Sam Dees facts for kids

Sam Dees was born on December 17, 1945. He is an American soul singer, songwriter, and music producer. Sam has released many albums from the 1970s to the 1990s. He has also written hundreds of songs for other famous musicians.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Sam Dees was born in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. He grew up in a big family. From a young age, Sam stood out because of his amazing voice.

When he was just nine years old, he had already won many singing contests. He even started his own singing group called the Bossanovians.

Sam Dees' Music Career

As a teenager, Sam traveled to different places to perform. In 1968, he recorded his first song in Nashville, Tennessee. He then released a few more songs with Lolo Records.

A producer from Chess Records, Lenny Sachs, gave Sam a chance to produce two of his own songs. Sam recorded these songs in a former church in Birmingham. After that, he started recording for Atlantic Records. In 1975, Atlantic released his important album, The Show Must Go On.

Sam Dees: The Songwriter

Even though Sam's own singing career slowed down, he became very busy writing hit songs for other singers. He wrote many popular tunes.

Some of his famous songs include "Am I Dreaming" for Atlantic Starr. He also wrote "One in a Million You" for Larry Graham. Sam wrote "Save the Overtime (For Me)" for Gladys Knight & the Pips. He also wrote "Love All the Hurt Away" for George Benson and Aretha Franklin. Another hit he wrote was "Lover for Life" for Whitney Houston.

Sam also wrote a song called "Just the Lonely Talking Again". The group The Manhattans first recorded it in 1983. Later, Whitney Houston recorded her own version in 1987.

In 1989, Sam released a solo song called "After All". His album, Secret Admirer, came out around the same time. However, this album was not a big success.

Sam Dees still writes and produces music today. He has released recordings on his own music label, Pen Pad. He also recorded for Ardent Records in England. Another English label, Kent Records, has released some of his early songs. There are also plans for Selecta Records to release more of his older, unreleased recordings.

His song "Lonely for You Baby" was featured in the British surf movie, Blue Juice, which came out in 1995.

Sam Dees' Albums

Studio Albums

• The Show Must Go On (1975) - (reissued in 2012)
• Secret Admirer (1989)
• The Homecomings (EP) (1991)
• Cry to Me: Deep and Mellow Soul of Sam Dees (1994)
• Second to None (1995)
• Gospel Tribute (1997)
• Sam Dees (1997)
• Lovers Do (Pen Pad, 1998)
• The Heritage of a Black Man (1998)

Songs Written by Sam Dees

Sam Dees has written many songs for other artists. Here are some of them:

• "One in a Million You" (Larry Graham)
• "So Can I" (Loleatta Holloway)
• "Am I Dreaming" (Atlantic Starr)
• "Send for Me" (Atlantic Starr)
• "All in the Name of Love" (Atlantic Starr)
• "Save the Overtime (For Me)" (Gladys Knight)
• "Love All the Hurt Away" (Aretha Franklin)
• "Just the Lonely Talking Again" (The Manhattans in 1983, and later Whitney Houston in 1987)
• "Lover for Life" (Whitney Houston)
• "After the Love Has Lost Its Shine" (Regina Belle)
• "Mess on Your Hands" (Millie Jackson)
• "Let Me Heal the Bruises" (Tavares)
• "Games, Games" (Tavares)
• "My Love Calls" (Tavares)
• "Where Did We Go Wrong" (L.T.D.)