Brian Holland was born in Detroit on February 15, 1941, and first set out to be a singer. His 1958 solo single came out under the misspelled name Briant Holland. He sang in a short-lived group with his friend Freddie Gorman, belonged to the Motown act the Satintones from 1960 to 1962, and sang backup with the Rayber Voices on early Motown sessions, an education in stacking harmonies. Writing with Robert Bateman as Brianbert, he co-wrote Please Mr. Postman for the Marvelettes in 1961.
With his brother Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier he formed Holland-Dozier-Holland, with Brian serving as arranger and producer at the console while Eddie handled lyrics and vocal arrangements and Dozier generated melodies. Their run included Heat Wave, Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love, Stop! In the Name of Love, I Can’t Help Myself and Reach Out I’ll Be There, and the episode credits Brian with 145 U.S. chart hits and 78 in the UK. After leaving Motown the trio ran Invictus and Hot Wax, Brian charted as a solo artist in 1974 and 1975, and in 1990 the three entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as non-performers.
- In 1963 Brian and Lamont Dozier released a single as Holland and Dozier, What Goes Up Must Come Down.
- The Holland and Dozier name returned for several mid-sized R&B hits in the early to mid 1970s.
- His arrangements set a four-on-the-floor beat with tambourine on two and four under melodic bass lines.
- In 2009 he composed songs for the stage musical The First Wives Club.
- His 2019 memoir with Eddie and Dave Thompson is titled Come and Get These Memories.
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