Lamont Dozier

Lamont Herbert Dozier (born June 16, 1941) is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.

Lamont Dozier, 2009

Career

Lamont Dozier is the #1 songwriter in America. And for every #1 song that Lamont has written, Lamont has also produced it! If you only know the legendary Lamont Dozier as one third of the songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, you only know a portion of his incredible story. The internationally acclaimed, Grammyaward winning music master has spent more time before and after those heady years as a recording artist in his own right, as well as a solo and collaborative songwriter and top producer. He has indelibly impacted pop music for five decades. Lamont Dozier is one of BMI’s most honored songwriters with over fifty-four #1 hits for such legendary artists as the Supremes, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and many others. As part of the legendary songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, Lamont penned such legendary songs as “Baby I Need Your Loving” (9 million performances), “Baby Love” 4 million performances), “How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)” (7 million), “I Hear a Symphony” (4 million), “It’s the Same Old Song” (4 million), “Reach Out I’ll Be There” (5 million), “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)” (5 million), “Where Did Our Love Go” (5 million), “You Can’t Hurry Love” (8 million) and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (5 million). The Detroit-born Dozier grew up listening to his father’s record collection of pop/jazz singers, sang in the Baptist gospel choir and absorbed the classical music his aunt played on the family piano. He signed to Berry Gordy’s hometown Motown label, the Sound of Young America, in 1962 as a triple threat, Artist, Producer and Songwriter. It was there he hooked up with Brian Holland and later on, his brother Eddie, setting the standard of ‘60s R&B and soul, fulfilling Lamont’s dream of a music that could cross over to pop radio, where it dominated the era, until the trio’s departure in 1968 to set up their own Invictus and Hot Wax labels. Since 1972, Lamont has pursued his own solo career, starting with a regional hit with the single, “Why Can’t We Be Lovers,” leading to a deal with ABC Dunhill for his solo albums, Out Here on My Own and Black Bach, scoring success with the singles, “Trying to Hold on to My Woman” and “Fish Ain’t Bitin’,” earning him a nod as Best New Artist from Billboard. After stints on Warner Bros. (the hit single, “Going Back to My Roots”) and Columbia, Dozier relocated to Europe, where he hooked up with British producer Pete Waterman of the team of Stock, Aitken & Waterman, working with the likes of Alison Moyet, Simply Red, Boy George and Eric Clapton. He collaborated with Phil Collins on the soundtrack of the Genesis star’s movie Buster in 1988, by writting and producing the #1 hit single "Two Hearts" and also earning them a Grammy, a Brit Award, a Golden Globe, Britain’s distinguished Ivor Novello honor and an Oscar nomination. In 2002 solo album, Lamont Dozier…An American Original, garnered him a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album. The year 2003 brought forth the prestigious BMI Icon Award to Lamont Dozier, while 2004 crowned these accomplishments with the British Special International Ivor Novello Award given to Lamont Dozier. Lamont Dozier’s ‘70s solo albums have been sampled over and over again making his catalogue one of the most sampled music catalogues to date by everyone from rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur to Lil Wayne, to Dr. Dre to The Alchemist to Common, Lupe Fiasco, Three 6 Mafia to soul icons Mary J. Blige and Nas to Usher and alternative rockers Linkin Park. Lamont is currently serving in his second term as Trustee for NARAS, the organization known for The Grammy Awards. Previously he had served two terms as Governor. Lamont spends much of his time at Grammy Board meetings, speaking on songwriter panels for both Grammy Camp, and Career Day in Schools on behalf of the Grammys, wishing to give back the knowledge that he has learned throughout his many years in the Music Industry. This is extremely fulfilling to Lamont, as he loves to educate young aspiring talent about the do’s and don’t’s in the business he knows so well. He is also the Chairman for the Advocacy Committee at NARAS. As Chair, he walks Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. for artists' rights, lending his name and influence to help the creators of copyright content to continue to be able to own and protect their works. An inductee to both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and, in 2009 the recipient of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame's most coveted award, The Johnny Mercer Award for lifetime achievement, Dozier continues to push the envelope. He has plans for his own Broadway Bound Musical Angel Quest, as well as a rare one-time only reunion with his former writing partners Brian and Eddie Holland who together are creating a new score for a musical based upon the film The First Wives Club which conducted its first workshop in July 2009 at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, and is now preparing to make its Broadway debut in Spring 2011. Lamont Dozier continues to work with the best of the latest generation of artists, including Kanye West, Joss Stone, Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, members of the Black-Eyes Peas, Solange Knowles and popular Grammy Award winning producer, Mark Ronson. Lamont's most recent hit single is an instrumental titled “Living In High Definition” which is on the newest George Benson album, Songs and Stories. He is currently working in the studio with many new and exciting artists who are getting ready to debut this year. One of Lamont’s proudest accomplishments is having been awarded the 2007 Thornton Legacy Award through the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. USC/Thornton also created a Lamont Dozier Scholarship in perpetuity for their students. Lamont is presently serving as an Artist In Residence Professor at USC/Thornton where is he actively involved in the new Popular Music Major which is the first program of its kind in the country. Lamont lives in Tarzana, CA with his wife Barbara. They have three children, sons Beau (songwriter/record producer) and Paris (software developer), and daughter, Desiree who graduated from USC in 2010 and is attending law school.

