Motown Hitmaker Lamont Dozier Has Died At 81
We have some sad news to share coming from the music industry. According to the family, the Motown songwriter, producer, and singer Lamont Dozier passed away “peacefully” in Scottsdale, Arizona.
His son Lamont Dozier, Jr. revealed the heartbreaking news in a post.
Lamont Dozier was a Detroit native, home of Motown.
Dozier was a member of the songwriting trio Holland-Dozier-Holland, along with brothers Brian and Edward Holland. They were responsible for writing some of the biggest hits that came out of Motown Records between 1962 through 1972.
The “architect of the Motown sound” wrote for The Supremes, (You Can’t Hurry Love), (You Keep Me Hangin On), (Where Did Our Love Go), (Stop! In The Name of Love), (Baby Love), (Reflection), (I Hear A Symphony), (Come See About Me), Marvin Gaye (How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You), (Can I Get A Witness), Four Tops (Reach Out…I’ll Be There), (Standing In The Shadows Of Love), (It’s The Name Old Song), (I Can’t Help Myself…Sugar Pie Honey Bunch), (Baby I Need You Loving), Martha Reeves And The Vandellas (Love Is Like A….Heat Wave), (Nowhere To Run), and The Isley Brothers (This Old Heart Of Mine).
Founder of Motown Records Berry Gordy and Diana Ross pay tributes to the legendary composer.
“We’ve lost a member of one of the great songwriting and producing teams of our time — Lamont Dozier, of the iconic team of Holland-Dozier-Holland.”
Gordy added, “H-D-H, as we called them, gave the Supremes not only their first No. 1 record, “Where Did Our Love Go,” but they followed that with multiple No. 1s over the next three years. Unheard of. They propelled the Supremes into superstardom and also worked their magic with artists like the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and Martha and the Vandellas. In the 1960s, their sound became synonymous with the ‘Motown Sound.’“
In 1974, Dozier’s landed on the Top 20 charts with his song “Trying To Hold On To Woman” which reached number 15 on the pop charts and number 4 on the R&B.
His biggest success was co-writing Phil Collins’ chart-topping “Two Hearts,” which won a Grammy for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television in 1989.
Dozier was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two years later.
Dozier’s wife Barbara Ullman died in 2021 after more than 40 years of marriage. He is survived by six children and three grandchildren.
He was such a treasure in the music industry. His legacy will live on forever.
Now let’s sit back and enjoy listening to one of the all-time classics written by Dozer and his team “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” by the phenomenal group the Four Tops.
RIP Sir, Dozer. 🙏🏽
