William Stevenson

American songwriter and producer most famous for his contributions to Motown's success during the 1960s. Also credited as William "Mickey" Stevenson. Born: January 4, 1937, in Detroit, Michigan, USA, he recorded a number of doo wop and gospel records for various Detroit labels including Stepp Records, which he owned. The label released several records in 1959 and 1960 by Herman Griffin, Tall Tonio & The Mello-Dees (Tony Clarke's first recording), and the Barbees. He joined Motown in 1959. He was head of the A&R department there during the company's "glory" years of the mid-1960s. He left the label in 1967, when he and his then-wife Kim Weston left for MGM Records. He wrote or produced dozens of hit records at Motown, many with Ivy Hunter, including "Dancing In The Street" by Martha & The Vandellas; "Ask The Lonley" by the Four Tops; "It Takes Two" by Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston; "My Baby Loves Me" by Martha & The Vandellas; and "Devil With A Blue Dress" by Shorty Long. After leaving Motown, he formed the short-lived People label in 1969 and released singles by Kim Weston and others. The label was dissolved in 1971 at about the same time James Brown started his own label of the same name. Also in 1969, he was appointed head of Venture Records, a subsidiary of MGM, aimed at increasing their share of the R & B market. In recent years, he has largely been involved in producing stage musicals. The latter include Swann, Showgirls, Wings and Things, The Gospel Truth, TKO, and Chocolate City.