Encyclopedia Of Detroit

The trio of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland composed over 200 songs including 25 number one singles for Motown Records during its heyday. Their production of one hit after another has been compared to the automobile assembly line and their music described by one source as “symphonic soul.” 

All three were born in Detroit: Eddie Holland, Jr. on October 30, 1939, his brother Brian on February 15, 1941 and Lamont Herbert Dozier on June 16, 1941. Each member of Holland-Dozier-Holland or H-D-H, as the songwriter trio was known, had his own career before they teamed up in 1962.  

In 1961 Dozier was a recording artist who signed with Anna Records, owned by Motown founder Berry Gordy’s sisters Anna and Gwen. That same year Brian Holland became a songwriter for Motown, and co-wrote “Please Mr. Postman,” recorded by the Marvelettes. Dozier was hired by Berry Gordy as a songwriter for Motown and his first effort with Brian was a song called “Forever,” later recorded by Marvin Gaye. 

Eddie Holland had some success as a singer with the song “Jamie” recorded by Motown (his voice was compared to Jackie Wilson’s). But he disliked performing and touring and when he saw his brother’s financial success as a songwriter decided to join Brian and Dozier. Eddie thought he could augment the songwriting efforts of the other two by contributing lyrics, while Brian and Dozier were stronger at writing the melodies and producing.  

“Come and Get These Memories,” recorded by Martha and the Vandellas, was the first H-D-H composition, in 1963. From then on H-D-H began churning out hits that would keep Motown on the charts. Such songs as “Heat Wave” for Martha and the Vandellas, “Mickey’s Monkey” for the Miracles, “Can I Get a Witness” for Marvin Gaye, and “Reach Out, I’ll be There” for the Four Tops created a soundtrack for the sixties. For the Supremes, H-D-H wrote six number one hits in a row including “Stop in the Name of Love,” “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” and “I Hear a Symphony.”  

In 1968 a dispute over royalties and profit sharing caused H-D-H to leave Motown, which sued them for breach of contract, causing H-D-H to countersue; the lawsuit wasn’t settled until 1977. Because of the lawsuit H-D-H was forced to use a pseudonym, Edyth (or Edith) Wayne, for their compositions. The trio started their own companies, Hot Wax Records and Invictus Records in Detroit, and began producing music by Honey Cone, Chairman of the Board, and Freda Payne, among others. Dozier went back into performing, his most successful hit being “Why Can’t We Be Lovers?” before leaving the brothers in 1973, later forming his own production company and continuing songwriting and recording. 

Hot Wax Records folded in 1973 and Invictus in 1977, leading to the formation of HDH Records, the catalog of which is held by the Holland brothers. The two returned to Motown in the late 1970s where they wrote songs for Donny Osmond and Jermaine Jackson, among others, but it was not the creative environment they experienced in the 1960s and they parted company again in 1984.  

H-D-H reunited briefly to write 22 songs for a musical, First Wives Club, which debuted in 2009 in San Diego. The trio was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Lamont Dozier died on August 8, 2022. 

RELATED ITEMS IN THE COLLECTION