David Ritz

“Happy Song: Soul Music in the Ghetto,” Ritz’s first critical essay, was published in Salmagundi (1970). Dozens of other articles have followed, including “History of the Jews of Dallas,” D Magazine (1974); “Kids’ Stuff: Jackson Pollock, Jimmie Vaughan and the Architecture of Las Vegas,” Art Connoisseur (1998); “Show and Tell,” introduction to Rolling Stone’s Tattoo Nation (2002); the forward to Lady Sings the Blues, the 50th-anniversary edition of the autobiography of Billie Holiday (2006); and “The Last Days of Brother Ray,” included in Da Capo's Best Music Writing of 2005.[2]

Ritz’s first collaboration was Brother Ray (1978), the autobiography of Ray Charles. Ritz has said that his initial intention was to write a biography until becoming intrigued by the idea of rendering the book entirely in Charles' voice. "That's when I discovered I had a gift for channeling voice", Ritz told the L.A. Times' Patrick Goldstein in 2012. "That discovery changed the course of my literary life."[3]

Other autobiographies co-written by Ritz include:

• Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye began when Ritz met Gaye in the late seventies and was published in 1985, a year after the singer’s death.[4]
• Rhythm And The Blues: A Life in American Music (1993) with Jerry Wexler
• Rage To Survive: The Etta James Story (1995) with Etta James
• Blues All Around Me: The Autobiography of B. B. King (1996) with B.B. King
• The Brothers Neville (2000) with the Neville Brothers
• True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself (2011) with Janet Jackson
• When I Left Home: My Story (2012) with Buddy Guy
• On Time: A Princely Life in Funk (2019) with Morris Day

Ritz has also written an inspirational book. Messengers, a portrait of African-American gospel singers and ministers, was published in 2006.

Ritz’s fiction ranges from sports fantasies--The Man Who Brought the Dodgers Back To Brooklyn (1981)-- to jazz fantasies--Blue Notes Under a Green Felt Hat (1989) and Barbells and Saxophones (1989).

Ritz collaborated with Mable John on three Christian novels: Sanctified (2006), Stay Out of the Kitchen (2007) and Love Tornado (2008). He has also collaborated with rapper T.I. on two novels— Power and Beauty (2011) and Trouble and Triumph (2012).[5]

The platinum-selling song "Sexual Healing" was written in Ostend, Belgium in April 1982 and is credited as a collaboration between Marvin Gaye, Odell Brown, and Ritz.[6] Ritz was not originally credited as songwriter, and his contribution to the song has been debated, with many sources claiming that he contributed only the title.[7] Ritz sued Marvin Gaye for songwriting credit; Ritz received credit only after settling with Marvin Gaye's estate after the singer's death.[8] Ritz claims that the lawsuit was settled because he had interview tapes with Marvin Gaye in which Gaye says, "These are great lyrics you wrote."[9]

David Ritz also co-wrote three songs including the title track from Guy King's 2016 album "Truth".[10]