Donna Hightower
Donna Lubertha Hightower (December 28, 1926 – August 19, 2013) was an American R&B, soul and jazz singer and songwriter, who recorded and released albums for the Decca and Capitol labels. Later in her career she was based in Europe, where she had a hit in 1972 with "This World Today is a Mess."
Also recorded as Donna Lubertha Hightower
Donna Hightower
![Collectie / Archief: Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie: [onbekend] Beschrijving: Amerikaans-Belgische jazz-zangers in Kijk de Rijk Show, Donna Higtower na de persconferentie (kop) Datum: 10 april 1964 Trefwoorden: persconferenties Persoonsnaam: Donna Higtower Fotograaf: Gelderen, Hugo van / Anefo Auteursrechthebbende: Nationaal Archief Materiaalsoort: Negatief (zwart/wit) Nummer ar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Amerikaans-Belgische_jazz-zangers_in_Kijk_de_Rijk_Show_%2C_Donna_Higtower_na_de_pe%2C_Bestanddeelnr_916-2909.jpg/1280px-Amerikaans-Belgische_jazz-zangers_in_Kijk_de_Rijk_Show_%2C_Donna_Higtower_na_de_pe%2C_Bestanddeelnr_916-2909.jpg)
Hugo van Gelderen / Anefo · CC0
- Name
- Donna Hightower
- Birth Name
- Donna Lubertha Hightower
- Born
- 28 December 1926
- Birthplace
- Caruthersville, Missouri, United States
- Died
- 19 August 2013
- Place of death
- Austin, Texas, United States
- Occupation
- Singer, songwriter
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- music composing
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Donna Lubertha Hightower (December 28, 1926 – August 19, 2013) was an American R&B, soul and jazz singer and songwriter, who recorded and released albums for the Decca and Capitol labels. Later in her career she was based in Europe, where she had a hit in 1972 with "This World Today is a Mess."
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museum · 13cfe561-c064-4ab3-bc4a-96243db9a5d9 · wikidata · Q457730 · wikipedia · Donna Hightower
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Donna Hightower • Birth Name — Donna Lubertha Hightower • Born — 28 December 1926 • Birthplace — Caruthersville, Missouri, United States • Died — 19 August 2013 • Place of death — Austin, Texas, United States • Alias — Little Donna Hightower • Genre — * R&B • soul • jazz • Occupation — Singer, songwriter • Years Active — 1951–2013 • Label — * Decca • RPM • Capitol • Columbia
Biography
Biography
Donna Hightower was born in Caruthersville, Missouri, to a family of sharecroppers. She listened to singers such as Ella Fitzgerald, but never planned to have a singing career and by the age of 23 had been married, had two children, and divorced. While working in a diner in Chicago, Hightower was heard singing by Bob Tillman, a reporter with the Chicago Defender newspaper, who then won her a booking as a singer at the Strand Hotel. Initially billed as Little Donna Hightower, she won a recording contract with Decca Records and recorded her first single, "I Ain't In The Mood", in 1951.[2] During the mid-1950s, Hightower recorded R&B songs for RPM Records, often accompanied by the Maxwell Davis Orchestra, as on her 1955 version of "Hands Off". She toured widely in the US, with Louis Jordan, B.B. King, Johnny Mathis, Della Reese and others. While none of her records made the pop or R&B charts, she received good reviews, and her discs did perform well in Decca Record's own sales guides, with her "I Ain't In The Mood" ranking at No. 1 on their Sepia (race) charts.[4] By 1958, Hightower's career had slowed down, and she began working for a music publishing firm in New York City, recording demonstration records of new songs. Her version of "Light of Love" — later recorded by Peggy Lee — was heard by record producer Dave Cavanaugh, and as a result of his interest she was signed to Capitol Records.[5] Hightower recorded two albums for Capitol, including Take One! and Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You?, both released in 1959.[6] While noted for her "range and power, [she] was equally compelling doing sentimental, soft ballads."[7]
Move to Europe
Move to Europe
