Leon Ware was one of the most prolific record producers in the history of R&B, working with famous artists such as Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, and Donny Hathaway.

Leon was born on February 16, 1940, in Detroit, Michigan. Leon began working with music in his teenage years, being included in a vocal group named the Romeos with Lamon Dozier and Ty Hunter. As Leon became an adult, he worked with ABC Records before signing with Motown as a songwriter in 1967, writing songs for the Isley Brothers, Martha and the Vandellas, and the Jackson 5.

Leon got his big break in 1971, when he co-wrote several songs on Ike and Tina Turner’s album, ‘Nuff Said, which peaked at #21 on the Billboard R&B charts and appeared on the Billboard 200 charts. This led to Leon signing with United Artists and releasing his debut album, Leon Ware, in 1972. Around this time, Leon began working with Arthur “T-Boy Ross, younger brother of Diana Ross. Together, the two co-wrote Michael Jackson’s song, “I Wanna Be Where You Are”, which peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.

In 1974, Leon made two guest appearances on fellow record producer Quincy Jones' album, Body Heat. The song, “If I Ever Lose This Heaven”, hit the R&B charts and was later covered by Average White Band the following year. In 1975, Leon worked with Minnie Riperton on the hit song, “Inside My Love”, from his album, Adventures in Paradise.

In 1976, Leon and Arthur Ross worked on the former’s then-upcoming album, Musical Massage, again under the Motown label. Several of the album’s demos, including “I Want You”, were given to Marvin Gaye, who reworked all of them for his own album, I Want You, which reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 and sold over a million copies since its release. However, Leon unfortunately could not replicate that same success when Musical Massage was released, as it is considered a commercial failure due to a lack of promotion, though it became a cult hit among many of Gaye’s fans.

For 3 years after this, Leon primarily focused on writing and producing for other artists. His third album wasn’t released until 1979, titled Inside Is Love, and under the Fabulous Records label. Unlike his previous album, Inside Is Love became a commercial success, with both the album and its single, “What’s Your Name” hitting the charts. Following this success, Leon signed with Elektra Records and released his fourth album, Rockin' You Eternally, in 1981. While not as successful as Inside Is Love, the songs “Baby Don’t Stop Me” and “Rockin' You Eternally” reached the R&B singles charts. Elektra financed one more album for Leon, and he released his second self-titled album in 1982. Unfortunately, Leon was dropped by his label shortly afterward due to a lack of sales for the album. In 1987, Leon signed with Slingshot Records and released his sixth album, Undercover.

As hip-hop grew in popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Leon’s songs were commonly being sampled by artists such as 2Pac, A Tribe Called Quest, and JAY-Z. The sampling helped increase Leon’s publishing income, and on top of that, his popularity was growing in England, where the Expansion label began reissuing his albums. To get on top of his newfound popularity, he released his seventh album, Taste The Love, in 1995. The next year, he also collaborated with R&B singer Maxwell on his debut album, Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, which is considered to be one of the most influential albums in the neo-soul genre.

In the 2000s, Leon released five albums: Candlelight (2001), Love’s Drippin' (2003), Deeper (2004), A Kiss in the Sand (2004), and Moon Ride (2008). In the 2010s, Leon collaborated with several popular artists of today, such as Tyler, The Creator (“OKAGA, CA”), Theophilus London (“Water Me”), and Omar (“Gave My Heart / It’s So (Interlood)”).

Leon tragically passed away on February 23, 2017, following complications of prostate cancer. He was 77 years old and was survived by his wife, his sons, his granddaughter, and his brothers at the time of his passing. Two years later, a posthumous album, titled Rainbow Deux, was released.

Leon will ultimately be remembered as one of the greatest R&B/neo-soul record producers and singers of all time.