When I had my very first hits, “September” and “Boogie Wonderland” with Earth, Wind & Fire, I had an office at Irving Almo, the publishing division of A&M Records, which was right next to Leon Ware‘s, and we bonded big time. It was exciting for me to be friends with and collaborate with the writer of such Motown classics as The Jackson 5’s “I Wanna Be Where You Are” and Marvin Gaye’s entire “I Want You” LP. Leon was and is great. Lots of stories, laughs, and sentimental memories for me. But I didn’t even know he was from Detroit until he sent an email asking why he wasn’t included in “The D”. Needless to say, I was elated to learn that and the situation was rectified instantly!
To learn more about “The D”, the record, video, and feature length documentary go here.