Don-E

Born Donald McLean in Brixton, south London, Don-E has built a career since the early 1990s that sits between British soul, neo-soul, R&B and touches of jazz. A singer, songwriter, musician and producer, he first attracted attention in 1992 with the single “Love Makes the World Go Round” and released the album Unbreakable that same year, largely written and produced by himself, with Ronny Jordan appearing on two tracks. After Changing Seasons in 1995, Don-E shifted more toward writing and production across the UK and the US, and took part in the Azur project with Stuart Zender during a period linked to D’Angelo’s circle. He returned to the foreground as a solo artist with Try This in 2005 and Natural in 2008, the latter featuring several guests from the British R&B and soul scene, including Omar, Kele Le Roc, Keisha Buchanan and Mutya Buena. His discography continued with Ladies Night Part 1 (2012), Little Star (2013), Future Rare Grooves (2014), Future Rares 2 (2015) and 30 (2023). Alongside his solo releases, Don-E has also played in Grace Jones’s band and joined Peter Gabriel’s i/o tour in 2023.