Luther Dixon
Encyclopedia
Luther Dixon was an American songwriter
, record producer
, and singer
. Dixon's songs achieved their greatest success in the 1950s and 60s, and were recorded by Elvis Presley
, The Beatles
, The Jackson 5
, B.B. King, Dusty Springfield
, and others. As a producer, Dixon helped create the signature sound of the girl group The Shirelles
.
, New York, when he was young. He learned to sing in church.
, a doo-wop
group led by Larry Harrison, in which Dixon sang baritone
and occasionally played guitar. The Four Buddies recorded for Savoy Records
, but also as The Barons for Decca Records
and as The Buddies for Glory Records. The group disbanded in 1955, but Dixon and Harrison continued writing songs together. Their biggest hit was "Why Baby Why", recorded by Pat Boone
, which peaked at #5 in 1957.
Dixon and Billy Dawn Smith wrote the 1957 Perry Como
song "Just Born (To Be Your Baby)", which reached #12. In 1958, Bobby Darrin recorded "All the Way Home", written by Dixon and Otis Blackwell
, which was released on Darin's 1960 album For Teenagers Only. Dixon and Clyde Otis
wrote the song "Doncha' Think It's Time", recorded by Elvis Presley
in 1958 and included on his famous 1959 album, 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong
. Also in 1958, Dixon and Allyson Khent wrote "16 Candles", which was recorded by The Crests
and reached #2.
In 1960, after being approached by Florence Greenberg
of Scepter Records
, Dixon began working with The Shirelles
. The first song Dixon produced with The Shirelles was "Tonight's the Night
", co-written by the group's lead singer Shirley Owens
. The song reached #39 in 1960, and another recording of the song by The Chiffons
reached #76. The Shirelles then reached #1 with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow
" (written by Carole King
and Gerry Goffin
). Dixon wrote the B-side to that single, "Boys
". The Shirelles' 1961 song "Baby It's You
", written by Dixon (credited as Barney Williams), Burt Bacharach
, and Mack David
, reached #8. Both "Boys" and "Baby It's You" were later recorded by The Beatles
on their debut LP, Please Please Me
. The Shirelles' 1962 song "Soldier Boy
", written by Dixon and Florence Greenberg, was their final song to reach #1.
Greenberg started a second record company, Wand Records
, in 1961. Dixon wrote and produced many songs for the Wand and Scepter labels, including the 1961 Chuck Jackson
single "I Don't Want to Cry", co-written by Jackson himself, which reached #36. Jimmy Reed
's 1961 hit "Big Boss Man
" was written by Dixon and Al Smith. This song was listed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
as one of the 500 "Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".
With these successes, Dixon was approached by Capitol Records
to set up his own record label, Ludix Records, but Ludix was unsuccessful. In 1966, Dixon was producing The Platters
for Musicor Records
. Their songs "I Love You 1000 Times" (#31, 1966) and "With This Ring" (#14, 1967)—their biggest hits since leaving Mercury Records
—were both produced and co-written by Dixon.
By the late 1960s, Dixon's style of music had greatly faded from popular music charts. He received a surge of popularity after "16 Candles" was used in the 1973 George Lucas
film American Graffiti
, and again when the 1984 John Hughes film Sixteen Candles
included a performance of the song by Stray Cats
. "Boys" was included in the 2009 video game The Beatles: Rock Band
. Dixon's song "Never Let Me Go" was performed by Jane Monheit
in the film adaptation
of Kazuo Ishiguro
's novel with same title. Dixon was nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame
one week before he died.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. Dixon's songs achieved their greatest success in the 1950s and 60s, and were recorded by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
, B.B. King, Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
, and others. As a producer, Dixon helped create the signature sound of the girl group The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
.
Early life
Dixon was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but his family moved to BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, when he was young. He learned to sing in church.
Career
Dixon began his professional career in 1954 with The Four BuddiesThe Four Buddies
The Four Buddies were a major American doo wop group, based out of Baltimore. They recorded in the early to mid-1950s, and focused on melodious and laid-back ballads...
, a doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
group led by Larry Harrison, in which Dixon sang baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
and occasionally played guitar. The Four Buddies recorded for Savoy Records
Savoy Records
Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
, but also as The Barons for Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
and as The Buddies for Glory Records. The group disbanded in 1955, but Dixon and Harrison continued writing songs together. Their biggest hit was "Why Baby Why", recorded by Pat Boone
Pat Boone
Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...
, which peaked at #5 in 1957.
Dixon and Billy Dawn Smith wrote the 1957 Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
song "Just Born (To Be Your Baby)", which reached #12. In 1958, Bobby Darrin recorded "All the Way Home", written by Dixon and Otis Blackwell
Otis Blackwell
Otis Blackwell was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock 'n' roll...
, which was released on Darin's 1960 album For Teenagers Only. Dixon and Clyde Otis
Clyde Otis
Clyde Otis, born in Prentiss, Mississippi, , was an American songwriter and producer best known for his collaboration with singer Brook Benton, and for being one of the first African American A&R executive for a major label.According to the music licensing organization Broadcast Music Inc., Otis is...
wrote the song "Doncha' Think It's Time", recorded by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
in 1958 and included on his famous 1959 album, 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong
50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong
50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong: Elvis' Gold Records - Volume 2 is the ninth album by Elvis Presley, issued on RCA Victor Records in November 1959. It is a compilation of hit singles released in 1958 and 1959 by Presley, from two recording sessions in June 1958 at RCA Studios in Nashville and...
. Also in 1958, Dixon and Allyson Khent wrote "16 Candles", which was recorded by The Crests
The Crests
The Crests were a New York R&B doo-wop group of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Their most popular song was "16 Candles", which rose to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1959. It sold over one million copies, earning a gold disc. The interracial group had three black members , one Puerto...
and reached #2.
