THE SUMMER THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
August 1965 will forever shine in my memory. That summer, my family and I traveled to my father’s hometown of Marlin, Texas — a place that seemed to hum with family, faith, and music. It felt like everyone in town was related to me. I couldn’t walk a block without bumping into a cousin — one was the Chief of Police, another the mayor, and plenty of others filled respected roles in the community.
For a sixteen-year-old from the high deserts of Rosamond, California, Marlin felt like another world — warm, alive, and brimming with Southern hospitality. The air hung thick and sweet, the kind of humid heat that makes a teenager notice both himself and the world around him in a new way.
With time on my hands, I spent hours browsing the local record shops, soaking up every new sound I could find. Music spoke to me like nothing else, and I was determined to learn its language. Marlin was steeped in gospel and R&B — rhythms I rarely heard back home, where Country & Western ruled the airwaves.
One hot afternoon, I stumbled across a record bin that seemed different. Fifty copies of a single 45 sat gleaming on bright yellow labels — D-TOWN RECORDS — shouting from the black block letters. The artist was Lee Rogers, and the song was “I Want You to Have Everything.”
As the day cooled and the shop filled, I watched people — mostly older women — rush to buy the record. In minutes, ten copies were gone. I stood there, spellbound. Something clicked in me. This was what I wanted to do — not just make music, but move people with it. I had already been writing and recording songs in my family’s garden shack back in California. But that moment — watching a small-town crowd respond to a song with such passion — sealed my fate. I made a quiet promise to myself that I would meet Lee Rogers one day.
Fourteen years later, that promise came true. I would not only meet him but become his songwriter and producer.
LEE ROGERS: THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC
Lee Rogers was born Rogers Craton on December 15, 1942, in southern Mississippi. His young mother, unmarried and full of dreams, was sent north to Detroit — like so many others seeking both refuge and opportunity.
Detroit, with its deep gospel roots and growing R&B pulse, shaped Lee. He was a gifted athlete in school, even making the Michigan State Championship team at Brewster High in 1957 — and shooting the winning basket that made him a local hero. But his real calling came through music.
Encouraged by local DJ Jack Sorrell, Lee formed a group called The Peppermints. They won a televised talent show, catching the attention of businesswoman Carmen C. Murphy, founder of the House of Beauty cosmetics line — and soon, the gospel-based HOB Records label. Murphy’s studio was a breeding ground for Detroit’s future legends. Rev. James Cleveland recorded there, and a young Berry Gordy Jr. passed through, gathering experience that would soon birth Motown itself.
Lee found early success with songs like “I Want You to Have Everything,” “I’m a Practical Guy,” and “Just You and I.” When HOB’s focus shifted and labels changed hands, he kept moving — eventually recording “Love Bandit” for Loadstone Records in 1972, which stormed the R&B charts alongside another new act: Sly & The Family Stone.
MOTOWN AND BEYOND
Lee later moved to Hollywood, where he teamed up with songwriter Jimmy Holliday, co-writer of Jackie DeShannon’s #1 hit “Put a Little Love in Your Heart.” Around this same time, I was working with ABC Records, and fate brought Lee, Jimmy, and me together. That meeting became one of the most important creative partnerships of my career.
Under Motown’s Gwen and Glenn Productions, Lee, R.G. Ingersoll, and I signed on as writers and producers. Our world expanded overnight — parties with Berry Gordy’s family, collaborations with some of the greatest voices in Detroit. The Motown experience was electric. The expectations were sky-high — Gwen Gordy Fuqua famously told me, “This house was built with smash records. I want smashes, not hits.”
Lee’s artistry carried us forward. Even when opportunities shifted or egos clashed, he stayed focused on the music. His energy inspired others — from up-and-coming groups like Papa’s Results to established acts across the Motown roster.
THE INDEPENDENT SPIRIT
By the mid-1970s, Lee faced serious health challenges, but he never stopped creating. He founded Soul ’N’ Rock Records, where we released “Disco Boogie” and “Double Love Situation.” With help from Wolfman Jack, the record hit the airwaves — a vindication for Lee after years of fighting to be heard.
Even when Motown turned cold, Lee’s determination burned hot. He went on to produce rising artists like Cardella DiMilo, whose debut single “Gimme Whatcha Promised Me” charted under Claridge Records, led by Frank Slay. Claridge went on to score one of the last great independent label hits in history with “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” by Sugarloaf — part of the wave that Lee helped inspire.
His influence ran deep. Musicians who worked with him remembered his golden voice, his discipline, and his quiet fire. When Lee performed live — whether in Detroit or Los Angeles — he owned the stage. He didn’t need charm school or polish; he had authenticity. The kind that can’t be taught.
LEGACY OF A SOUL MAN
Lee Rogers was more than an artist — he was a bridge between the raw gospel traditions of the South and the polished soul of Motown. He stood tall among those who helped shape a sound that defined an era.
For me, it all started that hot summer in Marlin, Texas — the day I found his record in that yellow bin. I couldn’t have imagined then that our paths would cross, that we’d write songs together, or that I’d witness firsthand his journey from hopeful dreamer to legendary soul man.
Lee’s music, his courage, and his humanity still echo — a reminder that great art comes from resilience, love, and the belief that music really can change everything.
Would you like me to format this version for print — like a magazine feature or book chapter layout (with subheads, pull quotes, and short intro paragraph)? It’d give it a clean, professional look ready for publication.
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