Soul and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Ware, known for his work with Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Maxwell, and even Tyler, the Creator, passed away at 77 on Thursday (February 23), NPR reports. Although the cause of death has not been confirmed, Ware was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the mid-2000s, which could have contributed to his death.
Born in 1940, the Detroit native got his start with Motown Records while in his twenties, penning songs for the likes of The Isley Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner, and eventually the King of Pop. Later in his career, he would go on to work with Maxwell on the song “Sumthin’ Sumthin'” from his 1996 debut album, Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, and most recently, appeared on Tyler, the Creator’s 2015 Cherry Bomb project. His eleventh (and final) solo studio album, Moon Ride, was released in 2008.
His music has been sampled by countless Hip Hop artists ranging from 2 Pac and A Tribe Called Quest to Brandy and Jay Z. Artists including Thundercat, Tyler, the Creator, Dam-Funk, Theophilus London (who worked with Ware in 2014 on his Vibes project), Maxwell, and Questlove took to social media to pay their respects. Check out the posts below.