In 1959, Hightower performed in England, France, Sweden and elsewhere in Europe, later performing with Quincy Jones, The Platters and Johnny Hallyday. She settled in France, then Belgium and finally in the late 1960s, in Madrid. In 1971 she won the Costa del Sol International Song Festival, following which she began recording in Spain for Columbia Records, although her songs were issued in much of Europe by Decca Records.[8] Hightower worked with singer Danny Daniel as a duo, Danny y Donna, and they had a hit in the country with "El Vals de las Mariposas". She also recorded solo, and her most successful record, "This World Today Is A Mess" ("Este Mundo es un Conflicto"), which she co-wrote, was an international hit — though not in the US, where it was not released, or in the UK — in 1972, reportedly selling 130,000 copies in Germany,[9] 800,000 in France[10] and over one million copies worldwide. Hightower is also known for the song "If You Hold My Hand", which was later sampled for the UK 2007 hit single "Handsfree" by Sonny J.[11]
Return to the United States
Return to the United States
She returned to the US to live in semi-retirement in Austin, Texas, in 1990. Hightower was active in the Austin Chapter of the Gospel Music Workshop of America. She was a member of Calvary Baptist Church, and appeared on local radio programs.[13] Her last performance in Spain was at a jazz festival in 2006. Hightower died in Austin in 2013 at the age of 86.
Identity
Identity
Donna Hightower is recorded as actress, singer-songwriter, singer and musician.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1926
Donna Hightower born at Caruthersville.
2013
Donna Hightower died at Austin.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Caruthersville.
Birth place
Austin.
Death place
Legacy
In 2008, electronica musician Sonny J released a remixed version of Hightower's song "If You Hold My Hand" entitled "Handsfree."[14][15]
Selected Discography
Decca Records • "I Ain't In The Mood" (single - 1951) RPM Records • "He's My Baby" (single - 1955) Capitol Records • Take One (LP - 1958) • Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You (LP - 1959) Guitarra Records • "Soy Feliz" (single - 1970) Columbia Records (In Spain, as Discos Columbia) • "If You Hold My Hand" (single - 1971) • "El Valz de las Mariposas" (Waltz of the Butterflies) (single - 1971) • "This World Today is a Mess" (Este Mundo es un Conflicto) (single - 1972, LP - 1972) • Here I Am (LP - 1973) • "Don't you feel alone, sometimes" (single - 1973) • I'm In Love with Love (LP - 1974) • El Jazz y Donna Hightower (LP - 1975) Mastervision Records • Prima Donna (LP - 1985)
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q457730: Donna Hightower
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
- “Donna Hightower”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for Donna Hightower
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Eagle, Bob. Blues - A Regional Experience. Praeger Publishers. 207. 2013. 978-0313344237.
- 2.Randall Riley (August 21, 2013). Singer/Songwriter Donna Hightower, whose 1972 recording of “This World Today is a Mess” made her an international pop star . TypicallySpanish.com. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- 3.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Billboard. 42. October 27, 1951. 0006-2510.
- 4.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Billboard. 17–. November 17, 1951. 0006-2510.
- 5.Singer/songwriter Donna Hightower dies in Austin. www.kvue.com. August 20, 2013.
- 6.Discography. Allmusic.com. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- 7.Artist biography by Ron Wynn at Allmusic.com. Retrieved August 22, 2013
- 8.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Billboard. 55. March 27, 1971. 0006-2510.
- 9.Metronome Scores On Children's Records. Billboard. 67. June 29, 1974.
- 10.Tutti Maintains Track Record. Billboard. 57. May 25, 1974.
- 11.. twistinthedark.net. May 13, 2011
- 12.Ron Slomowicz (September 15, 2008). Interview with Sonny J . About.com
- 13.Michael Corcoran, RIP jazz singer Donna Hightower 1926–2013 . Retrieved August 23, 2013
- 14.Discogs. Sonny J. 2008.
- 15.YouTube. Sonny J : Handsfree (If You Hold My Hand) : Out 9th June!. May 1, 2008.
References
Citations
References
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Institutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for Donna HightowerMetaBrainz Foundation
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Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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