Deke Richards (born Dennis Lussier;"Jackson 5 producer Deke Richards dies aged 68"
BBC News, March 26, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013. April 8, 1944 – March 24, 2013), also known as Deke Lussier, was an American

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

and

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

who was affiliated with

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

. He was a member of both the Clan and the Corporation, the latter a production team that wrote and produced some of

the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...

's early hits.

Biography

He was born in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. His father was the screenwriter Dane Lussier. Deke Lussier portrayed one of the band members in the movie '' Eegah'' in 1962. He later used the

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Deke Richards. While playing in a band that backed singer Debbie Dean, he wrote a song for her, and met

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), also known as Berry Gordy Jr., is an American retired record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record label and i ...

when

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

played at the Hollywood Palace in 1966. Gordy signed Richards to a contract as a

and songwriter.Deke Richards, Motown Songwriter and Producer, Dies at 68
. ''Hollywood Reporter'', March 25, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013. Richards also wrote and produced for

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...

Martha and the Vandellas Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1973 as Martha Reeves & the Vandellas) were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s as a major act for Motown Records. Formed by friends Annett ...

, The Blackberries, Stacie Johnson, and others, and produced

Diana Ross and the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

after Holland, Dozier and Holland left Motown in 1968. He co-wrote the U.S. no.1 hit " Love Child" for the Supremes, and was responsible for " I'm Still Waiting", a UK no.1 hit, for

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

. He and fellow writer

Sherlie Matthews Sherlie Mae Matthews (born November 10, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter and former Motown Records producer, best known as a backing vocalist for pop, R&B and rock groups from the mid-1960s to the present. Mirwood Employing her as bot ...

also formulated the vocal sextet Celebration, which released an album on

's Mowest label, in an attempt to replicate the success of the 5th Dimension. Richards died of

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer (American English) or oesophageal cancer (British English) is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include dysphagia, difficulty in swallowing and weigh ...

on March 24, 2013, at age 68.Deke Richards, of Motown's The Corporation, dies
. ''The Detroit News'', March 25, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013.

References

External links

*
Credits at Allmusic.comSongwriting credits at BMI.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Deke 1944 births 2013 deaths Musicians from Los Angeles Record producers from California Songwriters from California Motown artists Deaths from esophageal cancer in the United States Deaths from cancer in Washington (state)