Kenneth Stover
Kenneth Stover (born August 21, 1948, Athens, Georgia, United States) is an American former Motown songwriter, producer, and singer. He contributed background vocals on Marvin Gaye's 1971 album, What's Going On, and wrote the first draft of Gaye's 1973 single, "Let's Get It On".
Alongside his brother, Elgie Stover, after living in Cleveland, Ohio, for the duration of his childhood and teenage years, he and his brother moved to Detroit, Michigan, to work with their cousin, Harvey Fuqua, on his Tri-Phi record label. They befriended Gaye and members of the Motown family.[1]
In the late 1960s, the Stover brothers signed on to Motown as staff songwriters. Stover contributed background vocals on Marvin's "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)",[1] and later co-wrote Gaye's "You're the Man" (1972). In 1973, Stover wrote the original rough draft of "Let's Get It On", and presented the song to Gaye as a political song.[1]
Stover also co-wrote the Diana Ross song, "Lovin', Livin' and Givin'" and two songs by Bobby Nunn; "Sexy Sassy" and "Got to Get Up on It". In the mid-1970s, Stover formed the soul group, Leo's Sunship, but canceled the group's upcoming album when one of the members suddenly died. In 1978, Stover was part of a Motown collective called Finished Touch. He left Motown in 1981, and settled in Atlanta, Georgia for a brief time. A song he co-wrote called "Good Combination" was released by Peabo Bryson as a single, and the song went on to be sampled giving Stover royalty cheques especially after the song's instrumental was covered by Will Smith and Faith Evans.
Stover has stayed in his hometown of Cleveland since 1985, taking care of an ailing sister, but continues to write and produce music.