Dave Tozer | Press Kit
Tozertunes Publishing | [email protected] Biography
Dave Tozer is a producer, songwriter and musician. He has worked “Dave Tozer is a with several R&B, Hip-Hop, Rock and Pop artists including John talented, tasteful writer Legend, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, and producer with a Natasha Bedingfield, Musiq Soulchild, Estelle, Jazmine musical sensibility that Sullivan and Elliott Yamin. is both distinct and classic. Some of my Hailing from Bridgeton, New Jersey, Tozer taught himself guitar, bass best work has been in and keyboard. After moving to Philadelphia in the late 1990s, Tozer collaboration with Dave, honed his production skills at various Philadelphia-area studios and and I hope to work with began working as a freelance musician playing everything from Hip- him for many years in Hop and Rock to R&B and Pop. Through Max Blumenthal, a mutual the future.” friend, Tozer met University of Pennsylvania student John Stephens John Legend (later Grammy award-winning R&B star John Legend) and began a Recording Artist 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) and Live at SOB’s (2003).
In 2004, Tozer contributed to eight tracks on Legend‘s Grammy Award-winning major label debut Get Lifted and his writing skills garnered him a publishing deal with Viacom-owned Famous Music Publishing. 2005 proved to be an important year for Tozer with the massive success of Get 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 on Get 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 of Get Lifted, Tozer was crafting songs for artists such as Heather Headley and Natasha Bedingfield. He has also lent his instrumental abilities to Kanye West‘s Grammy-
Tozertunes Publishing | [email protected] winning single “Diamonds From Sierra Leone,” and produced “He is a very talented, another Legend track for the Luther Vandross tribute album So multi-faceted and prolific creator whose Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross. For Tozer, the year culminated in a deal with Sony Music as an in-house producer gifts span all major and a renewal of his Famous Music Publishing contract. genres from urban to pop to rock.“
In 2006, Tozer worked on the track “Do U Wanna Ride” from Jay- Ira Jaffe Z's comeback album “Kingdom Come.” Tozer also reunited with his President & COO old friend Legend and produced three songs from his acclaimed Famous Music second album “Once Again,” including the iTunes single “On Top Of Publishing The World.”
In 2007, Tozer continued to work with several different artists, including Mercury Records recording artist George Stanford. Along with contributing to the development of the Philadelphia-based artist, Tozer worked to get Stanford signed to Epic Records before he subsequently moved to Mercury Records. In addition to this, Tozer has also worked with Jazmine Sullivan (J Records), Free Sol (upcoming artist on Justin Timberlake's label Tennman Records) as well as Ashley Hartman from the hit television show The O.C.
In 2008, Tozer reunited with long time collaborator, John Legend to co-write and produce “This Time” on John Legend’s third album, Evolver. In 2009, Tozer worked with American Idol's Elliott 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” with Musiq Soulchild and Jazmine Sullivan for Musiq’s upcoming album. He also went on to co-write and produce three songs from Free Sol’s forthcoming debut album to be released by Justin Timberlake’s imprint Tennman Records & Interscope Records.
Tozertunes Publishing | [email protected] Selected Credits
Year Artist Song Title Album Contribution
2010 Musiq Find Me ft. Jazmine TBD Producer, Songwriter, Soulchild Sullivan Musician
2010 Free Sol Panic Attack TBD Producer, Songwriter, Musician
2010 Free Sol The Coolest TBD Producer, Songwriter, Musician
2010 Free Sol Restraining Order TBD Producer, Songwriter, Musician
2009 Elliott Yamin Someday Fight For Love Producer, Songwriter, Musician
2008 John Legend This Time Evolver Producer, Songwriter, Musician
2008 George Heartbeat Big Drop Producer, Songwriter, Stanford Mixer
2008 Lizz Wright Speak Your Heart The Orchard Songwriter
2006 Jay-Z Do U Wanna Ride Kingdom Come Instrumentalist
Tozertunes Publishing | [email protected] Year Artist Song Title Album Contribution
2006 John Legend Maxine’s Interlude Once Again Producer, Songwriter, Musician
2006 John Legend On Top of The World Once Again Producer, Songwriter, (iTunes Single) Musician
2006 John Legend Closer To You Once Again Producer, Songwriter, (Bonus Track) Musician
2005 Kanye West Diamonds from Late Registration Instrumentalist Sierra Leone
2005 John Legend Love Won’t Let Me So Amazing: An Producer, Musician, Mixer Wait All Star Tribute to Luther Vandross
2004 John Legend Stay With You Get Lifted Producer, Songwriter
2004 John Legend I Can Change ft. Get Lifted Producer, Songwriter Snoop Dogg
2004 John Legend Let’s Get Lifted Again Get Lifted Producer, Songwriter, Musician, Mixer
2004 John Legend It Don’t Have To Get Lifted Songwriter Change ft. The Stephens Family
Tozertunes Publishing | [email protected] Year Artist Song Title Album Contribution
2004 John Legend Let’s Get Lifted Get Lifted Instrumentalist
2004 John Legend Live It Up Get Lifted Instrumentalist
2004 John Legend So High Get Lifted Instrumentalist
2004 John Legend Refuge (When It’s Get Lifted Instrumentalist Cold Outside)
2004 John Legend Johnny’s Gotta Go Get Lifted Producer, Songwriter, (International Musician, Mixer Release)
2004 John Legend Money Blown Get Lifted Producer, Songwriter (International Release)
2003 John Legend Full Album Live at SOB’s Producer, Songwriter, Musician, Mixer
2001 John Legend Full Album Live at Jimmy’s Producer, Songwriter, Uptown Musician, Mixer
2000 John Legend Full Album John Stephens Producer, Songwriter, Musician, Mixer
Tozertunes Publishing | [email protected] Press & Praise
Billboard Magazine March 2005
“It has been a pleasure to work with Dave over the past two years. He is an exceptional musician and songwriter that has broken through with new and fresh music in a tough environment. I look forward to making many more hits and breaking new artists with him in the future.” Lisa Ellis Former Executive Vice President Sony Music Label Group
Tozertunes Publishing | [email protected] Billboard Magazine February 2006
“Get Lifted doesn’t only introduce a gripping new voice to the R&B firmament, it brings the genre something it often sadly lacks: songs so strong that others would clamor to cover them. The tunes he penned with his co-writers regularly upstage the beats, and rarely do they rely on production-generated atmosphere for camouflage. Legend had help on the compositions, most often from producer Dave Tozer. Legend‘s vocal conviction is supported by his taste and skill at penning or collaborating on compositions. As debuts go, Get Lifted couldn’t be more promising.” Jim Farber Music Critic New York Daily News
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