Beau Dozier, 1979 – 2025

Songwriter and record producer Beau Dozier, 45, died this week, it was announced on March 10 (what wasn’t announced was how he died). The son of Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier and film executive Barbara Ullman, Beau got into the business early. Wikipedia says that he “worked with chart-topping artists of all genres including Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, Priscilla Ahn, Boyz II Men, The Backstreet Boys, Sir Cliff Richard, and Jennifer Lopez” (oh, Wikipedia, I think a few genres may have been left out!). Dozier was writing songs and performing by age 7 (as Lil’ Beau), and by 2000, he’d created Beautown Entertainment. From 2011 till his death, Dozier was consulting producer for American Idol, helping to coach contestants.