The painting, painted by Richard Wilson earlier this year, was meant to “pay tribute to the gift Donnie gave us,” he says.
The painting is about “mental health issues in the black community, especially men” and “the almost unspoken everyday pressures that exist while being black in America and the tolls that can take you mentally.” It also aimed to raise awareness of
Hathaway struggled with mental illness, including schizophrenia. In 1979, he was found dead on the sidewalk under a high-rise hotel room in New York City. His death was ruled a suicide. he was 33 years old.
For several years, Rob McKay of South Side’s Connect Gallery has wanted to create a series of murals that showcase people who have “made an impact on the community.”
Artist Richard Wilson (seated) and Rob McKay of Connect Gallery.
“I also wanted to show that we need to talk about mental health in our community,” McKay says.
After COVID-19 hit, claiming many lives and taking a toll on his terrible mental health, he “immediately thought” that the first mural “should be Donny Hathaway,” he says.
Wilson, who is from London and now lives in Detroit, says he met McKay in 2018. Through a close friend in London, he was introduced to Eric Williams of the Hyde Park boutique ‘Silver Room’ and to Mackay.
“Many years later, and thanks to Rob’s hard work in making our initial talks a reality, we finally got the chance to paint.”
It happened in May at 1307 E. 53rd Street, a building managed by the University of Chicago that houses the Small Cheval restaurant.
“Donny was on my list of icons I wanted to paint, but it was Rob who suggested Donny specifically for this wall,” Wilson says.
Mural of 1307 E. 53rd St. uploaded in May.
Wilson says it took about two weeks and 20 gallons of acrylic paint to complete the mural, which is about 25 feet by 30 feet.
At the bottom of the piece is a QR code that can be scanned with your phone and tapped for information about mental health resources.
The mural also contains the lyrics to the song “Someday We’ll Be Free” recorded by Hathaway.
“Hold on to the world
Because it spins round and round
do not rotate
take you down
things are going fast
hold on tight
and you will last longer.
take it from me
sometimes
we all
freedom. “
The lyrics are by Hathaway’s collaborator and friend Edward Howard.
“The power of good songwriting stands the test of time, and a good song can also be interpreted in many different ways,” says Wilson. “These lyrics are often related to the civil rights movement, but according to Ed Howard, they were written for Donnie and about his mental health issues.”
“Decades later, the words still hold true,” says Wilson.
“I’m on medication for it, but without it I really struggle,” he says. “My artwork is also what really helps me.”
He said, “I got a lot of inspiration and hope and strength from songs like that. It’s always been a go-to for me and is his favorite song.”
“Usually when people are drawing something, they may not have a connection with it,” Wilson says. “But this is personal to me.”
One of Hathaway’s children, Donita Hathaway, was two years old when her father died. She runs a group called the Donny Hathaway Legacy Project that honors his music and promotes mental health.
Donita Hathaway, daughter of Donnie Hathaway.
She visited while Wilson was painting a mural.
“I was able to get on the crane and get close to my father’s face. I just stared,” she says. “We look so much alike that it’s like looking in a mirror. I fell in love with it.”
