Soul Legend Leon Ware Dead at 77

Soul and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Ware has died, NPR reports. The artist and producer who worked with the likes of Marvin Gaye, Quincy Jones, and Michael Jackson passed away yesterday, his manager confirmed to NPR. He was 77 years old. While the cause of death has not been revealed at this time, Ware was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the mid-’00s.

Ware found his first success as a Motown songwriter, writing for artists such as the Isley Brothers and Donny Hathaway. He cemented his legacy with his hand in Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On follow-up I Want You, on which he produced and co-wrote every song. He also wrote hits such as Michael Jackson’s “I Wanna Be Where You Are” and Minnie Ripperton’s “Inside My Love.”

In 1996, Ware collaborated with Maxwell on “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” from Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite. His work has been sampled by Jay Z, Tupac, A Tribe Called Quest, Brandy, and countless others. In 2014, Ware worked on Theophilus London’s album Vibes, and in 2015, Ware appeared on “OKAGA, CA” on Tyler the Creator’s album Cherry Bomb.

Read Jason King’s interview with Ware about Marvin Gaye’s I Want You on its 40th anniversary here.

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