In 1960, after being approached by Florence Greenberg
Florence Greenberg
Florence Greenberg was an American record label owner, music executive and a record producer.- Life and career :...
of Scepter Records
Scepter Records
Scepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
, Dixon began working with The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
. The first song Dixon produced with The Shirelles was "Tonight's the Night
Tonight's the Night (song)
"Tonight's the Night" is the title and lead track from The Shirelles' 1961 album Tonight's the Night. Written by Luther Dixon and Shirley Owens, the song dealt with a woman's feelings before losing her virginity and was released as the pre-album's second single in 1960...
", co-written by the group's lead singer Shirley Owens
Shirley Owens
Shirley Alston Reeves was the lead member of the hit singing group, The Shirelles. As well as Owens, the Shirelles consisted of classmates of hers from Passaic High School, New Jersey: Addie "Micki" Harris, Doris Kenner Jackson, and Beverly Lee. Through marriages, she became Shirley Alston and...
. The song reached #39 in 1960, and another recording of the song by The Chiffons
The Chiffons
The Chiffons was an all girl group originating from the Bronx area of New York in 1960.-Biography:The Chiffons were one of the top girl groups of the early 1960s...
reached #76. The Shirelles then reached #1 with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", also known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and originally recorded by The Shirelles. It has been recorded by many artists and was ranked among Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at #125...
" (written by Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
and Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
). Dixon wrote the B-side to that single, "Boys
Boys (The Shirelles song)
"Boys" is a song by Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell, originally performed by The Shirelles and released as the B-side of their "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" single in November 1960.-The Beatles' version:...
". The Shirelles' 1961 song "Baby It's You
Baby It's You
"Baby It's You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach , and Luther Dixon and Mack David . It was recorded by The Shirelles and The Beatles, and became hits for both...
", written by Dixon (credited as Barney Williams), Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
, and Mack David
Mack David
Mack David was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning from the early 1940s through the early 1970s. Mack was credited with writing lyrics and/or music for over one thousand songs...
, reached #8. Both "Boys" and "Baby It's You" were later recorded by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
on their debut LP, Please Please Me
Please Please Me
Please Please Me is the debut album by the English rock band The Beatles. Parlophone rush-released the album on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles "Please Please Me" and "Love Me Do" .Of the album's fourteen songs, eight were written by Lennon–McCartney...
. The Shirelles' 1962 song "Soldier Boy
Soldier Boy (song)
"Soldier Boy" is the name of a song written by Luther Dixon and Florence Green. The song was released as a single by The Shirelles in 1962 and met with great success, topping the US Billboard Hot 100...
", written by Dixon and Florence Greenberg, was their final song to reach #1.
Greenberg started a second record company, Wand Records
Wand Records
Wand Records was started by Florence Greenberg in 1961 as a subsidiary of Scepter Records. In 1976 Florence Greenberg decided to retire from the business and sold her record labels to Springboard International. When Springboard went bankrupt, Gusto Records acquired the catalog.Artists on Wand...
, in 1961. Dixon wrote and produced many songs for the Wand and Scepter labels, including the 1961 Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961...
single "I Don't Want to Cry", co-written by Jackson himself, which reached #36. Jimmy Reed
Jimmy Reed
Mathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries...
's 1961 hit "Big Boss Man
Big Boss Man (song)
"Big Boss Man" is a blues song written by Luther Dixon and Al Smith in 1960 and first recorded by Jimmy Reed. The song was a hit for Reed and has been interpreted and recorded by a variety of artists, including Elvis Presley and B.B...
" was written by Dixon and Al Smith. This song was listed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
as one of the 500 "Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".
With these successes, Dixon was approached by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
to set up his own record label, Ludix Records, but Ludix was unsuccessful. In 1966, Dixon was producing The Platters
The Platters
The Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
for Musicor Records
Musicor Records
Musicor Records was a New York City based record label, active during the 1960s and 1970s. The label was founded by songwriter Aaron Schroeder and distributed by United Artists Records...
. Their songs "I Love You 1000 Times" (#31, 1966) and "With This Ring" (#14, 1967)—their biggest hits since leaving Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
—were both produced and co-written by Dixon.
By the late 1960s, Dixon's style of music had greatly faded from popular music charts. He received a surge of popularity after "16 Candles" was used in the 1973 George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
film American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
, and again when the 1984 John Hughes film Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
included a performance of the song by Stray Cats
Stray Cats
Stray Cats are an American Rockabilly band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer , upright bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S...
. "Boys" was included in the 2009 video game The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band is a 2009 music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It is the third major console release in the Rock Band music video game series, in which players can simulate the playing of rock music by using...
. Dixon's song "Never Let Me Go" was performed by Jane Monheit
Jane Monheit
Jane Monheit is a jazz and adult contemporary vocalist for Concord Records. She has collaborated with artists such as Michael Bublé, Ivan Lins, Terence Blanchard and Tom Harrell, and has received Grammy nominations for two of her recordings.-Early life:Jane Monheit was raised in Oakdale, New York...
in the film adaptation
Never Let Me Go (2010 film)
Never Let Me Go is a 2010 British dystopian drama film based on Kazuo Ishiguro's 2005 novel of the same name. The film was directed by Mark Romanek from a screenplay by Alex Garland. Never Let Me Go is set in an alternate history and centers on Kathy, Ruth and Tommy who are portrayed by Carey...
of Kazuo Ishiguro
Kazuo Ishiguro
Kazuo Ishiguro OBE or ; born 8 November 1954) is a Japanese–English novelist. He was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and his family moved to England in 1960. Ishiguro obtained his Bachelor's degree from University of Kent in 1978 and his Master's from the University of East Anglia's creative writing...
's novel with same title. Dixon was nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
one week before he died.