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Dr. Luke

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Dr. Luke
Birth nameLukasz Sebastian Gottwald
Also known asLuke Gottwald
Born (1973-09-26) September 26, 1973 (age 51)
Westerly, Rhode Island, U.S.
OriginNew York City, New York, U.S.
GenresPop, pop rock, dance-pop, synthpop, pop rap
Occupation(s)Musician, record producer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, drums, bass guitar, vocals,[1] piano, electronic keyboard, DAW, Pro Tools
Years active1997–present

Lukasz Sebastian "Luke" Gottwald (born September 26, 1973),[2] better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and remixer. Dr. Luke's professional music career began in the late night television sketch comedy Saturday Night Live as its house band's lead guitarist in 1997 and producing remixes for artists such as Bon Jovi and Gravediggaz. He came into music prominence in 2004 for producing Kelly Clarkson's single "Since U Been Gone" with Swedish record producer Max Martin.

Dr. Luke continued to co-write and produce commercially successful records such as "Who Knew" (2006) for Pink, "Girlfriend" (2007) for Avril Lavigne, and "I Kissed a Girl" (2008) for Katy Perry, before leaving Saturday Night Live and reuniting with Clarkson for "My Life Would Suck Without You" (2009) and with Perry for "Roar".

While continuing to produce for Perry, Lavigne, and Pink, Dr. Luke has also worked with other artists, including Taio Cruz, B.o.B, Jessie J, Britney Spears, Flo Rida, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Juicy J and Rihanna. Dr. Luke is also noted for signing recording artists such as Kesha and Sabi and playing a vital part in their careers.

Dr. Luke's work has been merited for various music industry awards. Music publication Billboard named him as one of the top performing producers of the 2000s. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers awarded him Producer and Songwriter of the Year honors from 2009 to 2011. At the 53rd Grammy Awards, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, and Perry's Teenage Dream was nominated for Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Early life

Luke Gottwald was born in Westerly, Rhode Island.[3] His mother, Laura, is an interior designer. His father, Janusz Jerzy Gottwald, was an architect who was born in Łask, Poland.[4] Luke Gottwald spent much of his formative years in New York City.[3] He had originally wanted to be a drummer, but his parents refused to allow a drum kit in the house.[2] At 13, he picked up his older sister's guitar and taught himself how to play. As a teenager, Luke would "listen to bad music over and over, if there was a guitar part [he] admired, so [he] could figure out what the guitar player was doing right."[2][5]

Career

1997–2007: Saturday Night Live and career begins

Gottwald auditioned for the Saturday Night Live Band and joined Saturday Night Live as the lead guitarist in 1997.[6] As Dr. Luke, he performed with the band for ten seasons, leaving at the end of the 2006–2007 season. As a guitarist, Dr. Luke performed with Herbie Hancock, Michael Bolton, Phoebe Snow, Jack McDuff and Shabba Ranks, and played with the house band for the TV series Amateur Night at the Apollo.[7]

While working on Saturday Night Live, Dr. Luke performed on a number of jingles and advertisements and became a deejay fixture in New York. He also became heavily active in the underground hip-hop scene, producing tracks and remixes for various artists, including Mos Def, Black Star, KRS-One, and Zack de la Rocha[8] as well as for artists such as Arrested Development and Nappy Roots.[9] He released the 12" single "Wet Lapse", under the name Kasz, for Rawkus Records, and remixed the theme from the film Mortal Kombat.[7] While deejaying at a house party, Dr. Luke met producer Max Martin and subsequently gave Martin a tour of New York clubs when Martin arrived in the city.[2]

2004–present: Mainstream recognition and commercial breakthrough

Dr. Luke owns two publishing companies, Kasz Money Publishing for his own songs and Prescription Songs. Prescription Songs employs a network of 17 songwriters, including Kesha, Katy Perry and Benny Blanco. As of January 2011, he has garnered 21 Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 singles, becoming the producer with the third most such hits since the charts were created.[10] He co-wrote and co-produced the Kelly Clarkson Hot 100 number two song, "Since U Been Gone" with Max Martin[2] and provided the singer another hit in "Behind These Hazel Eyes". Subsequent songs by Pink, "Who Knew" and "U + Ur Hand" reached the Hot 100 top ten. He would go on to co-produce a number one for Avril Lavigne with the song "Girlfriend" as well as seven other songs on the Lavigne album. He also achieved a UK number one with the song "About You Now" for the Sugababes. Dr. Luke contributed two songs to Katy Perry's debut album, Hot 100 number one, "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold", as well as three songs to Britney Spears' 2008 album, Circus, including the title track. He also co-produced the US number one song "Right Round" by Flo Rida. His third co-production for Kelly Clarkson, "My Life Would Suck Without You" reached the top of the Hot 100 as well. In late 2009, his song for Miley Cyrus, "Party in the U.S.A." also written by Jessie J, reached number two on the chart. In December 2009, Billboard named him as one of the top 10 producers of the decade.[11]

