Henry Cosby
{{Short description|American songwriter (1928–2002)}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Henry Cosby
| birth_name = Henry R. Cosby
| image = Henry Cosby - saxophonist.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Cosby, {{circa}} 1960s
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|5|12|mf=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|1|22|1928|5|12}}
| birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
| death_place = Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.
| genre = {{flatlist |
}}
| instruments = Tenor saxophone
| occupations = Saxophonist, songwriter, arranger, record producer
| years_active = 1950s - 1970s
| label = Motown
| associated_acts = The Funk Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson
}}
Henry R. Cosby (May 12, 1928 – January 22, 2002) was an American songwriter, arranger, record producer and musician who worked for Motown Records from its formative years. Along with Sylvia Moy, Cosby was a key collaborator with Stevie Wonder from 1963 to 1970. Cosby co-wrote and/or co-produced three No. 1 US hits: Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips" (1963), The Supremes' "Love Child" (1968), and The Miracles' "The Tears of a Clown" (1968).{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/hank-cosby-9158926.html |title=Hank Cosby |newspaper=The Independent |date=2002-04-06 |access-date=2020-05-13}}
Life and career
Cosby was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1928. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, where he played alongside jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley in the military band.{{Cite web|url=https://www.songhall.org/profile/henry_cosby1|title=Henry Cosby | Songwriters Hall of Fame|website=Songhall.org|access-date=15 January 2021}} Upon his return to Detroit, he joined pianist Joe Hunter's jazz band. He played tenor saxophone in jazz clubs, as well as on records for different labels around the city.
When Berry Gordy launched Motown Records in 1959 he recruited the Joe Hunter Band with Cosby, Benny Benjamin, James Jamerson, Larry Veeder, and Mike Terry, forming the basis of the ever-growing group of studio musicians contracted to the company. These studio musicians became known as the Funk Brothers, and as a member of their early line-up Cosby performed on hundreds of Motown recordings in the 1960s, including Martha Reeves & the Vandellas US#2 hit "Dancing in the Street" (1964).Liner notes. The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 4: 1964, Hip-O Select - B0005946-02, US, 24 Feb 2006 As was Motown's policy at the time, none of the studio musicians were credited by name. Cosby also played on John Lee Hooker's 1962 single "Boom Boom", on Vee-Jay Records.
{{cite book
| last = Murray
| first = Charles Shaar
| author-link = Charles Shaar Murray
| title = Boogie Man: The Adventures of John Lee Hooker in the American Twentieth Century
| publisher = St. Martin's Griffin
| location = New York City
| year = 2002
| pages = 237–240
| isbn =978-0-312-27006-3
}}
In addition to his saxophone playing, Cosby showed Gordy his talents as an arranger, producer, and songwriter, and became a key collaborator with the young Stevie Wonder.
Through the 1960s Cosby worked with many Motown artists, including production work for The Supremes, The Temptations, Jr. Walker, Edwin Starr, Brenda Holloway, and others.{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/hank-cosby-9158926.html|title=Hank Cosby|date=28 February 2014|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=15 January 2021}} He is best known for co-writing and/or co-producing many of Stevie Wonder's early hits. These include Wonder's first major hit "Fingertips", "My Cherie Amour", "I Was Made to Love Her", "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" and "For Once in My Life". Cosby received a writing credit for Bill Cosby's US#4 hit "Little Ole Man (Uptight, Everything's Alright)" (1967), a revamped version of "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" - but Henry Cosby and Bill Cosby were not related.
Cosby co-wrote and co-produced "The Tears of a Clown" (1968), a US#1 hit for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles.
After leaving Motown when the company moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s, Cosby worked for a time as a producer with Fantasy Records, including production work for Rance Allen, a gospel-influenced artist from Detroit. His later productions include albums for Martha Reeves, and Blood, Sweat and Tears. In 1977 Cosby wrote and produced the song "Be My Fortune Teller" by 94 East, one of the first recordings by Prince, and Colonel Abrams.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/inside-princes-funky-first-recording-sessions-65574/|title=Inside Prince's Funky First Recording Sessions|first=Kory|last=Grow|website=Rollingstone.com|date=26 April 2016|access-date=15 January 2021}}
Death
Cosby died at age 73 on January 22, 2002, at the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan,{{Cite web|url=https://www.songhall.org/profile/henry_cosby1|title=Henry Cosby | Songwriters Hall of Fame|website=Songhall.org|access-date=2020-05-13}} after complications from a cardiac bypass surgery. His name is written on an honorary South Tower Construction beam of the hospital.
