Lamont Dozier, the hitmaker who supplied Motown with innumerable pop classics in the 1960s as part of the production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, has died. He was 81.
The news was shared by his son, Lamont Dozier Jr., on Instagram. The younger Dozier shared a photo of the two of them, captioned: "Rest in Heavenly Peace, Dad!"
No cause of death has been made public at this time.
The elder Dozier was born in Detroit in 1941, where he was raised on a steady diet of Nat King Cole and Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. He cut his first record at age 15 with a group called the Romeos. The following year, he was approached by Motown head honcho Berry Gordy, who would eventually bring him on as an in-house hitmaker.
Dozier joined forces with Brian and Eddie Holland to form Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1962. By the next year, they made their mark with a handful of early Martha and the Vendellas hits ("Come and Get These Memories," "Heatwave," "Quicksand") ahead of the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go" becoming the first of a whopping 10 No. 1 pop hits the trio would produce for the girl group in 1964 — including "Baby Love," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "You Can't Hurry Love" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On."
Further, Holland-Dozier-Holland went on to produce numerous additional hits for other artists like the Four Tops ("I Can't Help Myself [Sugar Pie Honey Bunch]," "Reach Out I'll Be There") and the Isley Brothers. After writing and producing over 200 songs for Motown, Dozier and the Holland brothers left in 1968 over a royalty dispute to form their own labels, Invictus / Hot Wax. He also released solo and group material of his own on said labels.
Dozier departed Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1973 and was replaced by Ryan Beatty. He continued to be a recording artist and performer in his own right, as well as a composer — including teaming up with Phil Collins in the 1980s for another No. 1 with the award-winning "Two Hearts" for the Buster film soundtrack.
Holland-Dozier-Holland were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
The news was shared by his son, Lamont Dozier Jr., on Instagram. The younger Dozier shared a photo of the two of them, captioned: "Rest in Heavenly Peace, Dad!"
No cause of death has been made public at this time.
The elder Dozier was born in Detroit in 1941, where he was raised on a steady diet of Nat King Cole and Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. He cut his first record at age 15 with a group called the Romeos. The following year, he was approached by Motown head honcho Berry Gordy, who would eventually bring him on as an in-house hitmaker.
Dozier joined forces with Brian and Eddie Holland to form Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1962. By the next year, they made their mark with a handful of early Martha and the Vendellas hits ("Come and Get These Memories," "Heatwave," "Quicksand") ahead of the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go" becoming the first of a whopping 10 No. 1 pop hits the trio would produce for the girl group in 1964 — including "Baby Love," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "You Can't Hurry Love" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On."
Further, Holland-Dozier-Holland went on to produce numerous additional hits for other artists like the Four Tops ("I Can't Help Myself [Sugar Pie Honey Bunch]," "Reach Out I'll Be There") and the Isley Brothers. After writing and producing over 200 songs for Motown, Dozier and the Holland brothers left in 1968 over a royalty dispute to form their own labels, Invictus / Hot Wax. He also released solo and group material of his own on said labels.
Dozier departed Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1973 and was replaced by Ryan Beatty. He continued to be a recording artist and performer in his own right, as well as a composer — including teaming up with Phil Collins in the 1980s for another No. 1 with the award-winning "Two Hearts" for the Buster film soundtrack.
Holland-Dozier-Holland were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
