DONNY HATHAWAY - THIS CHRISTMAS

Released: December 9, 1970

Charted:  US: #37 

Donny Hathaway co-wrote the soulful Christmas song with Nadine McKinnor, capturing the essence of the holiday season and his anticipation of spending it with loved ones. The memorable chorus resonates:

"And this Christmas, will be

A very special Christmas, for me."

Despite an initially slow start, the song, released in 1970, later became a modern holiday standard. Covered by various artists such as Destiny's Child, Jess Glynne, Aretha Franklin, and Lady Antebellum, it found its place in the Christmas music canon. Chris Brown is the only artist to chart with the song, reaching #62 in 2007 with his rendition.

In the midst of a snowstorm blanketing Chicago in 1967, postal worker Nadine McKinnor found herself singing Christmas carols to pass the time. Inspired by Nat King Cole, she crafted the lyrics for the tune without knowing who Donny Hathaway was. Recalling the experience to the Chicago Tribune in 2017, McKinnor shared, "I loved 'The Christmas Song' and was trying to capture the swirl of music, department store windows, lights on the South Side - Chicago at Christmas. It's like I'm talking about a love affair with the atmosphere of the holiday. My kids were little then, I was out shopping for toys, enjoying the mood. It's a romance with the season."

Donny Hathaway aspired for "This Christmas" to become the definitive Black Christmas carol, but his untimely death in 1979 at the age of 33 prevented him from witnessing his wish come true. Even though the song had already become a holiday staple in the Black community, Hathaway's vision was realized long after his passing. In 2017, a Slate story explored the various covers of "This Christmas," with Lawrence Ware, co-director of the Center for Africana Studies at Oklahoma State University, dedicating 48 hours to listening exclusively to different versions. Despite the competition, Hathaway's original emerged as the clear winner.