[Publius]

In 1968, Holland, Dozier and Holland left Motown to start their own label, and Berry Gordy sued them for breach of contract. The suit and resulting countersuit were the music industry’s version of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce from Charles Dickens’ Bleak House. It went on for nine years before the court had H-D-H pay Gordy a token settlement.

Thanks to the litigation, H-D-H was forced to use the names Edythe Wayne and Wayne/Dunbar to write their songs for their own label. They had two hits in 1970 for their artists.

Chairmen of the Board: “Give Me Just a Little More Time”

This one is groundbreaking because it is about impotence. They didn’t have Viagra in those days.

Freda Payne: “Band of Gold”

By 1974 they went their own separate ways.

H-D-H was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The threesome changed music history.

[luvie]

Awesome historical journey, Publius! Thanks!

[Fiji Hill]

A noted rock historian that I know said a few years ago that the Holland brothers and Lamont Dozier are not especially wealthy despite their string of smash hits. According to Internet sources, they are still in the music business.