A multifaceted musical mind, Willie Hutch (born William McKinley Hutchison) was a force both behind the microphone and behind the scenes, whether with his own music -- which proved irresistible for the soundtracks of blaxploitation films -- or as a songwriter, producer, and arranger for artists including the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops, Patti LaBelle, Etta James, and Smokey Robinson.

Raised in Dallas, Texas, Hutch moved back to his birthplace of Los Angeles, where he worked behind the scenes for “champagne soul” outfit the 5th Dimension before being invited into the fold at Motown. He proved himself by helping write “I’ll Be There”, a Number 1 hit for the Jackson 5, and thereafter became a fixture at Berry Gordy’s legendary label. He also released his own records, beginning with a pair for RCA, and then off-and-on with Motown well into the 1980s.

In the early 1970s, another outlet for Hutch’s music presented itself, which would raise his stature as a solo artist. After the successes of Shaft and Superfly, which featured exceptional soundtracks from Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield, the blaxploitation wave was in full effect, and the next batch of movies needed cool, soulful music to match with the on-screen grit and heroism. Hutch’s emphatic but smooth vocals were a perfect fit, and he helmed soundtracks for staples of the genre The Mack and Foxy Brown, and contributed songs to Gordy’s late-night classic The Last Dragon".

As the ‘70s went on, Hutch continued releasing records that showed off various sides of his persona, from sensual lover man to dance floor instigator. As soul and funk gradually gave way to disco, Hutch was there, delivering the hit song “In and Out” in 1982, which would prove to be his last significant single. A pair of new albums arrived in the ‘90s, and a final release, Sexalicious, followed in 2002. He died in Texas in 2006.

Willie Hutch

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