Jackson 5 Songwriter Willie Hutch Passes On!

Motown singer-songwriter Willie Hutch, who helped compose several Jackson 5 songs, died on Monday in Dallas of undisclosed causes at the age of 59.

His association with the label began in 1970 when he was asked to complete "I'll Be There" for the family quintet.

The song became a hit and was followed by the other collaborations, "Got To Be There" and "Never Can Say Goodbye".

Hutch went on to work with other Motown artists, including Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross and the Miracles.

Branching into soundtracks, he wrote the music for the 'Blaxploitation' movies The Mack and Foxy Brown.

He also enjoyed solo success in the 1970s with such albums as Fully Exposed and Concert in Blues.

Born Willie McKinley Hutchinson in Los Angeles in 1946, Hutch was raised in Dallas and began singing as a teenager as a member of an outfit called the Ambassadors.

He released his first solo single," Love Has Put Me Down", in 1964, which led to collaborations with '60s soul band the 5th Dimension.