Donnie

Listeners often draw parallels between the polished vocal approach of contemporary soul performer Donnie and the sounds of Macy Gray, Jill Scott, Seal, and Maxwell. He entered the world in Lexington, Kentucky, in the mid-'70s, grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and was raised in a deeply religious household where both parents served as ministers. After beginning with choir performances in childhood, Donnie broadened his artistic scope through exposure to gospel figures such as Walter Hawkins and Mahalia Jackson alongside soul and R&B icons including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Aretha Franklin. In the early years of the 21st century he secured a contract with the Giant Step imprint, which put out the singles and EPs "Holiday," "Masterplan," "Do You Know?," "Excerpts from the Colored Section," and "Our New National Anthem." His first full-length project, The Colored Section, arrived in November 2002 and was subsequently acquired for distribution by Motown. A still more expansive follow-up titled The Daily News appeared on Soul Thought in 2007.