Dr. Dorothy Donegan - was born in Chicago, IL on April6, 1922 to the union of Donazell Donegan and Ella Day. A child prodigy,she began her piano training at the age of 8. She continued her studiesat DuSable High School, The Chicago Conservatory, Chicago College of Musicand USC. She was awarded Honorary Doctorates from the University of Marylandand Roosevelt University in Chicago.
Dorothy loved the classics and she made her concert debut at OrchestraHall in Chicago at the age of 18. She was the first Black Artist to playthat prestigious venue.
Dorothy soon became prominent in Jazz. The Legendary Art Tatum soughther out and became her mentor
During the mid-I940~, Dorothy went to Hollywood to appear in the motionpicture “Sensations of 1945” wit/i Gene Rogers and Cab Calloway.
Dorothy has recorded over 20 albums and worked in clubs and at festivalsworldwide garnering praise as a superlative pianist and showperson. Herappearances included the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, KoolJVC Jazz Festival in New York City, the C’hicago Classic Jazz Festivaland the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Dr Donegan has also appeared as a guestsoloist wit/i the New Orleans Symphony, and with the Southeast Symphony.
In 1992, Dorothy was elected to the American Jazz Masters Hall of Fame,an honor bestowed by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1993, sheplayed for President and Mrs. Clinton on the South Lawn of the White House.Dr. Dorothy Donegan was a master of pianistic styles. A staggering rangeof jazz, Ragtime, Boogie-woogie, Gospel, Blues, as well as classicaltechniques fell easily under her musically magicaifingers. New York Newsdaysaid, “If Dorothy Donegan is not the greatest shown on earth, she is very,very close!”
In her passing , Dorothy leaves two sons, adopted John McClainJr. and her real son Donovan Gotti who is the President/CEO of CosanostraRecords, Inc. and he also produced her last and latest CD which is titledLive at Yoshi's on the Cosanostra label, and a step son of John Gotti andalso her former husband John McClain, Sr., who remained a close friend,a host of family and friends and a world of adoring fans.
