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| Deke Richards | |
|---|---|
| Name | Deke Richards |
| Birth name | Dennis Lussier |
| Birth date | 1944 |
| Death date | 2000 |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Soul music, R&B, Pop music |
| Occupations | Songwriter, Record producer, Music executive |
| Years active | 1960s–1990s |
| Labels | Motown, MoWest Records |
| Associated acts | The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder |
Deke Richards Deke Richards (born Dennis Lussier; 1944–2000) was an American songwriter, record producer, and music executive prominent in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s pop and soul scenes. He was a member of the Motown songwriting and production collective known as The Clan and contributed to landmark recordings for acts such as The Jackson 5, The Supremes, The Temptations, and Gladys Knight & the Pips. Richards later worked on independent projects and managed publishing and production roles tied to labels like Motown and MoWest Records.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Richards grew up amid the postwar Los Angeles music scene alongside contemporaries who would later be associated with Capitol Records, Liberty Records, and local studios such as Sunset Sound, Gold Star Studios, and RKO Radio Pictures's recording affiliates. He attended schools in Los Angeles County and was exposed to radio programming from stations like KMPC, KHJ (AM), and KFWB that played records from labels including Atlantic Records, Columbia Records, Imperial Records, and Vee-Jay Records. Influences in his youth included artists heard on American Bandstand and televised appearances by performers from The Ed Sullivan Show and touring bills featuring acts on the Chitlin' Circuit.
Richards's early professional work connected him with Los Angeles session musicians linked to The Wrecking Crew, producers associated with Brill Building songwriters, and labels active on the West Coast scene such as Dot Records and Reprise Records. He joined Motown's Los Angeles operations during the company's expansion westward in the late 1960s, working alongside executives and writers tied to Berry Gordy Jr., Smokey Robinson, Holland–Dozier–Holland, and A&R staff coordinating projects with studios like United Western Recorders and management firms connected to Jobete Music Co. Richards's Motown tenure placed him in the orbit of producers and artists including Norman Whitfield, Frank Wilson, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and performers from the Motortown Revue.
During his Motown period Richards co-wrote and produced tracks credited on albums and singles for acts distributed by Motown and its subsidiaries, contributing to charting releases on the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard R&B charts, and compilations curated by labels such as Tamla and Soul Records. His credits intersected with recordings involving vocal groups and solo artists affiliated with managers and promoters like Berry Gordy Jr., Berry Gordy III, and booking agencies that handled tours with names such as Dick Clark-promoted packages. Richards's work is documented on releases alongside performers from Gordy Records rosters, and he collaborated with musicians who recorded at studios linked to engineers from Motown Studio B and mixing sessions coordinated by executives from Jobete.
As a member of the Motown writing-production team known as The Clan, Richards partnered with writers and producers affiliated with hits recorded by landmark acts such as The Jackson 5, The Supremes, The Temptations, and Gladys Knight & the Pips. The Clan operated in the context of Motown collectives like Holland–Dozier–Holland and production teams associated with Norman Whitfield and Smokey Robinson, contributing to singles released on labels including Tamla and Gordy Records. Richards also worked with psychedelic soul and crossover projects that involved ensembles such as The Undisputed Truth and session musicians who performed with artists like Funkadelic and producers connected to Berry Gordy Jr.'s executive initiatives. His production style was used on releases that appeared alongside contemporaneous recordings by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, and ensembles managed by figures such as Clarence Avant.
After his principal years at Motown Richards continued to work in recording, publishing, and production, engaging with independent labels and production companies tied to the broader Los Angeles music industry. He collaborated with artists and executives who had associations with companies like A&M Records, Warner Bros. Records, Columbia Records, and management teams that handled tours and residencies at venues such as The Forum (Inglewood), Hollywood Palladium, and clubs on the Sunset Strip. Richards's later credits include songwriting and production for artists on reissue compilations and projects administered by catalogs related to Jobete Music Co. and collectors' releases circulated by archives and labels preserving Motown Records' legacy.
Richards's personal life remained largely private; he lived and worked in Los Angeles County and maintained professional relationships with executives and artists tied to historic entities like Motown, Jobete, and legacy labels that curate soul and pop catalogs. His legacy is preserved through credits on recordings kept in archives maintained by institutions and collections associated with music historians, university special collections, and museums that document the histories of labels such as Motown Records, Tamla, and producers featured in exhibitions alongside artifacts linked to Berry Gordy Jr., Smokey Robinson, Holland–Dozier–Holland, and other architects of 20th-century American popular music. Category:American record producers Category:Motown people