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DONNIE
Giant Step Records
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 When Donnie walks into a room, you can't help but look at him. His eyes, so dark and strong, speak of a raw intelligence and determination to lift up every stone and turn round every corner to find the truth that is so dear to him. Donnie, 25, and raised in Atlanta, is set to ride the wave that his fellow neo-soul peers, India Arie, Macy Gray, Jill Scott, Maxwell, and The Roots have paved for him. "I am going to be able to come full force because of them," Donnie reveals. "The industry doesn't know what they are doing. But the almighty is bringing these people in."
The almighty plays a big role in Donnie's life. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Donnie was raised in a Hebrew Pentecostal church, which he regularly attended until his early 20's. At the age of eight, his family broke the Kentucky residence legacy and moved to Altanta where his parents, both ministers, now practice at different chapels. Donnie credits the strict and yet liberal environment he grew up in for the direction he pursues today.
It was Bishop Embry in Atlanta who first told Donnie to get into the choir. By the age of 14 he was already directing music and talks about the hub of musical ability that was developing around him. Contemporary gospel legends such as Twinkie Clark, Edwin and Walter Hawkins and Mahalia Jackson were taking music from the church to a new level. "They explored R&B, ragtime and jazz and put a meaningful message behind it," he explains.
Aged 18, Donnie started ...
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