age 49)
Origin Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres
R&Bsouljazzgospel
Occupation(s)
Singersongwriterrecord producerarrangermusician
Instruments
Pianovocals
Years active 1989�present
Labels Virgin, Mesa Bluemoon, Stax, eOne, Hathaway/Caroline
Associated acts
Marcus MillerRahsaan PattersonKirk WhalumRobert GlasperJoe Sample
Website lalahhathaway.com
Eulaulah Donyll "Lalah" Hathaway (born December 16, 1968) is an American singer.
She is the daughter of soul singer Donny Hathaway and an alumna of Berklee College
of Music. In 1990, Lalah Hathaway released her self-titled album. The album's first
single was "Heaven Knows", produced by Derek Bramble. The follow-up single was
"Baby Don't Cry", was produced by Angela Winbush.

In 1991, Hathaway released her extended play, Night & Day, in Japan. A Moment was
released in 1994, debuting at number 34 on the Top R&B albums chart. The lead
single, "Let Me Love You", charted on the Hot R&B chart at number 37. In 1999, she
collaborated with Joe Sample and released her third album The Song Lives On. After
a five-year hiatus, she returned with her fourth album, Outrun the Sky. The single
"Forever, For Always, For Love" peaked at number 1 on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay.

In 2007, Hathaway signed with Stax, which in 2008 released her fifth album, Self
Portrait. Released on June 3, 2008, in the United States, it debuted at number 63
on the Billboard Hot 200 and reached the top 10 on the Top R&B albums chart, making
this album her most successful album to date. She received a Best Female R&B Vocal
Performance Grammy Award nomination for "That Was Then". She won the Grammy Award
for Best R&B Performance with Snarky Puppy for "Something" in 2014. On February 8,
2015, she won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance along with
Robert Glasper and Malcolm-Jamal Warner for "Jesus Children". She again won the
Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for the cover version of her
father's 1972 hit "Little Ghetto Boy" in 2016.

Contents
1 Early life
2 Recording career
3 Music and voice
4 Songwriting and producing
5 Stage
6 Philanthropy
7 Discography
8 Awards
9 References
10 External links
Early life
Lalah Hathaway was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 16, 1968. Her mother
Eulaulah Hathaway was a musician and her father was soul singer Donny Hathaway. In
1979, he died due to a fall from a hotel in New York City. She attended The Chicago
Academy for the Arts. In 1989, she signed with Virgin Records, which released her
first song, "Inside the Beat". While a student at Berklee College of Music a year
later, she recorded her self-titled debut album.

Recording career
In 1990, Hathaway released her self-titled first album, which debuted at number 191
on the Billboard Hot 200 and number 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[1] The
album's lead single "Heaven Knows" peaked at number 3 on the Hot R&B. "Baby Don't
Cry" charted at number 18 on the Hot R&B chart. "It's Somethin'" debuted at No. 21
on the Hot R&B chart.

In 1991, Hathaway's EP Night & Day was released only in Japan, but the single
"Night & Day" was released in America where it debuted at number 110 on the Hot R&B
chart. In 1992, she appeared on Grover Washington's album Next Exit. The song "Love
Like This", with vocals by Hathaway, was the first single, and it charted at No.
31.

In 1994, A Moment debuted at number 34 on the Top R&B albums chart and number 23 on
the Heatseekers chart.[1] One her second albumBrian Alexander Morgan produced the
single "Let Me Love You", which debuted at the No. 37. "Separate Ways" and "Family
Affair" were released as singles, although neither charted. The album did not sell
as well as her first, and eventually Hathaway left Virgin.

She 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.[1] It became her second debut on the Billboard Hot 200
and later charted on Top R&B album chart.[1] "When Your Life Was Low" charted only
on the Hot R&B at number 118. The Song Lives On received the Billboard/BET on Jazz
Award for Best Mainstream Jazz Album.[citation needed]

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.[2] "Better and Better" peaked at number 121.

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.[3] Continuing her forays into the gospel realm, she could be heard on
Israel and New Breed's 2006 Christmas album A Timeless Christmas, which also
featured Marcus Miller.

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."[4]

Her first single was "Love's Holiday" from the Earth, Wind & Fire tribute album
Interpretations.[5] 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.[1][6]

After the release of Self Portrait, Hathaway went on tour beginning in July 2008.
[7] 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.[8]

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.[9] 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.[10] 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."[11]

Music and voice

Hathaway, a contralto singer,[12] is her father Donny Hathaway's eldest daughter.
Her longest singing note was held for 17 seconds in the performance of "Forever,
For Always, For Love".

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."[13]

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."[13]

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 m�lange founded by
Sandra St. Victor and featuring Nona Hendryx, Joyce Kennedy, as well as Indira and
Simone, daughters of Chaka Khan and Nina Simone.[13]

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.[13]

Stage
On stage, Hathaway performs the songs longer than the album version, with new
arrangements. In concert, the stage mainly consists of Lalah Hathaway, the back-up
singers, and the band. Often at the audience's request, the vocals will be turned
higher than band. Hathaway's band would often consist of a keyboardist, guitarist,
bassist, and drummer. Most songs would last over approximately five minutes. Dawn!
E. Robinson of VocalMusician.com attended a Hathaway in concert and her review
stated: "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."[14]

Philanthropy
Hathaway is one of the National Ambassadors for the "Circle of Promise". Launched
in October 2007, the campaign was created by Susan G. Komen for the Cure to
educate, empower and mobilize the African-American community in the fight against
breast cancer.

