Fonce Mizell

Alphonso “Fonce” Mizell (born 1943, Washington, D.C., USA – died July 11, 2011) was an American producer, songwriter, arranger and vocalist, known for his work as one half of the Mizell Brothers production team with [a=Larry Mizell].

He began his career as part of [l=Motown]’s songwriting and production network, contributing to recordings by [a=The Jackson 5] and other artists connected to the label. His work during this period included involvement in vocal arrangement, songwriting and studio production.

Following their departure from Motown, [a=Larry Mizell & Fonce Mizell] established [=lSky High Productions], where they developed a consistent production approach combining jazz instrumentation with funk rhythms, soul arrangements and structured song formats. Their collaboration with [a=Donald Byrd] for [a=Blue Note] Records produced albums including Black Byrd (1973), Street Lady (1973), Stepping Into Tomorrow (1974) and Places And Spaces (1975).

Fonce Mizell also contributed to productions for [a=The Blackbyrds], [a=Bobby Humphrey], [a=Gary Bartz], [a=Johnny Hammond], [a=L.T.D.] and [a=A Taste Of Honey]. His work often focused on vocal arrangement, rhythmic development and overall song structure.

Recordings produced by the Mizell Brothers have been reused and sampled in multiple later music genres, including hip-hop, dance music and modern soul.