Died On This Date (February 23, 2017) Leon Ware / Successful R&B Songwriter & Producer
themusicsover Leon Ware
February 16, 1940 – February 23, 2017
Leon Ware was an American singer, songwriter and producer who was celebrated for the many hits he crafted for others. Born in Detroit, Ware began writing professionally in 1967. Later that year, the first recording note of a song he co-wrote was released; “Got To Have You Back,” by the Isley Brothers. A couple of years later, he hooked up with Ike & Tina Turner to co-write six songs on their album, Nuff Said. What followed was nearly four decades of hit songs for the likes of Michael Jackson, Minnie Riperton, Quincy Jones, and Marvin Gaye. In Gaye’s case, every song on his I Want You album was penned or co-penned by Ware who also produced the landmark album. It sold over a million copies and is considered a must-have for any album collection. Ware also recorded nearly a dozen albums of his own, the most successful being 1979’s Inside Is Love, and the most recent, 2008’s Moon Ride. Leon Ware was 77 when he died of prostate cancer on February 23, 2017.
What You Should Own
Mark Fisher was an esteemed British architect whose contribution to popular music came by way of tour stages he designed some of the biggest tours in history. His highlights include the Rolling Stones‘ 1989 Steel Wheels 1994 Voodoo Lounge stages, U2‘s 2009 360 stage, and Pink Floyd‘s 1980 The Wall stage. He also developed stages for tours by Madonna, Tina Turner, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Williams and Lady Gaga to name a few. Mark Fisher died in his sleep while in hospice care on June 25, 2013. He was 66.
Jimmy Ellis is best remembered the lead singer for the popular disco group, the Trammps. Formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972, the R&B outfit first flirted with success with their unlikely cover of “Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart,” a song originally made famous by 
