Michael Masser

Songwriter/producer Michael Masser made his name in the '70s and '80s as a composer of big, sweeping ballads, usually written for quiet storm and urban R&B artists. Masser's first success came working with <a href="spotify:artist:3MdG05syQeRYPPcClLaUGl">Diana Ross</a> at <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Motown%22">Motown</a>, when he wrote and produced her smash "Touch Me in the Morning" in 1973. He followed that with the chart-topping "Theme from 'Mahogany' (Do You Know Where You're Going To?)," written with lyricist <a href="spotify:artist:09KTuJGTA2nISzHxnmYzRv">Gerry Goffin</a> for <a href="spotify:artist:3MdG05syQeRYPPcClLaUGl">Ross</a>' 1975 movie vehicle; it received an Oscar nomination for Best Song. In addition to his work with <a href="spotify:artist:3MdG05syQeRYPPcClLaUGl">Ross</a>, Masser hooked up with <a href="spotify:artist:4N8BwYTEC6XqykGvXXlmfv">George Benson</a> for some of the jazz guitarist's more pop/R&B-oriented recordings of the late '70s, including the original version of "The Greatest Love of All." In the early '80s, Masser wrote for <a href="spotify:artist:7mEIug7XUlQHikrFxjTWes">Neil Diamond</a> ("First You Have to Say You Love Me," 1982) and penned the smash R&B duet "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" for <a href="spotify:artist:0W498bDDNlJIrYMKXdpLHA">Roberta Flack</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:49iKbKGqgn8OESkW5WduX0">Peabo Bryson</a>; <a href="spotify:artist:49iKbKGqgn8OESkW5WduX0">Bryson</a> also scored with the 1984 follow-up "If Ever You're in My Arms Again." The same year, Masser contributed "Stay with Me" and "Hold Me" to <a href="spotify:artist:68kACMx6A3D2BYiO056MeQ">Teddy Pendergrass</a>; the latter song was done as a duet with a promising young singer named <a href="spotify:artist:6XpaIBNiVzIetEPCWDvAFP">Whitney Houston</a>, and Masser was one of the writer/producers brought in to work with her when she signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Arista%22">Arista</a>. The relationship was a fruitful one, as Masser co-wrote three of the number one hits on <a href="spotify:artist:6XpaIBNiVzIetEPCWDvAFP">Houston</a>'s first two albums -- "Saving All My Love for You," "The Greatest Love of All," and "Didn't We Almost Have It All." During the latter part of the '80s, Masser also worked with <a href="spotify:artist:5qUHCOUsvVKUpVrMMmztMK">Jeffrey Osborne</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5tTsrGPwQRWUsHR2Xf7Ke9">Natalie Cole</a> ("Miss You Like Crazy"), and <a href="spotify:artist:0bByarMN8ryEFQsRo6iCUN">Glenn Medeiros</a> ("Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You"). However, both his writing and production activities were drastically curtailed in the '90s. He died in July 2015 at the age of 74. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi