Dear Mr. Donaldson,

Thank you for your contribution to music as a whole, thank you for your contribution to the Jazz genre. The first Lou Donaldson record I heard was a 45 of my grandfather’s collection. It was your rendition of “Say It Loud”. I found out shortly after that it was a cover of James Brown. I would find more of your recordings and so would many of the Golden Era of Hip Hop’s top producers. Records like “Pot Belly” and “Ode to Billy Joe” would become staples for other generations to revere. “Bye Bye Blackbird” is another one of my favorites. Also thank you for having this forum so that aficionados can let you know personally how you have touched their souls with your musical gifts. Salute Legend!