Donnie first emerged out of the Atlanta Soul music scene, which also
produced India.Arie. It was with the support of Arie, that Donnie
independently released the critically acclaimed The Colored Section
(2002) on Giant Step which led to his signing with the legendary Motown
record label. Donnie’s affinity toward legendary Soul singers like
Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway was clear, but few critics realized
the other influences that were as vital to Donnie’s sound as classic
Soul. “I come from Gospel,” Donnie notes, “I come from Rance Allen,
James Moore, John P. Kee, Darryl Coley—all of these men in Gospel sing
and draw emotions.” Like the classic Soul Men that also influenced him,
Donnie understands how fluid musical genres can be. Like The Colored
Section before it, The Daily News is evidence of Donnie’s appreciation
of a wide range of styles including ragtime, jazz, the blues, show
tunes, Soul, hip-hop, gospel and of course contemporary R&B.
