Leon Ware

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Leon Ware (born February 16, 1940 in Detroit , † February 23, 2017 in Marina del Rey , California ) was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter and producer .

biography

Although he has made some records himself, it is primarily his work for other artists that made Ware known: from the late 1960s to the 1990s, he wrote songs for many well-known artists and had some great hits. Several of them were created for the Motown label . Michael Jackson , for example, had a hit in 1972 with I Wanna Be Where You Are . Also, The Isley Brothers , The Four Tops and The Miracles had success with Wares compositions.

In 1976 he worked with Marvin Gaye and produced his successful album I Want You . He was also involved in the songwriting of all the songs for this album. The recordings inspired Ware's album Musical Massage , which was released a short time later and which received good reviews and is still his best-known work today. Although the album, which oscillates between soul, funk and jazz , failed to achieve great commercial success, Rolling Stone voted the work in 2013 at number 88 of the "100 best soul albums".

Ware also worked with Melissa Manchester , who recorded several of his songs and hired him to produce her hit album Don't Cry Out Loud in 1978 . In 1981 she and Peabo Bryson achieved a top 40 hit in the R&B charts with the duet Lovers After All, written by Ware . From 1979, Ware had three smaller hits in the R&B charts in a short time: What's Your Name was his most successful single at number 42. Thanks to countless samples in hip-hop , Wares name was also repeatedly in the charts. So 2Pac and K-Ci & JoJo used Quincy Jones ' Body Heat and turned it into the American number one hit How Do U Want It (1996). Even Nas , Maxwell , Gang Starr and De La Soul sampelten Wares compositions.

Ware was married four times, including for a few weeks with the former Supremes singer Susaye Green . He died in February 2017 at the age of 77.

Discography

Studio albums

year Title
music label 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
R&B R&B
1979 Inside Is Love
Fabulous 8500 		R&B62 (3 weeks)
R&B
First published: November 1979
Percussion : Paulinho da Costa
Producers: Leon Ware, Ron Roker

More studio albums

  • 1972: Leon Ware ( United Artists 5582)
  • 1976: Musical Massage ( Gordy 976)
  • 1981: Rockin 'You Eternally ( Elektra 332)
  • 1982: Leon Ware (Elektra 60050)
  • 1987: Undercover (Sling Shot 80017)
  • 1995: Taste the Love (Kitchen)
  • 2001: Candlelight (with Don Grusin , Kitchen)
  • 2003: Love's Drippin (Kitchen)
  • 2004: A Kiss in the Sand (Kitchen 6938)
  • 2008: Moon Ride ( Stax 30228)

Singles

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
R&B R&B
1979 What's Your Name
Inside Is Love 		R&B42 (10 weeks)
R&B
First published: November 1979
Authors: Leon Ware, Minnie Riperton , Richard Rudolph
1981 Baby Don't Stop Me
Rockin 'You Eternally 		R&B66 (6 weeks)
R&B
First published: December 1980
Authors: Leon Ware, Marcos Valle ,
Peter Cetera , Laudir de Oliveira
Rockin 'You Eternally
Rockin' You Eternally 		R&B74 (4 weeks)
R&B
First publication: May 1981
Authors: Leon Ware, Marcos Valle

More singles

  • 1972: The Spirit Never Dies
  • 1974: Girl, Girl, Girl (Sonny and Virginia) (promo; release: September)
  • 1976: Comfort (release: February, not published)
  • 1980: Inside Your Love
  • 1982: Slippin 'Away (released May)
  • 1982: Why I Came to California (with Janis Siegel ; released September)
  • 1986: Blue Velvet
  • 1991: Shoulda Been You
  • 2004: California (Saint Remix)
  • 2011: Step by Step
  • 2012: Baby This Love I Have (The Decoders feat. Leon Ware)
  • 2015: Melt the Night (Lucas Arruda feat. Leon Ware)
  • 2017: Gave My Heart (Omar feat. Leon Ware; release: June 2nd)

swell

  1. ^ Joel Whitburn: Top R&B Singles 1942-1995 . 1996, ISBN 0-89820-115-2 .
  2. ↑ Songs performed or written by Leon Ware . Music VF, accessed March 3, 2017.
  3. ↑ Sassan Niasseri: The 100 Best Soul Albums . Rolling Stone , January 4, 2013, accessed March 3, 2017.
  4. ↑ Michael J. Edwards: Leon Ware - Love's Endless Servant Pt.2 . UK Vibe, accessed March 3, 2017.
  5. ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9
  6. ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0-89820-186-4

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Ware, Leon
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American soul singer and R&B singer, songwriter, and producer
DATE OF BIRTH February 16, 1940
PLACE OF BIRTH Detroit
DATE OF DEATH 23rd February 2017
Place of death Marina del Rey , California