Lamont Dozier, legendary Motown songwriter and producer, died at age 81 on Monday.
The Detroit-born musician wrote and produced popular hits such as "You Can’t Hurry Love" and "Heat Wave" while collaborating with his brothers Brian and Eddie Holland in the 1960s. The Holland-Dozier-Holland team created iconic hits for artists like The Supremes and Marvin Gaye.
Dozier died "peacefully" Monday at his home near Scottsdale, Arizona, according to a statement issued by his family. The cause of death was not immediately determined. Duke Fakir, a close friend and the last surviving member of the original Four Tops, called Dozier a "beautiful, talented guy" with an uncanny sense of what material worked best for a given group.
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"I like to call Holland-Dozier-Holland ‘tailors of music,’" he said Tuesday during a telephone interview. "They could take any artist, call them into their office, talk to them, listen to them and write them a top 10 song."
Holland-Dozier-Holland were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two years later. On his own, Dozier had a top 20 hit with "Trying to Hold on to My Woman." He also helped produce Aretha Franklin’s "Sweet Passion" album, and collaborated with Eric Clapton. He also scored some major awards for co-writing Phil Collins’ chart-topping "Two Hearts," from the 1988 movie "Buster," a mid-tempo, Motown-style ballad that won a Grammy and Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
