Tatem, Donnie - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas [CD]

An extremely talented vocalist raised in the gospel tradition, Donnie Tatem has become one of the most popular singers in the Philly Soul tradition. Tatem began his recording career as a member of the group Gentlemen Of Leisure, who recorded the single "Never Had A Love Like This Before" in 1980. He can also be heard on the movie score of "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh" that came out on Lorimar Records in 1979. In 1981, Donnie joined the legendary acapella gospel group "The Stars Of Harmony" based out of Woodbury, New Jersey. In 1995, Tatem scored the lead role in the off-Broadway production "If Only For You" in Atlantic City and continued touring as a solo gospel artist until 2008 when he joined TRU with singers Jimi Williams and Primo Wansley. The group attracted the attention of producer Butch Ingram and recorded the critically acclaimed album My Love Is TRU in 2010 on Society Hill Records, to which Donnie contributed the songs "Night & Day Dreams" and "Who Do You See When You Look At Me?" Since then, Tatem has become an invaluable vocalist on many of the Society Hill sessions, and in 2016 Donnie made his solo album debut with the critically acclaimed "Ain't No Love" which further cemented his status as a songwriter and lead vocalist who many consider the "cream of the crop." On his new EP, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," Donnie tackles the holiday classics "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "What Child Is This," duets with the superb vocalist Toni Richards on a wonderful adaptation of "Merry Christmas Darling," and closes with a heartfelt rendition of the time-honored chestnut, "Silver Bells."