Leon Ware facts for kids

Leon Ware (born February 16, 1940 – died February 23, 2017) was an American songwriter, music producer, and singer. He was famous for writing and producing hit songs for many other artists. Some of these artists include Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Maxwell, Minnie Riperton, and Marvin Gaye. He even helped create Marvin Gaye's famous album, I Want You.

Leon Ware's Early Life

Leon Ware was born and grew up in Detroit, Michigan, in the United States. His mother was a minister and played the piano at their church. His father worked at the Ford Motor Company. Leon was the youngest of ten children.

When he was five years old, Leon had an accident with a slingshot and became blind for two years. Even though only his right eye was affected, his left eye was also covered. Leon said this was because his family worried his left eye would become too strong if his right eye got its vision back. He went to the Michigan School for the Blind. As a teenager, he was part of a singing group called the Romeos.

Leon Ware's Music Career

Starting in Music

Leon Ware first worked at ABC Records as a music arranger and songwriter. In 1967, he joined Motown, a very famous record company, as a songwriter. Early in his time at Motown, he helped write songs for popular groups like the Isley Brothers, Martha & the Vandellas, and the Jackson 5.

First Big Songwriting Hits

In 1971, Leon Ware worked with Ike & Tina Turner. He helped write six songs for their album, 'Nuff Said'. This album did well on the music charts. Because of this success, Leon got a contract to release his own music. He released his first album, Leon Ware, in 1972.

Around this time, Leon started working with Arthur "T-Boy" Ross, who was the younger brother of the famous singer Diana Ross. They wrote a song together called "I Wanna Be Where You Are." Michael Jackson recorded this song for his 1972 album, Got To Be There. The song became a big hit, reaching number two on the R&B charts. Leon also wrote songs for other artists like Donny Hathaway and The Miracles.

More Success in the Mid-1970s

In 1974, Quincy Jones, another famous musician, asked Leon Ware to write and perform two songs for his album, Body Heat. One of these songs, "If I Ever Lose This Heaven," became a hit.

Leon had also worked with Minnie Riperton on Quincy Jones's album. They worked together again on Minnie Riperton's album, Adventures in Paradise. They wrote her R&B hit, "Inside My Love."

Leon Ware and Arthur Ross were working on songs for Leon's second album. They also hoped to get Arthur a record deal. One of the songs they created was "I Want You." Berry Gordy, the head of Motown, heard it and thought it would be perfect for Marvin Gaye. Marvin Gaye loved the other songs too and decided to record many of them for his next album, I Want You. This album was a huge success, selling over a million copies!

Recording and Producing for Others

After giving away the songs for his album to Marvin Gaye, Leon Ware started over on his own album for Motown's Gordy label. This album was called Musical Massage and came out in 1976. It didn't sell well at first because it wasn't promoted much. However, it later became very popular among soul music fans who loved Marvin Gaye's I Want You album.

After this, Leon focused more on writing and producing for other artists. He didn't release another album of his own until 1979. His third album, Inside Is Love, finally became a chart success.

Leon then signed with Elektra Records. He released his fourth album, Rockin' You Eternally, in 1981. It had two songs that made it onto the R&B charts. His fifth album, Leon Ware, came out in 1982.

Leon Ware wrote and produced for many artists during these years. Some of them include Teena Marie, Jeffrey Osborne, Loose Ends, and James Ingram. He even helped write a European hit song called "Independence" for Lulu.

Later Career and Influence

In the 1990s, Leon Ware's older songs became very popular for "sampling" in hip-hop music. This means parts of his songs were used in new hip-hop tracks. This helped his music reach new listeners. In England, a record label called Expansion started re-releasing his solo albums.

Leon released his seventh album, Taste the Love, in 1995. He also helped write "Sumthin' Sumthin'" for Maxwell's 1996 debut album, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite. This album is considered a very important album in the neo-soul music style.

Throughout the 2000s, Leon Ware continued to release several albums, including Candlelight (2001), Love's Drippin' (2003), Deeper (2004), A Kiss in the Sand (2004), and Moon Ride (2008).

In the 2010s, Leon Ware was featured on projects by newer artists like Tyler, the Creator and Theophilus London. In 2019, two years after he passed away, an album called Rainbow Deux was released.

Personal Life

Leon Ware was married to Carol Ware until he passed away.

Illness and Death

In 2009, Leon Ware was getting treatment for prostate cancer. He passed away in Marina del Rey, California, on February 23, 2017, due to complications from prostate cancer. He was 77 years old. He was survived by his wife, his sons, his granddaughter, and his brothers.

Leon Ware's Music Albums

Leon Ware released several studio albums during his career. Here are some of them:

Songs Leon Ware Wrote

Leon Ware wrote or co-wrote many songs for different artists. Here are some of his notable songwriting credits:

See also

In Spanish: Leon Ware para niños