From the "Album Explanations," a musician explains his influences:
Donny Hathaway - Donny Hathaway
I got into Stevie Wonder back in high school, and pretty much listened to him straight through college (and beyond) on constant rotation. I've probably listened to and sang Stevie Wonder more than anyone on my list. He was also the major reason I started singing. But then I got into Donny Hathaway after I had been listening to Stevie for years, and was completely blown away when I first heard him. The fact that he so heavily influenced Stevie is obvious, and gave me a great appreciation for him. I really connected with his songwriting in particular: you can hear his struggles with depression so often.