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Dave Tozer
Background information
Genres	Hip hop,R&B,Rock,Pop
Occupation(s)	Record producer,Songwriter,Musician
Instrument(s)	Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Programming, Drum Programming

Dave Tozer is an American record producer and songwriter. He has worked with several R&B, hip-hop, rock and pop artists includingJohn Legend,Kanye West,Jay-Z,Justin Timberlake,Bruno Mars,John Mayer,Snoop Dogg,Rick Ross,Kimbra,Natasha Bedingfield,Needtobreathe,Three 6 Mafia,Musiq Soulchild,Emeli Sande,Craig David,Chrisette Michele,Mayer Hawthorne,James Bay,Estelle,DEV andJazmine Sullivan.

Hailing fromBridgeton, New Jersey, Tozer taught himself guitar, bass and keyboard. After moving toPhiladelphia in the late 1990s, Tozer honed his production skills at various Philadelphia-area studios, such as the legendarySigma Sound Studios and began working as a freelance musician playing everything from Hip-Hop and Rock to R&B and Pop. ThroughMax Blumenthal, a mutual friend, Tozer metUniversity of Pennsylvania student John Stephens^[1] (laterJohn Legend) and began a fruitful, professional relationship. In addition to developing creatively with Legend, Tozer produced his three independently released albums:John Stephens (2000),Live at Jimmy‘s Uptown (2001) andLive at SOB's (2003).

In 2004, Tozer contributed to eight tracks on Legend‘sGrammy Award-winning major label debutGet Lifted, and his writing skills garnered him a publishing deal with Viacom-ownedFamous Music Publishing. 2005 proved to be an important year for Tozer with the success ofGet Lifted, which earned eight Grammy nominations and reached multi-platinum status. Legend won three awards including Best New Artist and Best R&B Album. Tozer was a producer onGet Lifted] and the track "Stay With You," which Tozer co-wrote and produced, was also nominated for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.

In 2005, soon after the success ofGet Lifted, Tozer was crafting songs for artists such asHeather Headley andNatasha Bedingfield. He also contributed toKanye West'sGrammy-winning single "Diamonds From Sierra Leone," and produced another Legend track for theLuther Vandross tribute album,So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross. For Tozer, the year culminated in a deal withSony Music as an in-house producer and a renewal of hisFamous Music Publishing contract.

In 2006, Tozer worked on the track "Do U Wanna Ride" fromJay-Z's comeback albumKingdom Come. Tozer also reunited with his old friend Legend and produced three songs from his acclaimed second albumOnce Again, including the iTunes single "On Top Of The World."

In 2007, Tozer continued to work with several different artists, includingJ Records recording artistJazmine Sullivan andMercury Records recording artistGeorge Stanford. Along with contributing to the development of thePhiladelphia-based artist, Tozer worked to get Stanford signed toEpic Records before he subsequently moved toMercury Records.

In 2008, Tozer reunited with longtime collaborator, John Legend to co-write and produce "This Time" on Legend’s third album,Evolver. In 2009, Tozer worked withAmerican Idol'sElliott Yamin to co-write and produce the record "Someday" on Yamin's second album,Fight for Love.

In 2010, Tozer wrote and produced "Find Me" forMusiq Soulchild andJazmine Sullivan for Soulchild’s upcoming album. He also went on to collaborate withJustin Timberlake, co-writing and producing three songs for Timberlake's signees,Free Sol, released on their debut album,No Rules, on Timberlake’s imprintTennman Records.

In 2011, Tozer and Legend began working together on what would become Legend's fourth studio album,Love in the Future. Tozer co-executive produced the album withKanye West. Recording sessions for the album took place over the next two-and-a-half years. The album was released on September 3, 2013, to widespread critical acclaim, and was Grammy-nominated for R&B album of year in 2014. In addition to being one of the album's two executive producers, Tozer produced fifteen tracks, mixed twelve, and co-wrote ten songs for the album.

In 2012, Tozer teamed up withMichael Bolton to co-write and produce theMotown-inspired track, "Gotta Keep Dreamin," for Bolton's,Ain't No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville. Later that year, Tozer worked withMayer Hawthorne, co-writing and producing "The Valley."

In 2013, Tozer co-wrote and produced "Painted In Tears" for X-factor runner-up andColumbia Records recording artistRebecca Ferguson. In addition, Tozer mixedPixie Lott's "Higher & Higher," as well as two songs for the award-winning soundtrack to12 Years A Slave, "Move" and "Roll, Jordan, Roll." Tozer also collaborated withWarner Bros. Records recording artistKimbra on her album,The Golden Echo, co-producing and co-writing the track "Nobody But You."

