Freda Payne: Last News

Hunter Ingram In Variety’s feature, The One That Got Away, Emmy nominees reflect on one of their projects that never saw the light of day, was canceled too soon or that they’d like to revisit some day.Picture it: Southern California, 1994.Cinco Paul is fresh out of USC School of Cinematic Arts, churning out his first post-grad comedy script — an homage to screwball comedies including “What’s Up, Doc?” and “Bringing Up Baby,” called “Band of Gold.”“At the time, there were big splashy spec sales happening all over the place and this was mine,” he says. “It kind of launched my career, but unfortunately, it never got made.”Nearly 30 years later, Paul, the creator and Emmy-nominated lyricist of Apple TV+’s musical love letter “Schmigadoon!,” has never lost his wistful fondness for the script, which had been bought by Sony and even attached a few directors.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLamont Dozier, one-third of the legenday “Holland-Dozier-Holland” songwriting and production trio who wrote many of Motown Records’ biggest hits for the Supremes, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas and others, has died at the age of 81. The news was confirmed by his son Lamont Dozier Jr on social media; no cause of death has been released as yet.Hits written and produced by Dozier with siblings Brian and Eddie Holland read like a greatest-hits of Motown’s early years: “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Stop! in the Name of Love,” “How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You),” “Baby Love,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “You Keep Me Hanging On” and many others.

Timmy Thomas, the singer, songwriter and keyboardist whose minimalist yet urgent 1973 hit anti-war anthem “Why Can’t We Live Together” would eventually sell more than two million copies, died Friday, March 11, at a hospital in Miami. He was 77.