On April 21, Dr. Luke was named Songwriter of the Year at the 2010 ASCAP Pop Music Awards and received 10 ASCAP Pop Music Awards for the year as the songwriter and publisher.[9] He had received ten Pop Music Awards from ASCAP between 2006 and 2009. He was also named to Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business, placing at #33.[12] Dr. Luke's co-production for Katy Perry, "California Gurls" debuted at number two on the Hot 100 and later reached number one. Second single, "Teenage Dream" would follow suit. Taio Cruz's "Dynamite", co-produced by Dr. Luke, reached number one in the UK and number two in the US. He would contribute to three more top ten songs, "Magic" for B.o.B, "My First Kiss" for 3OH!3 and "Take It Off" for Kesha, as well as a top five song, "Your Love is My Drug" by the latter on the Hot 100.

On December 1, 2010, Dr. Luke received 2 nominations for the 53rd Grammy Awards in the categories Album Of The Year (Teenage Dream by Katy Perry), and Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.[13] He was also named both the Number One Hot 100 Songwriter of the Year and Number One Producer of the Year by Billboard. At the start of 2011, Advertising Age called Dr. Luke "the year's most successful producer and songwriter in terms of chart longevity."[14] Britney Spears' single, "Hold It Against Me", co-produced by Dr. Luke, became the eighteenth song to debut at the top of the Hot 100 in January. He also produced and co-wrote Jessie J's song, "Price Tag", for which he received credit as "Coconut Man". The song debuted at number one in the UK. He also co-produced "E.T." and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" by Katy Perry, another Billboard number one hit.

On the week ending March 3, 2012, Dr. Luke's co-production for Katy Perry, "Part of Me" became the 20th song to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. He also produced Perry's single "Wide Awake" which peaked at 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, whilst topping the US Pop Songs chart. On November 2, 2012, several songs from boyband One Direction's second album Take Me Home were leaked online, including "Rock Me" produced by Dr. Luke and frequent collaborators Cirkut, Emily Wright and Kool Kojak.[15] He produced Kesha's comeback single "Die Young" which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also executively produced Kesha's sophomore album, Warrior and produced 12 tracks from the album, which was released on December 4, 2012, in the United States.

Dr. Luke also produced the hit UK single, "How To Be A Heartbreaker" performed and written by UK songstress, Marina and the Diamonds. The song has since slowly climbed to 105 on the US iTunes Pop charts and has gained more radio play across American radio and is very likely to gain more popularity once it appears as a cover on the hit American TV show, "Glee". Dr. Luke also helped produce several other tracks off Marina's latest album, "Electra Heart" which debuted at #1 on the UK Album Charts in 2012, including "Lies" and "Primadonna". Gottwald was also named both the Number One Hot 100 Songwriter of the Year and Number One Producer of the Year by Billboard.[16][17] He also co-wrote and produced Britney Spears's song "Brightest Morning Star" from the deluxe version of her eighth studio album Britney Jean.

