Motown songwriter-producer Lamont Dozier dies aged 81

Songwriter-producer Lamont Dozier (Richard Drew/AP)

Lamont Dozier, the middle name of the celebrated Holland-Dozier-Holland team that wrote and produced You Can’t Hurry Love, Heat Wave and dozens of other hits and helped make Motown an essential record company of the 1960s and beyond, has died at the age of 81.

Dozier’s death was confirmed on Tuesday by Paul Lambert, who helped produce the stage musical The First Wives Club that Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote for.