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William “Mickey” Stevenson Wiki
William “Mickey” Stevenson is an American former songwriter and record producer for the Motown group of labels. He worked with Motown from the early days of Berry Gordy’s company until 1967, when he and his then-wife, singer Kim Weston, left for MGM.
William “Mickey” StevensonWilliam “Mickey” Stevenson Biography
Stevenson spent his formative years recording doowop and gospel music, but later joined Tamla/Motown in 1959, the year it was founded. Stevenson was head of the A&R department there during the company’s “glory” years of the mid-1960s when artists such as the Supremes, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, and Martha & the Vandellas came to the fore.
He was also responsible for organizing and establishing the company’s in-house studio band, which came to be known as the Funk Brothers.
Stevenson wrote and produced many hit records for Motown, some with co-writer and producer Ivy Jo Hunter. The hits included his biggest success, “Dancing in the Street”, which he co-wrote with Marvin Gaye and Hunter; “Ask the Lonely” for the Four Tops, “It Takes Two” (Gaye and Weston), “Can You Jerk Like Me” by the Contours, “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” (produced) for Stevie Wonder and Gaye’s “Stubborn Kind of Fellow”.
Stevenson also wrote “Devil with the Blue Dress On” in 1964 with Shorty Long, which became a hit for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels in 1966. He also wrote under the pseudonym Avery Vandenburg for Jobete’s Stein & Van Stock publishing subsidiary.
In 1969, William founded a label called People Records, which recorded Kim Weston and other acts such as Hodges, James & Smith, but the label dissolved around the time James Brown’s unrelated label of the same name was founded in 1971.
In 1969, Stevenson was appointed head of Venture Records a subsidiary of MGM, with a brief to develop their share of the soul and rhythm and blues market, continuing in this role until the mid-70s. Subsequently, Stevenson owned another California label, Raintree, releasing a single by Willard King in 1975.
In recent years, he discovered and produced the R&B female artist Jaisun for an album that reached #1 in major breakout markets,[which?] but he has largely been involved in producing stage musicals. The latter include Wings and Things, Swann, Showgirls, TKO, The Gospel Truth, and Chocolate City.
William “Mickey” Stevenson Age
Stevenson was born on January 4, 1937 in Detroit, Michigan, United States. He is 86 years old.
William “Mickey” Stevenson Family
William was raised by his mother, a blues singer Kitty “Brown Gal” and his step-father Ted Moore.
William “Mickey” Stevenson Wife
Stevenson married Kim Weston an American soul singer, and Motown alumna in 1967. The couple has two children Novel, and Ashley Stevenson.
William “Mickey” Stevenson Children
His son Novel is a hip-hop/soul artist based in Los Angeles, California. His daughter, Ashley Stevenson, died of accidental drug overdose on November 27, 2015.
William “Mickey” Stevenson Height
Information will be updated soon.
William “Mickey” Stevenson Salary
William’s salary is estimated to be between $50k to $100k.
William “Mickey” Stevenson Net Worth
His net worth is estimated to be around $500k.
Albums
- 2009: Here I Am
- 2009: Les Stars du Compas Vol. 2 – Compakolor
- 2012: Lucky Fm 88.8 Vol.2
William “Mickey” Stevenson Songs
- I’m On My Way Back To You
- Lonnie’s Face
- Where’s That Smile
- Salliey
- Knock On Any Door
- What Could Be Better
- Joe Poor
- Trouble’s A Loser
- Rocky Raccoon
- I Need You So
- Forty Days And Forty Nights
- Here I Am
- Stormy
- Gonna Be Alright