When your last name is Hathaway, there is a certain degree of attention that inevitably follows you, especially in the world of music.
As the daughter of Donny Hathaway, one of soul music's eternal legends, the expectations placed upon Lalah's career have been extraordinarily high. In spite of such pressure, she has blazed her own trails and become a staple on jazz and R&B radio — spending half of her life in the musical spotlight.
Self Portrait, her Stax Records debut, is an introspective account of a twenty-year career. Upon review of the album, Lalah Hathaway managed to squeeze some time out of her busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry — reflecting on life, music and, of course, Donny Hathaway.
Few artists survive one decade in the music industry, yet you have endured for two. What memories shine bright from the early years, when you released your debut album in 1990?
That part of my life is kind of a blur. It was the end of the '80s. I was getting out of college. I was coming to LA from Boston to do demos and meet with several producers. Everything got made really quickly and I was relatively oblivious to the process, other than showing up to do what I had to do. Thankfully, people were able to hear my intent. My work was very representative of who I was as an artist at that time and who I am now.
How has the industry changed since then?
Everything's different now. The rise of the Internet alone made such a significant difference in the industry. It's a smaller place and a larger place all at the same time. It is very interesting. And even now, it is still changing.
In 2005, you were quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle as saying, "there is less money in real music these days." Have your feelings changed?
Well, not so much. I grew up in the '70s, at a time of a really rich landscape of music and varied radio. I am unsure if the industry will ever be the way that it was. I think that it is mostly a factor of commerce. My grandparents probably told my parents "You guys don't even know what music was. The music we had when we were kids…" Maybe that's a generational thing and every generation thinks that they know what music is. This is true particularly for soul music. Growing up in the '70s and '80s – that was really the time for soul music in this country, so I feel bad for kids that do not have access to that.
Article comments
1 - Nicole Houston
Wonderful interview Clayton! Well done!