Lamont
Dozier
    Born June 16, 1941, in Detroit, Lamont Dozier was surrounded by music as a child. "My interest in music started in the late'40s and early '50s listening to my father's record collection," Lamont recalls. "He had people like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett."
     Rehearsing with the local Baptist church's gospel choir, and listening to his aunt play classical music on the family piano also left an early musical imprint on Lamont's psyche. At 10, Lamont began collecting singles by Johnny Mathis, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, The Spaniels, and various doo-wop groups. The latters' mixture of pop and R&B exerted a powerful influence on his musical development.
     Lamont began writing lyrics at the age of 11, music at 12, and decided on a recording career at the age of 13. His band, The Romeos, was signed to Atco Records in 1957, and had a charting R&B record with the song, "Fine, Fine Baby." Shortly thereafter, The Romeos broke up, but the success of "Fine, Fine Baby" was enough stimulation for him to know that this was the business he wanted to be in. After a stint in The Voicemasters, a doo-wop group who had several singles on Gwen Gordy's Anna Records, he worked as a solo artist with Gwen's brother Berry. Dozier's first single, "Let's Talk It Over," was issued in 1960 on Anna Records, and was credited to his nom-de-plume, Lamont Anthony. He also worked with Berry on Motown singles for Marv Johnson. Two other singles followed. Lamont signed exclusively with Berry and Motown Records in 1962 as an artist, producer, and songwriter.
     Having worked on the Ford assembly line, Berry Gordy patterned Motown after the automaker. Everybody had to punch a time clock, and the finished songs were critiqued in "quality control" meetings.
     Then in 1963, he was teamed with singer/songwriter Eddie Holland for a single release. Eddie Holland had a Motown hit with the Jackie Wilson-sound-alike single "Jamie" in early 1962. The following year, Dozier, Eddie Holland, and his brother Brian began writing together. Lamont found himself so in demand as a songwriter and producer that he had very little time to pursue his career as an artist. With its in-house band, in-house studio, and in-house songwriting/production teams, Motown was the most successful production line in the history of pop music.
     Beginning with The Supremes' number one R&B smash "Where Did Our Love Go," the H-D-H writing/arranging/production trio enjoyed a phenomenal five-year run at the top of the R&B and pop charts, selling millions of records for Motown. Another Motown act, The Four Tops, had a certain affinity for H-D-H's songs, scoring number one R&B and pop hits such as "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out I'll Be There." The trio churned out a steady stream of hits for The Temptations, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, and others that not only became hits at the time of their release, but have been woven into the fabric of American pop culture both then and now.
     Amid lawsuits, royalty disputes, and creative differences, H-D-H left Motown in 1967, setting up Invictus and Hot Wax Records. Dozier restarted his solo artist recording career on Invictus with the mid-tempo ballad "Why Can't We Be Lovers," which went to number six R&B. The follow-up single, "New Breed Kinda Woman" — a duet with Eddie Holland — peaked at number 61 R&B in 1973. Holland-Dozier-Holland had a string of hits on the Invictus and Hot Wax labels that rank with their best at Motown. Freda Payne's "Band Of Gold" and Chairmen of the Board's "Give Me Just A Little More Time" were only two of H-D-H's 13 post-Motown top ten smashes.
     In 1973, the H-D-H team splintered and Dozier signed with ABC Records as a solo artist. His 1974 debut ABC album, "Out Here On My Own," yielded the hit ballad, "Trying To Hold On To My Woman" and the upbeat "Fish Ain't Bitin'," but it was the introduction of "Take Off Your Makeup" to the clubs that pushed the album to Gold status. The song would become a hit all over again in 1980 when it was incorporated in Disconet's "At Midnight Medley."
     His next album, 1975's "Black Bach," included the singles "Let Me Start Tonite," "All Cried Out," "Put Out The Fire," "Rose," and "Thank You For The Dream." Around this time, Dozier produced and wrote most of the tunes for the self-titled debut album of actor Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs. Despite becoming a collectible in later years because of its high quality, "Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs" wasn't a sales success.
