Sam Dees, born 17 December 1945 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American soul singer, songwriter, and record producer who began performing with the Bossanovians at age nine. His first single appeared in 1968 on Nashville’s SSS International, followed by releases on Lolo Records and two self‑produced tracks on Chess Records recorded in a former Birmingham church, which led to a contract with Atlantic Records. In 1975 he issued the album The Show Must Go On, and he continued to record throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including Secret Admirer (1989). As a songwriter he supplied hits for Atlantic Starr ("Am I Dreaming"), Larry Graham ("One in a Million You"), Aretha Franklin ("Love All the Hurt Away"), and Whitney Houston ("Lover for Life"), the latter appearing on Houston’s 1987 album Whitney. His work also featured in the 1995 film Blue Juice. Dees released material on his Pen Pad label and worked with UK labels such as Ardent and Kent Records.
