Lamont Dozier, the Motown legend behind the hit songs of artists like the Supremes, Four Tops and Isley Brothers, has died at the age of 81.
The news was confirmed by his son Lamont Doziere Jr on Instagram. The cause of death has not yet been released.
As a third of Holland-Dozier-Holland’s production team, Dozier was responsible for 10 of the 12 Supremes’ No. 1 songs in the US, including Baby Love and You Keep Me Hanging On.
The trio was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Ronnie Wood, who covered the trio’s 1963 lead single Leaving Home in 2001, paid tribute to Dozier on Twitter. “God Bless Lamont,” he wrote. “His music will go on.” Mick Hocknall, who worked with Dozier in the 1980s, also tweeted his condolences and called him “one of the greatest songwriters of all time.”
Born in Detroit, Michigan on June 16, 1941, Dozier began his music career working for a few Detroit labels with little success. His luck changed in 1962 when he and his songwriting brothers Brian and Eddie Holland began working at Motown. They hit the ground running, scoring three hits – come get these memories, heat wave, quicksand – for Martha and Vandla.
They were followed in 1964’s Where Did Our Love Go, the first of 10 US chart contestants written by the trio for The Supremes. Four years later, having helped define the sound of Motown, Holland-Dozer-Holland left the label to start labels Invictus and Hot Wax. Dozier would go on to record as a soloist for both labels.
After leaving Holland-Dozer-Netherlands in 1973, Dozier focused on his solo career, with one of his early songs, Going Back To My Roots, which later became a huge hit for the disco group Odyssey in 1981.
Seven years later, Dozier collaborated with Phil Collins on US No. 1 Two Hearts, and the pair won a Golden Globe and a Grammy. Dozier also worked with other British artists during the 1980s, including Alison Moet and Simply Reed.
Dozier is survived by his six sons.
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