Honors
In 2006, Cosby was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, alongside Sylvia Moy.
Selected discography
=Singles=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Artist ! Chart ! Writers ! Producers |
|---|
| 1963
| US#1 | Cosby, Clarence Paul |
| 1965
| Uptight (Everything's Alright) | Stevie Wonder | US#3, UK#14 | Cosby, Sylvia Moy, Wonder | Cosby, Mickey Stevenson |
| 1966
| Nothing's Too Good for My Baby | Stevie Wonder | US#20 | Cosby, Moy, Stevenson | Cosby, Stevenson |
| 1966
| Stevie Wonder | US#9, UK#20 | Ron Miller, Bryan Wells | Cosby |
| 1966
| US#14, UK#16 | Stevenson, Moy | Cosby, Stevenson |
| 1967
| Stevie Wonder | US#2, UK#5 | Cosby, Moy, Wonder, Hardaway | Cosby |
| 1967
| Stevie Wonder | US#12, UK#22 | Cosby, Moy, Wonder | Cosby |
| 1968
| Stevie Wonder | US#9, UK#46 | Cosby, Moy, Wonder | Cosby |
| 1968
| US#1, UK#15, CAN#1 | The Clan | The Clan & Henry Cosby |
| 1968
| Stevie Wonder | US#2, UK#3 | Ron Miller, Orlando Murden | Cosby |
| 1969
| Stevie Wonder | US#4, UK#4 | Cosby, Moy, Wonder | Cosby |
| 1969
| Diana Ross & the Supremes | US#31, UK#37 | Cosby, Berry Gordy Jr. | Cosby, Berry Gordy Jr. |
| 1970
| Smokey Robinson & The Miracles | US#1, UK#1 | Cosby, Wonder, Robinson | Cosby, Robinson |
| 1970
| Stevie Wonder | US#67, UK#6 | Cosby, Moy, Wonder | Cosby |
| 1970
| US#80 | Cosby, Pam Sawyer, Joe Hinton | Cosby |
| 1971
| FR#7 | Cosby |
| 1973
| US#50 | Cosby, Moy, Vicki Basemore |
=Albums=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Artist ! Chart ! Producers |
|---|
| 1962
| The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie | - | Clarence Paul, Hank Cosby |
| 1962
| Stevie Wonder | - | Clarence Paul, Hank Cosby |
| 1966
| Up-Tight | Stevie Wonder | US#33, UK#14 | Paul, Cosby, Stevenson, |
| 1966
| Stevie Wonder | US#92 | Clarence Paul, Hank Cosby |
| 1967
| Stevie Wonder | US#45 | Clarence Paul, Hank Cosby |
| 1974
| US#149 | Henry Cosby |
| 1978
| We Meet Again | - | Henry Cosby |
| 1978
| Straight From The Heart | - | Henry Cosby |
| 1979
| Come Away With Me | - | Henry Cosby |
| 1980
| Gotta Keep Moving | Martha Reeves | - | Henry Cosby, Lamont Dozier |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.songhall.org/profile/henry_cosby1 Henry Cosby] at the Songwriters Hall of Fame
- [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/henry-cosby-mn0000674158/biography Henry Cosby biography] at AllMusic
- {{Discogs artist}}
{{The Funk Brothers}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosby, Henry}}
Category:Musicians from Detroit
Category:Songwriters from Michigan
Category:African-American saxophonists
Category:American male saxophonists
Category:The Funk Brothers members
Category:Rhythm and blues saxophonists
Category:Record producers from Michigan
Category:20th-century American saxophonists
Category:20th-century American male musicians
Category:20th-century African-American musicians
Category:21st-century African-American people