Luther Melbourne Laing Jr.

Luther (Lew) Laing was born on February 8th, 1960 in Salinas, CA to Luther M. Laing Sr. and Louise King, both of Portland, Jamaica. He was the youngest of seven children and was raised in scenic Seaside, CA on the Monterey Peninsula. 

Lew accepted Christ as his Lord and savior at an early age at Greater Victory Temple Church of God in Christ, and participated in many church activities including Young People Willing Workers (YPWW). Lew attended Del Rey Woods Elementary and Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School where he excelled in his classes, receiving many academic acknowledgments, and participated in many school extra curricular activities. He graduated from York School of Monterey, a private college preparatory school, which helped prepare him for his time at San Francisco State University. 

Lew's outgoing personality drew many friends. One of his lifelong group of friends formed a group called Zilla, to challenge themselves to excel in sports, academics, and intellectual and social pursuits. He was affectionately called "Zilla Clout," because of the protection he received from his older brother, Malcus, and because of the many friends he had, and the favor he enjoyed both in school and around the neighborhood. Zilla helped them develop a certain style and character that would serve them well beyond their high school and college years. As a child, Lew loved all sports including the tennis matches he would watch with his father. Lew could also run fast and really loved playing football. He thought he had a good chance to pursue it as a career until he broke his ankle during a friendly game. 

Lew's love of music began in early childhood. Though his first musical instrument was the accordion, he was always more interested in the piano and the organ that he heard at church. But when his older sister, Claudia, bought him his first stereo system, it opened up a whole new world of music. He often told stories of not being able to wait 'til Saturday so he could take the bus to the record store and spend hours there, listening to new and old music. As a teenager, this love of music led him to deejaying at parties and other events. 

At the age of 19, Lew moved to Southern California with his older brother, Trevor, who he admired and respected. Being there he was exposed to many new music opportunities. He would often tell the story of sitting in on Earth Wind and Fire's band rehearsal and the time he met and received a new keyboard from Stevie Wonder while shopping at Guitar Center. After several odd jobs, he started a career at Sea-Land, a major container shipping company at the port of Long Beach. After a couple years, he decided that this wasn't for him, and choosing to step out on faith, sold his car for a piece of studio equipment, and the rest is history. 

As a Producer/Engineer, Keyboardist, Songwriter, and Elament Music Group Bandleader, Lew has proven to be a viable force within the music industry. His discography includes being a staff producer at MCA Records under Randy Jackson, collaborating with Super Producer, Teddy Riley, and many others in the Gospel, R&B, Jazz and Pop genres. From placing songs, engineering and mixing records from scratch to finish, and starting his own production company, The Elament Music Group, Lew was in constant demand for his production, keyboard playing and arranging genius, and for his Pro Tools engineering expertise. His production skills have taken him to many places including Europe and South Africa. Lew Laing has written, produced, and/or mixed for Grammy winning Artists. His music has been awarded #1 records in multiple genres on Billboard and other charts. His music is regularly heard around the world on many platforms! He has both scored a film and has music included in films, TV shows, and commercial queues such as The Movie Channel, Showtime, ESPN, the Real OC, Extra the Entertainment Magazine, and many others. His band, Elament Music Group, which included his wife and daughter Brit, was one of the most respected and sought-after ensembles in the Southern California music scene, known not only for their unmatched groove but for the mentorship and generosity that defined Lew's leadership. 

Lew was most recently working on his own project, "Lew Laing & Friends Over Time" to be released early next year. 

Later in life, Lew met and married one of his best friends, Dee Cole. This friendship was sparked by their passionate debates over their love of sports and their dedication to their teams, and their connection to their love of music. Lew and Dee, "Lewdee" was what they sometimes affectionately called themselves, both for fun and on some production projects. They raised their children Brian, Dominique, Malik, Brittani, and Niyah with God being the center of their home. Lew loved all of his family and told them often. His sons were his pride and joy and he loved the fact that he and Dominique shared the same birthday. Lew had many special relationships with many family members including his twin sisters Claudette and Claudia who referred to him as their baby and his niece Rochelle with whom he was close in age and shared childhood experiences and memories. 

Lew passed away unexpectedly on Monday, October 20th. Lew's father, Luther M. Laing, Sr., his mother, Louise Laing, and his brother, Trevor Laing preceded him in death. He leaves to cherish his memory and to celebrate his life: his devoted and loving wife Dorthea (Dee); his sons Brian (Latief "Maya"); Dominique (Candace); Malik (Tiffany); his daughters Brittani (Andre) Frappier, and Niyah; his brothers Keith Laing (Joan) of California; Malcus Laing (Sharon) of Jamaica; Carl Laing (Iris) of California; his sisters Claudette Lockhart (Joseph) of California; Claudia Laing of California; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends who loved him.