Who was Lamont Dozier? Tributes pour in as Motown songwriter dies aged 81

Singer and songwriter Lamont Dozier recently passed away at the age of 81. His son Lamont Dozier Jr. confirmed the news on Instagram by posting a picture of himself with his father. The caption read:

“Rest in Heavenly Peace, Dad!!!”

Dozier’s cause of death has not been revealed. Information about his funeral is also not available at the moment.

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A brief look at Lamont Dozier's life and career

Born on June 16, 1941, in Detroit, Michigan, Lamont Herbert Dozier gained recognition as the co-writer and producer of 14 songs that topped the US Billboard chart.

He was a member of the songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland alongside Brian and Eddie Holland. They wrote, arranged, and produced songs for artists like Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremas, Four Tips, and others. Dozier was the arranger and producer, while Brian and Eddie focused on the lyrics and vocal production.

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Lamont was the founder and owner of Invictus Records and Hot Wax Records. He produced several hit numbers for acts by Freda Payne, 100 Proof Aged for Soul, Chairmen of the Board, and others.

Dozier started by recording a few records for some Detroit-based labels, and Holland-Dozier-Holland then worked as writers and producers for Motown Records in 1962. They delivered a lot of hit songs with Martha and The Vandellas in 1963.

Lamont left Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1973 and recorded many albums by himself. His biggest hit was Trying to Hold on to My Woman, released in 1974. He also wrote and sang the theme song for the sitcom, That’s My Mama. He released songs like Cool Me Out and Shout About It alongside the LP Lamont.

Dozier had a successful career as a songwriter in the 1980s and wrote the song Two Hearts for the movie Buster. The song was nominated for the Academy Awards and won an award at the Grammys. He also wrote songs for Alison Moyet and the band Men and Women.

He composed the soundtrack for the 1987 spy parody film, Leonard Part 6. One of the songs, Without You, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the song was also adapted in Portuguese and Spanish. Lamont and the Holland Brothers were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

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Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

With his achievements over the years, Lamont Dozier has become a familiar name. Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about his demise:

Dozier’s survivors include his three children. He was married to Barbara, who died in July last year.