Motown songwriter, producer Deke Richards dies at 68

n">(Reuters) - Deke Richards, who led the prolific songwriting and producing team at Motown Records that wrote for the Jackson 5 under the simple heading The Corporation, has died, Universal Music said on Monday.

Richards, 68, died on Sunday at the Whatcom Hospice House in Bellingham, Washington, surrounded by his immediate family, Universal Music said in a statement. He had been battling esophageal cancer, it said.

Richards, whose real name was Dennis Lussier, along with Motown founder Berry Gordy, Alphonzo Mizell and Freddie Perren comprised "The Corporation," the label's in-house producers and writers in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Corporation wrote and produced the Jackson 5's first three songs to reach No. 1: "I Want You Back," "ABC," and "The Love You Save," as well as many others, Universal said. Richards also wrote for Diana Ross, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, and other artists.

Richards is survived by his wife, Joan Lussier; his brother, Dane Lussier; and nephews Chris Lussier and Cory Lussier.

(Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Catherine Evans)

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Songwriter Bill Dees,"Oh, Pretty Woman" co-writer, dead at 73

LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 1, 2012 5:46am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer-composer Bill Dees, best known for his songwriting collaboration with Roy Orbison on the hits "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "It's Over," has died at age 73 in Mountain Home, Arkansas, according to an obituary posted online by a local funeral home.

Dees, a Texas native who got his start in the 1950s with a high school band called the Five Bops, is credited with writing scores of songs in all, some recorded by such performers as Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Glen Campbell.

But Dees' most fruitful collaboration was his work with fellow Texan Orbison, with whom he teamed up to write Orbison's signature 1964 hit, "Oh, Pretty Woman." which was featured years later in the soundtrack to the movie "Pretty Woman," starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.

The band Van Halen also scored a hit with a cover version of "Oh, Pretty Woman."

According to various accounts, the song's refrain grew out of an offhand comment Dees made when Orbison's wife, Claudette, walked into the room where the two men were writing together, and Orbison asked her if she needed any money.

Dees cracked, "Pretty woman never needs any money," and the song took shape from there, with the bulk of the composition coming together in less than hour.

As recounted in one biography posted on Dees' official website, Dees also contributed uncredited harmony vocals on the record.

"Oh, Pretty Woman" went to No. 1 in United States and topped the charts in Britain, as did the 1964 Orbison ballad co-written by Dees, "It's Over," a considerable achievement given the dominance of the Beatles and other British groups on both sides of the Atlantic at the time.

Other Orbison singles Dees co-wrote included "Born on the Wind," "Crawling Back," "Communication Breakdown," "Walk On," "Windsurfer" and "So This Is Love."

Dees died last week, on October 24, at Mountain Home, where he had lived since 1989, according to an announcement posted on the website of the Kirby & Family Funeral Home, where a memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, November 3.

(Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Eric Walsh and W Simon)

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Songwriter Carole King signs book deal

Singer Carole King arrives for the premiere of the film ''Troubadours'' during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah January 22, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Lucas Jackson

NEW YORK | Wed Jun 15, 2011 6:17am EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer-songwriter Carole King, whose rich tapestry of tunes has topped pop charts over five decades, is now weaving her life into a book.

"A Natural Woman," scheduled for publication next April, will chart King's story from her beginnings in Brooklyn to her rise to the top of the U.S. album charts through to her current role as environmental and political activist.

Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, said Tuesday it acquired world rights to King's memoir from Joy Harris Literary Agency in an auction last week.

Born Carol Klein to a Jewish family in New York City, King scored her first No. 1 hit as a songwriter in 1961, at age 18, with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," which she wrote with Gerry Goffin. King also wrote or co-wrote such hits as "Up on the Roof," "You've Got a Friend" and "The Reason."

As a singer, King's "Tapestry" album topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks, and sold more than 10 million copies in the United States alone.

King has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her songwriting.

Since 1990, King has been working with environmental groups. She is also an active supporter of the U.S. Democratic Party, and has campaigned for John Kerry, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama.

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Songwriter Carole King signs book deal (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Singer-songwriter Carole King, whose rich tapestry of tunes has topped pop charts over five decades, is now weaving her life into a book.

"A Natural Woman," scheduled for publication next April, will chart King's story from her beginnings in Brooklyn to her rise to the top of the U.S. album charts through to her current role as environmental and political activist.

Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, said Tuesday it acquired world rights to King's memoir from Joy Harris Literary Agency in an auction last week.

Born Carol Klein to a Jewish family in New York City, King scored her first No. 1 hit as a songwriter in 1961, at age 18, with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," which she wrote with Gerry Goffin. King also wrote or co-wrote such hits as "Up on the Roof," "You've Got a Friend" and "The Reason."

As a singer, King's "Tapestry" album topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks, and sold more than 10 million copies in the United States alone.

King has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her songwriting.

Since 1990, King has been working with environmental groups. She is also an active supporter of the U.S. Democratic Party, and has campaigned for John Kerry, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama.

View the original article here