Donald Blackman, +++ 1st September 1953 - 11th April 2013 +++

don blackman

b. Donald Blackman, 1st September 1953, Queens, New York, U.S.A.

d. 11th April 2013, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.

The American pianist, singer, songwriter, producer, Don Blackman has died. He was 59.
Don passed away after a long fight against cancer.
At the beginning of the 1970's, Don played with the likes of Parliament, Funkadelic, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Roy Ayers.
He later became a member of Lenny White's group Twennynine.
Don penned the tracks 'Peanut Butter' and 'Morning Sunrise' for the group.
He released his self-titled debut solo album in 1982 on the Arista Records imprint.
'Don Blackman' contained the songs 'Holding You, Loving You', 'Heart's Desire' and 'Since You've Been Away So Long.
The album later became a rare groove release in the later eighties, with 'Holding You, Loving You', later being sampled on the hip hop track 'Too Complex' by L. The Head Toucha.
Don wrote many tracks as a session musician for the likes of Kurtis Blow, Bernard Wright, Sting, Roy Ayers, Jay-Z, Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur.

In 2002, Don returned to solo recording with a new single release on Expansion Records entitled 'Coming To You, Coming To Me', a tune that featured Tonni Smith on background vocals.

An album, entitled 'Listen' was released in July 2002 on Expansion Records in the U.K., some 20 years after his debut outing.

The album featured the final recording sessions by the late Weldon Irvine Jnr, a close personal friend of Don's.