Deke Richards (center) has died at the age of 68, in a Bellingham, Wash. hospice.
Peace Health St. Joseph Medical Center spokeswoman Amy Cloud confirms to the AP that Richards, whose real name was Dennis Lussier, died Sunday (March 24) at the center's hospice house.
Universal Music says in a statement that Richards had been fighting esophageal cancer. Universal Music also says that Richards was the leader of The Corporation, a Motown songwriting, arranging and producing team that also included Berry Gordy, Alphonzo Mizell and Freddie Perren.
Richards was involved in writing Jackson 5 hits "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "The Love You Save." He also co-wrote "Love Child" for Diana Ross & The Supremes.
Richards' family is asking for donations to be made in Richards' name at the Hal Awards website, which promotes music education.
Peace Health St. Joseph Medical Center spokeswoman Amy Cloud confirms to the AP that Richards, whose real name was Dennis Lussier, died Sunday (March 24) at the center's hospice house.
Universal Music says in a statement that Richards had been fighting esophageal cancer. Universal Music also says that Richards was the leader of The Corporation, a Motown songwriting, arranging and producing team that also included Berry Gordy, Alphonzo Mizell and Freddie Perren.
Richards was involved in writing Jackson 5 hits "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "The Love You Save." He also co-wrote "Love Child" for Diana Ross & The Supremes.
Richards' family is asking for donations to be made in Richards' name at the Hal Awards website, which promotes music education.
- 3/26/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
The paradox of popular culture is that it never loses the capacity to make the corniest of karaoke cliches achingly transcendent
For the first four months of the school, we were serenaded in our house about a dozen times every day with the 1978 disco standard "I Will Survive". This has been courtesy of our ten year-old, who may not have the life experience for an anthem of defiant independence, but definitely has the pipes.
She's not a Gloria Gaynor type, exactly – more like a midget Ethel Merman. A real belter, this kid. When she finally got to perform what she'd been rehearsing, at her grade-school variety show, 400 grownups reacted in the first half-dozen bars as if they'd been Tasered.
Then they started clapping in time with the beat. Wives gave husbands dirty looks. Third graders were doing that sassy-black-girl thing with their necks.
Old Dad had a tear in his eye,...
For the first four months of the school, we were serenaded in our house about a dozen times every day with the 1978 disco standard "I Will Survive". This has been courtesy of our ten year-old, who may not have the life experience for an anthem of defiant independence, but definitely has the pipes.
She's not a Gloria Gaynor type, exactly – more like a midget Ethel Merman. A real belter, this kid. When she finally got to perform what she'd been rehearsing, at her grade-school variety show, 400 grownups reacted in the first half-dozen bars as if they'd been Tasered.
Then they started clapping in time with the beat. Wives gave husbands dirty looks. Third graders were doing that sassy-black-girl thing with their necks.
Old Dad had a tear in his eye,...
- 1/31/2012
- by Bob Garfield
- The Guardian - Film News
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