‘When Amy Met Donny’ Features The Music Of Two Musical Geniuses

Sally Blandon portrays Amy Winehouse and Lester Jay portrays Donny Hathaway in “When Amy met Donny.” PHOTO PROVIDED BY ACMPR
Sally Blandon portrays Amy Winehouse and Lester Jay portrays Donny Hathaway in “When Amy met Donny.” PHOTO PROVIDED BY ACMPR

‘When Amy Met Donny’ Features The Music Of Two Musical Geniuses

By Tia Carol Jones

Donnita Hathaway is the Founder of the Donny Hathaway Legacy Project. Her father’s legacy is something that she cares about a lot. Listening to music from other artists, she could see where Donny Hathaway’s music influenced theirs. Amy Winehouse was one of those artists. Winehouse covered Donnie Hathaway’s music and even referenced him in her song, “Rehab.”

Donnita Hathaway met Sally Blandon during a Donny Hathaway Tribute concert. Blandon, a musician, vocalist, educator and a mental health advocate, talked to Hathaway about working on a project that focused on mental health. Blandon had been doing an Amy Winehouse Tribute called Tears Dry On Their Own and came up with the concept of a concert that would explore what would happen if Amy Winehouse met Donny Hathaway and ‘When Amy met Donny” was born.

This is the second year “When Amy met Donny” took place at the Epiphany Center for the Arts. Donnita Hathaway called it a prayer realized. In the concert Blandon portrays Amy Winehouse and Lester Jay portrays Donny Hathaway. Blandon and Jay met in college at Columbia College Chicago.

Blandon wanted to use the music of Amy Winehouse as a way to break the stigma of mental health and change the narrative around who she was and what her musical contributions were. Blandon described Winehouse as a generous musician and lyricist who was unapologetic, sincere and forthcoming about her feelings. She wanted to share stories of Winehouse that weren’t focused on her bad days. Blandon also wanted Winehouse fans to hear the music of Donny Hathaway if they weren’t familiar.

Blandon hoped that the concert would be a healing and therapeutic experience for people. She wanted them to feel like they could have time and space to relate.

“I want them to understand that you are not defined by your mistakes, you are not defined by your illnesses, you’re not defined by maybe the shadows that might lurk in your life or in your spirits. Our struggles do not define us, and we all deserve a little grace,” Blandon said.

Blandon first experienced losing a friend to suicide when she was 15. It really changed her to her core and made her realize how ugly people can be when they don’t understand something like suicide. That experience was painful and unfortunately, it wasn’t her only experience.

Donnita Hathaway founded The Donny Hathaway Legacy Project because she wanted to uplift her father’s legacy and wanted to give him the flowers he deserved. She also was continuing to see young people die by suicide. It was her hope that with her work she could help save other people. She is glad that mental health has become a hot topic and while more people are addressing mental health, Donnita believes society has a long way to go.

The Donny Hathaway Legacy Project uses the arts, music, therapy, nutrition and other tools that are readily available, while also offering culturally relevant resources while uplifting her father’s story.

“I want everybody to be well and have the best quality of life possible. I think we can do that if, we on a daily basis can have a better understanding and address our own mental health. If we are able to do that, then we can see when someone else is suffering and hopefully be able to provide them with the same grace, space and resources to save them,” Donnita said.

Donnita hopes that people see that the songs Donny Hathaway created live on. She said events like “When Amy met Donny” help with that. She said what is so special about the concert is it features the music of two artists who suffered from substance abuse and shows that people need to change the way they look at people who suffer from substance abuse.  So, they can get the help they need, without sensationalizing their disease. She wants people to check in with their family and friends and themselves and see how they are doing.

September is Suicide Awareness Month and Donnita said that while that is a heavy subject, the concert, the music and the arts have a way to not make it as heavy. On 53rd and Kimbark there is a mural, created by Richard Wilson, of Donny Hathaway with the lyrics to “One Day We’ll All Be Free,” and there is a QR Code that goes to a website with Chicago-based resources for mental health.

For more information about the Donny Hathaway Legacy Project, visit www.donnyhathaway.org.

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