Lamont Dozier

Official Biography (courtesy of Lamont Dozier)

Lamont Dozier rose to fame as one third of the legendary songwriting team of Holland-Dozier- Holland. As one of BMI's most honored songwriters, he has over fifty-four #1 hits for such chart topping artists as the Supremes, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and many others. As part of H-D-H, he penned classics including "Baby I Need Your Loving" (9 million performances), "Baby Love" (4 million performances), "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)" (7 million), "I Hear a Symphony" (4 million), "It's the Same Old Song" (4 million), "Reach Out I'll Be There" (5 million), "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" (5 million), "Where Did Our Love Go" (5 million), "You Can't Hurry Love" (8 million) and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (5 million).  The remarkable success has been honored with induction into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.  In addition, Dozier has been one of the most active and vocal proponents of copyright protection for the creative community, testifying before Congress and speaking with legislators on these issues during his numerous visits to Washington, D.C.

His passion for music began in Detroit, where Dozier grew up listening to his father's record collection of pop/jazz singers, sang in the Baptist gospel choir and absorbed the classical music his aunt played on the family piano. He signed to Berry Gordy's hometown Motown label, the Sound of Young America, in 1962 as a triple threat, artist, producer and songwriter. It was there he hooked up with Brian Holland and later on, his brother Eddie, setting the standard of ‘60s R&B and soul, fulfilling Lamont's dream of creating music that could cross over to pop radio.  It dominated the era and laid the foundation for successors, and in 1968 they left the nest to set up their own Invictus and Hot Wax labels.

In 1972, Lamont opted to pursue a solo career that has proven to be equally fruitful.  When his first single, "Why Can't We Be Lovers," became a regional hit, ABC Dunhill swooped him up and released his first solo album, "Out Here On My Own," scoring success with the singles, "Trying to Hold on to My Woman" and "Fish Ain't Bitin'," and earning him a nod as Best New Male Pop Vocalist from Billboard. Many of the songs from his ‘70s solo albums have been sampled by innumerable artists from rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur, soul icons Mary J. Blige, Nas and Usher, to alternative rockers Linkin Park.

After enjoying  stints on Warner Bros., where he had a hit with "Going Back To My Roots," and Columbia Records, Dozier spread his wings and went to Europe where he worked with Simply Red, Boy George and Eric Clapton, to name a few. He collaborated with Phil Collins on the soundtrack for Buster, which earned them a Grammy, Golden Globe Award, Brit Award, Britain's distinguished Ivor Novello honor and an Oscar nomination.

In 1991, back in the USA, Dozier and wife Barbara started their own company and in 2002 released his solo album, "Lamont Dozier...An American Original," for which he received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album. 

Lamont continues to work with such chart-topping acts as Kanye West, Eurythmics' Dave Stewart, members of the Black Eyed Peas, Joss Stone and, most recently, Solange Knowles.

And now, thirty years after going their separate ways, Lamont and the Hollands have reunited, for the first and only time, to write the score for the Broadway production of "The First Wives Club." The project adds theater to Lamont's  long  list of conquests.  He is independently in negotiations with producers on original Broadway productions which he has created.

When not in the studio or on the road for his various gigs and philanthropic projects, he is very active in his service as a Trustee of NARAS, the recording academy responsible for the Grammys. He is Chairman of their Advocacy Committee, an appointed position, and he speaks on songwriter panels for Grammy Camp and Career Day in School, wishing to give back some of the knowledge he has accumulated through his long and influential career. He is passionate about helping young aspiring talent to understand the business he knows so well.

One of his most prestigious accolades to date is the Thornton Legacy Award which was presented to Lamont by the Flora L. Thornton School of Music at USC in December 2007. The Lamont Dozier scholarship has been established in his honor in perpetuity to provide education for one student per year. He is also the first ever Artist in Residence in the Popular Music program at USC and is on faculty for the 2008-2009 year. Typical of everything Lamont does, the announcement of his appointment said, "You are setting the standard and blazing new trails."   

Lamont, however, considers his children his greatest legacy. At 29, following in his father's footsteps,  Beau is a sought-after songwriter/producer  in his own right. He has written for Avant as well as JoJo, to name a few, and has composed music for film and television. Son Paris, 24, has temporarily set aside his recording career to pursue his entrepreneurial endeavor in the Internet world, while 20 year old daughter Desiree is a junior at USC in the Annenberg School of Communications.