Music Icon Donny Hathaway Was a Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

Did you know that legendary soul singer Donny Hathaway was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.?

Before he became one of the most revered voices in American music, Donny Hathaway pledged Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha at Howard University and was initiated in 1965.

Hathaway, born in Chicago and raised in St. Louis, brought his gospel roots and classical music training to the forefront of soul music in the 1970s. A fine arts scholarship student at Howard, he formed lasting creative partnerships—including with his roommate and drummer Ric Powell—and connected with a brotherhood that would ground him as his career took flight.

His catalog reads like a blueprint of soul mastery: “The Ghetto,” “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” “Little Ghetto Boy,” and of course, the Black Christmas anthem, “This Christmas.” Collaborating with artists like Roberta Flack, Hathaway created songs that have endured for generations, crossing genres and touching lives. “Where Is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You” not only topped charts but became cultural touchstones.

But Hathaway’s influence wasn’t just in his music. Through Alpha Phi Alpha and his time at Howard, he stood as a symbol of how art, intellect, and brotherhood intersect in the legacy of Black excellence.

Though his life was tragically cut short in 1979, Donny Hathaway’s voice, both literally and symbolically, continues to echo across generations. And for the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha, that voice carries the pride of a brother whose artistry still moves the world.

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