Leon Ware

Leon Ware (February 16, 1940 – February 23, 2017) was an American songwriter, producer, composer, and singer renowned for his innovative and prolific compositions, particularly of R&B and soul music. He often worked behind the scenes, where he wrote and produced hits for other artists including Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Maxwell, Minnie Riperton and Marvin Gaye, co-producing the latter's seminal album I Want You. Ware was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, United States. He was the youngest of eleven children. His mother, the former Vera Hill was a beautician and she served as a minister at their local Baptist church, while his father, Frank Ware, worked at the Ford Motor Company on the assembly line. At the age of five years, Ware had an accident involving a slingshot that made him temporarily blind for two years. Inevitably, he attended the Michigan School for the Blind in Lansing. During the mid-1950s, Ware became acquainted with the music industry as a key member of a vocal group, the Romeos, with Lamont Dozier and Ty Hunter, later of the Originals. In 1960, Ware wrote half of an album for his solo output, which he never completed. By the late 60s, he began working at ABC Records as an arranger and songwriter.