Lamont Dozier, American songwriter, producer and singer – RIP

The member of the pivotal Motown songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland dies aged 81.

Lamont Dozier was part of the trio Holland-Dozier-Holland that included brothers Brian and Eddie Holland. The team wrote, arranged and produced many songs that hugely contributed to the Motown sound in the 1960s. The trio composed such hits as the Supremes’ Baby Love and the Four Tops’ It’s The Same Old Song.

Dozier was born in Detroit in 1941. He started his musical career in the late 50s, performing with The Romeos and working with local labels. Dozier eventually joined the Holland brothers in 1962. Although most famous as a songwriter, he pursued his ambition to develop as a performer. In 1977, Record Mirror’s Robin Katz wrote: “Lamont Dozier always fancied himself as a singer. He took the long way round getting to live out his early ambition”. The singer had his biggest hit with 1974’s Trying to Hold on to My Woman, which reached No. 15 on the pop chart and No. 4 on the R&B chart in the US.

As part of Holland-Dozier-Holland, Dozier was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.