Edith Wayne

"Edith Wayne" was a songwriting pseudonym used by [a476910] because of legal battles with their former [l1723] boss, [a229467].

Despite the fact that the [a476910] name had become nearly synonymous with that of [l1723], the trio sued label founder [a229467] in 1967 for withholding royalties and profits. HDH left the Motown stable shortly afterward, but it wouldn’t be until 1969 that their own labels would be up and running: [l34533] (distributed by major label Capitol Records) and [l69230] (distributed by prominent indie Buddah Records). A third, the short-lived, independently-distributed [l72529], would be created in 1972.

Due to the ongoing litigation between HDH and Motown, the trio was contractually forbidden to use their own names on their early releases. Production was often credited to “[l621298]” or “[a2081982],” while “[a719651]” was HDH’s collective songwriting pseudonym (usually credited alongside [a76877], a fellow writer/producer).