On August 12, 2013, Legend's "All of Me," which Tozer produced and mixed, impacted U.S radio as the third single fromLove in the Future. The week ending May 16, 2014, "All of Me" peaked at number one on theBillboard Hot 100, becoming Legend’s first number one single in the United States. "All of Me" went on to reign the Hot 100 for two weeks and become certified eight times platinum status in the United States. The song peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and New Zealand and topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

In 2014, Tozer produced and mixed the track "Home" onElla Eyre'sFeline album.

In 2016, Tozer co-wrote, produced and mixed "Beautiful & Fragile" (feat. Jay Prince) for UK newcomerD/C. Tozer co-wrote two songs, and produced a significant amount ofNeedtobreathe's sixth LPHard Love, which was released on July 15, 2016, and debuted at number 2 on theBillboard 200 chart. Tozer produced and mixed "All We Needed," and "Warm It Up," which he also co-wrote, on theCraig David albumFollowing My Intuition, which was released on September 30, 2016 and debuted at number 1 on theUK Albums Chart.

On March 22, 2017, Legend released "In America." Produced and co-written by Tozer, this song was featured on the season 2 premiere of WGN’s hit show,Underground. A politically charged record that addresses issues of economic hardship and social injustice,Rolling Stone said of "In America," "‘In America’ moves deftly between a thumping verse and a sweeping chorus, building incrementally to a gospel-tinged fever pitch that tapers swiftly into a sparse, chilling end. Legend presides over the track with equal parts anger and hope."

In an interview with David Weiss of SonicScoop, Tozer summed up his approach as a producer, stating, “Magic is what I’m after. Writing a great song, it's like you've tapped into some spirit that’s guiding you. The words flow, the dots connect, and you've created something with a mystical quality. You know that feeling when it comes. When I’m with an artist, I’m on the lookout for voodoo.”^[2]

• 2016:Craig David -Following My Intuition
• 2016:Needtobreathe -Hard Love
• 2016:D/C -Badman
• 2016:Mayer Hawthorne -Man About Town
• 2015:Ella Eyre -Feline
• 2014:Kimbra -The Golden Echo
• 2013:Rebecca Ferguson -Freedom
• 2013:John Legend - "Roll Jordan Roll", "Move" featuring Fink
• 2013:John Legend -Love in the Future
• 2013:Pixie Lott - "Higher & Higher"
• 2013:Michael Bolton -Ain't No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute To Hitsville, USA
• 2010:Emile Sande - "Nothing Left To Lose"
• 2010:Musiq Soulchild - "Find Me" feat. Jazmine Sullivan
• 2010:FreeSol - "The Coolest", "Panic Attack", "Restraining Order"
• 2009:Elliott Yamin -Fight for Love
• 2008:John Legend -Evolver
• 2008:George Stanford -Big Drop
• 2008:Lizz Wright -The Orchard
• 2006:Jay-Z -Kingdom Come
• 2006:John Legend -Once Again
• 2005:Kanye West -Late Registration
• 2005: Various Artists -So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross
• 2004:John Legend -Get Lifted
• 2003:John Legend -Live at SOB's
• 2001:John Legend -Live at Jimmy's Uptown
• 2000:John Legend -John Stephens

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• Producer Dave Tozer Helps John Legend Find Truth in ‘Love’
• Forbes Magazine - Dave Tozer: Making Legend-ary Hits
• Mix Magazine - Producer Dave Tozer: Philly Musical Roots, With New York Production Style
• Dave Tozer on Making Hits for John Legend with UAD-2 & Logic Pro X
• SourceTV Exclusive: Interview with John Legend’s ‘Love In The Future’ Executive Producer Dave Tozer
• VIBE Interview: Producer Dave Tozer Talks Making Of John Legend's 'Love In The Future,' Working With Kanye West
• SonicScoop: Inside John Legend’s “Love in the Future” – Track by Track with Executive Producer Dave Tozer
• John Legend Explores Hope, Strife in Charged New Song 'In America'
• Producer Dave Tozer Talks Co-Writing John Legend’s Politically Charged Single ‘In America’

• Living people
• Record producers from New Jersey
• Songwriters from New Jersey
• Grammy Award winners
• Guitarists from New Jersey
• American male guitarists
• American male songwriters

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