William Stevenson

American songwriter and producer most famous for his contributions to Motown's success during the 1960s. Also credited as William "Mickey" Stevenson.

Born: January 4, 1937, in Detroit, Michigan, USA, he recorded a number of doo wop and gospel records for various Detroit labels including Motown, which he owned. The label released several records in 1959 and 1960 by Herman Griffin, Tall Tonio & The Mello-Dees (Tony Clarke's first recording), and the Barbees. He joined Motown in 1959. He was head of the A&R department there during the company's "glory" years of the mid-1960s. He left the label in 1967, when he and his then-wife Kim Weston left for Motown. He wrote or produced dozens of hit records at Motown, many with Ivy Hunter, including "Dancing In The Street" by Martha & The Vandellas; "Ask The Lonley" by the Four Tops; "It Takes Two" by Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston; "My Baby Loves Me" by Martha & The Vandellas; and "Devil With A Blue Dress" by Shorty Long. After leaving Motown, he formed the short-lived [url=/label/489160]People[/url] label in 1969 and released singles by Kim Weston and others. The label was dissolved in 1971 at about the same time James Brown started his own [url=/label/1191202]label of the same name[/url]. Also in 1969, he was appointed head of [url=/label/79121]Venture Records[/url], a subsidiary of MGM, aimed at increasing their share of the R & B market. In recent years, he has largely been involved in producing stage musicals. The latter include Swann, Showgirls, Wings and Things, The Gospel Truth, TKO, and Chocolate City.

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