R.I.P. Lamont Dozier (16 Jun 1941 - 8 Aug 2022)

On a day when the death of Dame Olivia Newton-John is dominating the mainstream news, an absolute legend of soul music has also died aged 81. The great Lamont Dozier's death has been announced by his son, Lamont Dozier Jr., on Instagram.

Probably best know as part of the Motown hit song writing machine Holland, Dozier, Holland with Eddie & Brian Holland but his later 70s solo output is revered by modern soul fans.

I've only just learned of his demise and am still reeling from the death last Thursday of The Impressions' Sam Goodman and have been in the process of compiling a playlist as an honorable tribute for him, so will keep this brief as there is also so much Lamont Dozier material to go through for a proper tribute. 

The H-D-H partnership was formed in 1962 and they scored three consecutive hits in 1963 with Martha & The Vandellas "Come and Get These Memories", "Heatwave" and "Quicksand". They then wrote for The Supremes with a run of ten consecutive hits starting with "Where Did Our Love Go" with seven of them topping the Billboard Hot 100. The list of hits is endless with twelve Billboard #1s (10 with The Supremes and 2 with Four Tops) and three #1s in the UK (which included a non Motown recording by Freda Payne on Invictus with "Band Of Gold"). It would possibly be easier listing the Motown 60s hits that they didn't write! As an inkling of his prowess he has 1,575 credits listed on Discogs.

The trio left Motown in 1968 following a royalties dispute to form their own labels Invictus and Hot Wax which included acts such as  Freda Payne, Chairmen Of The Board, 8th Day, Elouise Laws.  Dozier left in 1973 to focus on a solo career and released his debut solo album "Out Here On My Own" on ABC the same year with the title track being released as a single paired with "Fish Ain't Bitin'". His first solo single after a ten year hiatus from recording was the superb "Trying To Hold On To My Woman" coupled with the equally good "We Don't Want Nobody To Come Between Us" which was his most successful single chart-wise reaching #4 R&B and #15 hot 100.

Sadly the only dent he made on the UK pop chart as an artist was as Holland-Dozier in 1972 with "Why Can't We Be Lovers" which reached #29.

It may not be common knowledge but he recorded a handful of singles in the very early 60s under the name Lamont Anthony, the first two on the fledgling Motown label Anna run by Berry Gordy's elder sisters Gwen and Anna Gordy (who later married Marvin Gaye) and another on Check-Mate. His first as Lamont Dozier was on another Motown imprint Mel-o-dy in 1962.

I had tickets to see him a few years two ago as he was visiting the UK but the tour had to be cancelled owing to ill health and I did wonder then if he would ever return as he would have been around 78/79 then.

Gary Van Den Bussche has dedicated his two hour lunchtime show on Starpoint Radio to the music of Lamont Dozier and he has kindly sent a podcast of the show to post as a tribute. An excellent and comprehensive job he has done too with very little notice, not only covering his solo output but also the many contributions he has made for various artists! A far better tribute than I would have been able to put together with the limited amount of his material available on Spotify. As they say in the states 'Good Job' Gary!

Solo Album Discography

1973 - Out Here on My Own [ABC #804]

1974 - Black Bach [ABC #839]

1974 - Love & Beauty [Invictus #33134]

1976 - Right There [WB #2929]

1977 - Peddlin' Music on the Side [WB #3039]

1979 - Bittersweet [WB #3282]

1981 - Working on You [Columbia #37129]

1981 - Lamont [M&M #104]

1983 - Bigger Than Life [Demon (UK) #FIEND12]

1991 - Inside Seduction [Atlantic #82228]

2004 - Reflections of Lamont Dozier [Jam Right/Zebra #54633]

2008 - Reimagination [V2 Benelux #VVNL32961]

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