Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield has died at the age of 65. He had been suffering from a number of illnesses, including diabetes, and had been receiving treatment at LA's Cedars-Sinai hospital for some months. He had recently fallen into a coma, and passed away on 16 Sep.
Credited with being one of those instrumental in creating the Motown sound, Whitfield was The Temptations' primary producer from 1966 until 1974, and over the years produced classic tracks such as 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine', 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' and 'Car Wash'. During the course of his career he also wrote songs for the likes of Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight, and also began his own record label, Whitfield Records.
Motown legend Smokey Robinson said in a statement that Whitfield was "one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers of our time. He will live forever through his great music".