Alphonzo Mizell
January 15, 1943 – July 5, 2011
Alphonzo “Fonce” Mizell was an American record producer and songwriter who, as part of the Corporation production team at Motown, penned and produced virtually every Jackson 5 hit between 1969 and 1971. That list includes “ABC,” “I Want You Back,” and “The Love You Save.” Mizell was also an accomplished musician dating back to his childhood when he, his brother, Larry Mizell and a school friend performed and recorded demos as a doo-wop group, the Nikons. After high school, Mizell attended Howard University where he studied the trumpet under the great Donald Byrd. Around this time, the Mizell brothers founded their own record label, Hog Records where they produced and released just one record, the Moments’ “Baby, I Want You,” which has been known to go for as much as $2500 to collectors. Fonce eventually went to work for Berry Gordy at Motown where, besides the Jackson 5, he worked on hits by the likes of Edwin Starr and Martha Reeves & The Vandellas. Following his tenure at Motown, Fonce and his brother Larry formed their own production team, known affectionately as the Mizell Brothers, but professionally as Sky High Productions. They went on to produce several classic jazz albums for Blue Note which were recognized for their influence on jazz fusion and acid jazz. Albums of note included Byrd’s Black Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey’s Blacks And Blues. They also scored several disco-era hits including A Taste Of Honey’s “Boogie-Oogie-Oogie,” and L.T.D.’s “Love Ballad.” The Mizell Brothers’ influence continued to reach a new generation of fans well into the 2000s thanks to samples popping up in songs by the likes of Guru, A Tribe Called Quest and J Dilla. Alphonso Mizell was 68 when he passed away on July 5, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.
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