Press Release: SOMEDAY WE'LL ALL BE FREE; THE GENIUS OF DONNY HATHAWAY

RENO JAZZ ORCHESTRA TO PRESENT
“SOMEDAY WE'LL ALL BE FREE; THE GENIUS OF DONNY HATHAWAY”

(RENO, Nev.) August 8, 2025 ---   The Reno Jazz Orchestra is commemorating the 80th birthday of Donny Hathaway on September 27 and 28, 2025, in Reno, Nevada, with a full-stage production of Someday We'll All Be Free; the Genius of Donny Hathaway.

"Donny Hathaway made his mark in the 1970s as a key figure of the soul music genre. He was a singer, pianist, composer and music genius who left us too soon," said Chuck Reider, Reno Jazz Orchestra Board President and Creative Director for the shows.

This fall, the Reno Jazz Orchestra will take the stage at the Nugget Casino Resort Celebrity Showroom to commemorate Hathaway's 80th birthday. Reno Jazz Orchestra Music Director Dr. Greg Johnson will lead an expanded roster of artists.

"This music production will be a first for the Reno Jazz Orchestra," said Johnson. "It will showcase a unique collaboration with a string orchestra, original orchestra arrangements, featuring one of Reno, Nevada's more popular vocalists, Cliff Porter, a gospel choir and our jazz orchestra."

Hathaway's music was a blend of gospel, jazz and R&B with powerful civil rights messages. The concert's first half will feature Hathaway's most well-known songs, such as Little Ghetto Boy and the second half will feature material from his album Extensions of a Man.

"In addition, Mr. Hathaway's daughter, Donnita Hathaway, who is the founder and executive director of the non-profit Donny Hathaway Legacy Project, will be part of the community outreach," said Reider. "Donnita created this organization to help others who, like her father, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia that led to his suicide in 1979 at the age of 33."                   

Community outreach will begin in mid-2025 and will include outreach educational performances at local schools and churches.

Joining Donnita Hathaway will be Cliff Porter who has also created a local non-profit charity to assist those with mental health issues. Porter is a member of the Northern Nevada Black Cultural Awareness Society which will also be involved in community outreach.

"I established the Donny Hathaway Legacy Project to honor my father's tremendous contributions to music while addressing the ongoing crisis of suicide in young Black communities. After losing both parents before age 20, I discovered holistic healing through music, laughter, community, spiritual practice, clean eating and with a community of loved ones. Now I'm dedicated to making these same transformational tools accessible to others facing similar heartbreak and trauma," said Donnita Hathaway, Founder/Executive Director of the Donny Hathaway Legacy Project.

“I lost both of my parents before I turned 20,” said Hathaway. “Fortunately, I discovered multiple holistic healing modalities, including music, laughter, and community, which helped me grieve and move forward. As a result, I adapted to clean eating, exercising, and spiritual practice, thanks to the methods and mentorship of trusted, influential people.”

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