Controversy

Kesha

Following the poor chartings of Kesha's singles, "C'mon" and "Crazy Kids", which failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 top 20, Dr. Luke received most of the blame. In September 2013, Rebecca Pimmel, a fan of Kesha, set up a petition to "free" Kesha from Dr. Luke's management and accused Luke of "stunting" Kesha's creative growth as an artist.[18] The petition currently has over 5,000 signatures. Suspicion first aroused after the controversy involved with her single, "Die Young", which was axed from several radio stations following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012. Kesha claimed she was "forced" to sing Die Young, presumably by Luke, which hinted to the control of her creativity. It was revealed in her TV series documentary, My Crazy Beautiful Life, in which Luke serves as an executive producer, that she had little creative control of her sophomore album, Warrior. It was also revealed on the show that "Machine Gun Love", a song revealed to be one of Kesha's favourite songs she had ever written, was not included on the album against her wishes. Kesha had written over 70 songs, some with her mother, that were intended for the album but Dr. Luke scrapped many of them. As a result, Kesha and her mother wrote a 'diss track' directed at Dr. Luke, titled "Dancing With The Devil," which leaked onto the internet in April 2013. The song describes Kesha's naivety of signing a record deal with Dr. Luke and how she has no control over her career and there's nothing she can do about it. [19][20] The co-director of My Crazy Beautiful Life, Steven Greenstreet, tweeted a picture in November of front row fans at one of Kesha's concerts carrying banners labelled, "F**k Dr. Luke." Kesha's mother, Pebe, agrees with the movement, and when asked on Twitter who was responsible for Kesha's stunt in creativity, she replied "Dr. Luke." In addition, when asked whether Kesha had been dropped from RCA, she replied "hope so." These tweets were later deleted.[21][22] In 2013, The Flaming Lips announced that they hoped to release a full-length collaborative album with Kesha, called Lipsha.[23] This was cancelled in November 2013 undoubtedly as a result of the controversy. Wayne Coyne spent time re-tweeting disappointed fans including some who accused Dr. Luke of the cancellation. Kesha sent a message to a fan expressing how it was out of her control and that she wanted to release the material, even for free, saying that she didn't care about the money.[24]

Discography

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

ASCAP Pop Music Awards

  • 2010 – Songwriter of the Year (Won)[25]
  • 2011 – Songwriter of the Year (Won)[26]

References

  1. ^ Lukasz Gottwald. Discogs.com. Retrieved on 2012-12-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e Sternbergh, Adam (June 20, 2010). "The Hit Whisperer". New York. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Rosen, Jody (December 16, 2009). "The Music Club" Slate. Retrieved on December 22, 2009.
  4. ^ http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/berkshire/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=145553942
  5. ^ Willman, Chris (September 3, 2010). "Dr. Luke: The Billboard Cover Story". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  6. ^ John Seabrook, "The Doctor Is In," The New Yorker, October 14, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "G-Card Manual". TC Electronic. p. 17. Retrieved on December 26, 2009.[dead link]
  8. ^ "Lukasz Gottwald: Saturday Night Livewire". Yamaha All Access. 2001. Retrieved on December 12, 2009.
  9. ^ a b Fennessey, Sean (May 18, 2010). "Surveying the Dr. Luke Moment: A Critical Look At Lazers, Glitter, and the Un-Sexing of America's Pop Stars" Village Voice.
  10. ^ Concepion, Mariel (January 8, 2011). "Dynamite Doc" Billboard.
  11. ^ Billboard Charts: 2009 Hot 100 Producers
  12. ^ "Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People". Retrieved on May 28, 2010.
  13. ^ "Final Nominations List" (PDF). Grammy Award. National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  14. ^ "Advertising Age". Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  15. ^ One Direction’s “Rock Me” & “They Don’t Know About Us”: Hear The ‘Take Me Home’ Leaks | Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on. Idolator.com (2012-11-02). Retrieved on 2012-12-07.
  16. ^ Billboard Charts: 2010 Hot 100 Songwriters. Billboard.biz. Retrieved on 2012-12-07. [dead link]
  17. ^ Billboard Charts: 2010 Hot 100 Producers. Billboard.biz. Retrieved on 2012-12-07. [dead link]
  18. ^ "Ke$ha's Concerned Fans Have Started A Petition To Free Her From Dr. Luke". September 23, 2013.
  19. ^ "Ke$ha's Unreleased Song "Dancing With the Devil" Sums Up the Music Industry". November 4, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |source= ignored (help)
  20. ^ http://arcadey.net/2013/09/kehas-director-tweets-photo-fans-revolting-dr-luke/
  21. ^ "Ke$ha's Mom Calls Out Dr. Luke On Twitter, Says He's Not Giving Ke$ha Creative Freedom". Popdust.
  22. ^ "Ke$ha's Mom Shades Dr. Luke On Twitter, Demands Creative Freedom For Her Daughter". Idolator.
  23. ^ McGovern, Kyle (April 3, 2013). "Wayne Coyne Confirms New Flaming Lips Album With Ke$ha". SPIN. Buzz Media. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  24. ^ "Ke$ha Talks Vaginal Exorcism and Dr. Luke Controversy". Rolling Stone. October 24, 2013.
  25. ^ "ASCAP Pop Music Awards 2010". Retrieved May 24, 2012.
  26. ^ "ASCAP Pop Music Awards 2011". Retrieved May 24, 2012.

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