"The rate of black women and girls diagnosed with breast cancer is rising at an
alarming rate," said Hathaway. "We are fighting a common enemy. Knowledge and
having a take-charge mindset and attitude are critical weapons in the fight against
this deadly disease. I became active because I want to be an ambassador of change.
If I tell seven of my friends and they tell seven of their friends and so on, the
circle will continue to expand and we'll create a chorus of voices within the
African-American community to eradicate breast cancer. I truly believe that this is
a goal we can achieve together." The Circle of Promise is nationally represented by
several phenomenal African American women. Hathaway has raised money on her tours
and record sales to help find a cure for women with breast cancer. She has also
influenced women to get tested and tell family members to be aware of the cancer.
[15]

Discography
Main article: Lalah Hathaway discography
Lalah Hathaway (Virgin, 1990)
A Moment (Virgin, 1994)
The Song Lives On (GRP, 1999)
Outrun the Sky (Pyramid, 2004)
Self Portrait (Stax, 2008)
Where It All Begins (Stax, 2011)
Lalah Hathaway Live (E1, 2015)
Honestly (Hathaway, 2017)[16]
Awards
Billboard/BET on Jazz Awards
1999 � Mainstream Jazz Album "The Song Lives On" � Won
Grammy Awards
2011 � Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance "He's Been Just That
Good w/ Kirk Whalum" � Nominated
2014 � Best R&B Performance "Something w/ Snarky Puppy" � Won
2015 � Best Traditional R&B Performance "Jesus Children w/Robert Glasper Experiment
& Malcolm-Jamal Warner" � Won
2016 � Best Traditional R&B Performance "Little Ghetto Boy" � Won
2017 � Best Traditional R&B Performance "Angel" � Won
2017 � Best R&B Album "Lalah Hathaway Live" � Won
ASCAP Awards
2015 � Best R&B Song � Won
2016 � Best R&B Song � Won
2016 � Best Soul Track � Won
2017 � Best Soul Track � Won
Soul Train Music Awards
2016 � Soul Train Music Award for Centric Award � Nominated
2017 � Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Female Artist � Nominated
2017 � Soul Train Music Award for Centric Award � Nominated
References
Wynn, Ron. "Lalah Hathaway". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
"eJams: Lalah Hathaway". EJams.com. Archived from the original on February 7,
2012. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
Shelah Moody (October 20, 2005). "Lalah Hathaway grateful for her father's gifts".
San Francisco Chronicle.
"Lalah Hathaway Signs with Stax Records". SoulTracks. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
"Everybody Loves Tichina". Archived from the original on December 9, 2008.
Retrieved June 14, 2007.
"Disturbed's Indestructible Knocks Usher Off Top Of Billboard Chart". MTV.com.
2008-11-06. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
"Lalah Hathaway introduces LalahTV and New Tour Dates". Archived from the original
on December 1, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
"Lalah Hathaway - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
"Will Downing, Lalah, Gerald to Headline Soulful Christmas tour | SoulTracks -
Soul Music Biographies, News and Reviews". SoulTracks. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
"Buy and Sell Tickets". Tickets.latimes.com. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
"2009 SoulTracks Readers' Choice Awards Winners!". SoulTracks. Retrieved 2015-07-
12.
"Countdown: Top 5 Contemporary Contraltos". Diva Devotee. 2011-07-25. Retrieved
2016-07-20.
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 14, 2009. Retrieved June 30,
2009.
"Lalah Hathaway". Vocalmusician.com. 2004-02-03. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
"Lalah Hathaway : Singer : Circle of Life". Archived from the original on August
7, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
"Lalah Hathaway | Album Discography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 November
2018.
External links
Official site
Audio Interview from 2012 at Soulinterviews.com
vte
Lalah Hathaway
Authority control Edit this at Wikidata
WorldCat Identities AllMusic: mn0000127696 BNF: cb139427816 (data) Discogs: 25809
GND: 134688198 IMDb: nm1428662 ISNI: 0000 0000 5517 7461 LCCN: n92027196
MusicBrainz: 3f0f4358-4c48-4bce-be34-acf61d24df0b VIAF: 44489852
Categories: 1968 births20th-century women singers21st-century women singersAfrican-
American ChristiansAfrican-American female singersAmerican contemporary R&B
singersAmerican contraltosAmerican female jazz singersAmerican gospel
singersAmerican jazz singersAmerican soul singersBallad musiciansGrammy Award
winnersLiving peopleNeo soul singersSingers from ChicagoVirgin Records artistsJazz
musicians from Illinois
Navigation menu
Not logged inTalkContributionsCreate accountLog inArticleTalkReadEditView
historySearch

Search Wikipedia
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Deutsch
Espa�ol
???
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
???
Svenska
3 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 28 November 2018, at 15:59 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;
additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and
Privacy Policy. Wikipedia� is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policyAbout WikipediaDisclaimersContact WikipediaDevelopersCookie
statementMobile view