Personal life

Lamont is married to Barbara Dozier, and they have three children: two sons, Beau Alexandre (born November 26, 1979) and Paris Ray (born September 12, 1984), and a daughter, Desiree Starr (born August 1, 1988).

Singles discography

The following singles featured Lamont Dozier as a performer
As a member of The Romeos:

• “Gone, Gone, Get Away” (1957); Fox 749
• “Moments To Remember You By” (1957); Fox 846

As a member of The Voice Masters:

• “Hope And Pray” (1959); Anna 101
• “Needed” (1959); Anna 102
• “In Love In Vain” (1960); Frisco 15235

As a member of Ty Hunter and The Voice Masters:

• “Orphan Boy” (1960); Anna 1114
• “Free” (1960); Anna 1123

As Lamont Anthony:

• “Popeye (The Sailor Man)” (1961) withdrawn, and replaced by "Benny The Skinny Man" (same backing track, new vocal); Anna 1125
• “Benny The Skinny Man” (1961); Anna 1125
• “Just To Be Loved” (1961); Checkmate 1001

As Lamont Dozier:

• “Dearest One” (1962); Mel-o-dy 102

As a member of Holland-Dozier (Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland):

• “What Goes Up Must Come Down” (1963); Motown 1045
• “Don't Leave Me” (1972); Invictus 9110
• “Why Can't We Be Lovers” (1972); Invictus 9125
• “Don't Leave Me Starvin' For Your Love” (1972); Invictus 9133
• “Slipping Away” (1973); Invictus 1253
• “If You Don't Wanta Be In My Life” (1973); Invictus 1254
• “You Took Me From A World Outside” (1973); Invictus 1258

As Lamont Dozier:

• “Trying To Hold On To My Woman” (1973); ABC 11407
• “Fish Ain't Bitin'” (1974); ABC 11438
• “Let Me Start Tonite” (1974); ABC 12044
• “All Cried Out” (1975); ABC 12076
• “Out Here On My Own” (1976); ABC 12234
• “Sight For Sore Eyes” (1977); Warner Brothers 8432
• “Boogie Business” (1979); Warner Brothers 8792
• “Cool Me Out” (1981); Columbia 02035
• “Too Little Too Long” (1981); Columbia 02238
• “Shout About It” (1982); M & M 502
• “Inside Seduction” (1991); Atlantic / Wea

Album discography

• Out Here on My Own (1973); ABC 804
• Black Bach (1974); ABC 839
• Love & Beauty (1975); Invictus 33134
• Right There (1976); WB 2929
• Peddling Music on the Side (1977); WB 3039
• Bittersweet (1979); WB 3282
• Working on You (1981); Columbia 37129
• Lamont (1981); M&M 104
• Bigger Than Life (1983); UK Demon FIEND12
• Inside Seduction (1991); Atlantic 82228
• Reflections of Lamont Dozier (2004); Jam Right/Zebra 54633

External links

• Official website