     Switching to Warner Bros. Records in 1976, Dozier's next album was "Right There." The LP was full of smooth-as-molasses groovers. The LP briefly charted when it was released. His next W.B. album, 1977's "Peddlin' Music On The Side," also charted briefly. It became an underground club classic thanks to "Going Back To My Roots." The promotional-only 12" version of "Going Back To My Roots" is a collectable and the tune was later a 1981 hit for the group Odyssey.
     The 1979 dance-oriented album "Bittersweet," was produced by Motown alumni Frank Wilson. It produced his third club smash. The 12" single of "Boogie Business" went top ten in the clubs and introduced him to a whole new generation of fans.
     By 1981, the multi-talented musician was signed to ARC (American Recording Company). The album "Working On You" was issued in the spring of that year. Tracks included the energetic, brassy "Cool Me Out," the bubbly "Nobody Told Me," the smooth title track, and the top-notch ballads "Too Little Too Long" and "Why (Ain't My Love Enough)." His next album, 1982's "Lamont," was created by former Motown executives Mike Roshkind and Mike Lushka. One single, the jubilant "Shout It Out," peaked at number 61 in early 1982.
     Lamont decided to take a break from recording albums and concentrate on motion picture and television soundtrack work. While living in England with his wife and children, Lamont hooked up with vocalist Alison Moyet, writing her Top Ten worldwide hit, "Invisible," as well as writing hit songs, including, the platinum selling "You've Got It," for British group, Simply Red.
     In 1985, Lamont met Phil Collins backstage at one of Phil's shows in Los Angeles. Phil had scored a Top Ten hit with his cover version of Lamont's "You Can't Hurry Love," originally penned for The Supremes. "It was a very warm meeting," Lamont remembers, "we hit it off and became good friends, talking a lot about music--you know, shop talk." When it came time for Phil to co-produce Eric Clapton's "August" album, he turned to Lamont for two songs: "Hung Up On Your Love Again" and "Run".
     In 1988, when Phil began working on the movie "Buster," he again turned to Lamont, this time to write and produce songs for the soundtrack. "I flew down to Acapulco, where Phil was filming," Lamont recalls, "and when he heard the songs, he immediately flipped." Together they composed three songs for "Buster," including the #1, Grammy-winning "Two Hearts," which garnered a Golden Globe, BPI Award, Oscar Nomination, Ivor Novello Award, and many other kudos for Lamont and Phil.
    In 1991, Lamont began composing songs with an eye towards landing another record deal for himself. In Los Angeles, he had a pivotal meeting with Atlantic Co-Chairman/Co-Ceo Doug Morris. "When we got to the second song on my demo tape, the ballad 'Love In The Rain,' Doug stood up, reached out his hand to me and said, 'You've got a deal." The album featured guest appearances by Eric Clapton and Phil Collins, and contained a mixture of grooving, up tempo cuts and intimate ballads, woven together by Lamont's multi-faceted vocal stylings. Once again, the corporate world of record company politics played a role in preventing the album from reaching the position and recognition that Lamont was seeking for himself as a recording artist.
     It was at this point that Lamont decided to start his own record label to market and distribute his own recordings. Lamont's new album, "Reflections" was the first release for the D-Flawless label that Lamont formed with his wife and business partner, Barbara Ullman Dozier. This time Lamont was wearing two hats. He is sharing the day-to-day business responsibilities of running the label with his wife, and since completing the album, he is also in rehearsals for a tour to promote "Reflections" which will mark his first time on the road in years. With "Reflections," Lamont for the first time will be putting his own voice, a blend of rough molasses and plaintive yearning, to songs made famous by others. It will be his stamp, finally, on the songs he composed.
     Lamont Dozier now lives in Encino, California with his wife of twenty-four years, Barbara and their three musically talented children; son Beau, age twenty-four; son Paris, age twenty: and daughter Desiree, age fifteen.
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