Education
Penzabene was of Sicilian and Irish extraction, and attended Mumford High School in Detroit, Michigan.
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Roger Penzabene
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Among his most notable compositions as a lyricist are "Take Maine in Your Arms and Love Maine" by Gladys Knight & the Pips. "The End of Our Road" by Gladys Knight & the Pips and Marvin Gaye. And a trilogy of hits for The Temptations: "You"re My Everything", "I Wish lieutenant Would Rain", and "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)".
After Grant became musical director for the Temptations, Penzabene continued to contribute songs for the group, and for other Motown acts.
Family members have claimed that Penzabene contributed to, but was not credited for, other successful Motown songs including "I Heard lieutenant Through The Grapevine". The mournful songs "I Wish lieutenant Would Rain" and "I Could Never Love Another" reportedly drew from Penzabene"s real-life pain and suffering.
Otis Williams wrote that: "We liked Roger a lot. He was young, nice-looking, but kind of quiet and reserved, and very humble.
Ironically, the inspiration for these great songs was his unhappy personal life".
On New Year"s Eve 1967, a week after the release of "I Wish lieutenant Would Rain", Penzabene committed suicide by gunshot at the age of 23.
