Dr. Luke

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Dr. Luke is the stage name of Łukasz Gottwald, an American musician, songwriter and producer, born in 1973 in Providence, Rhode Island. He spent much of his youth in New York, wanted to become a drummer and at thirteen began on his sister's guitar. He studied for two years at the Manhattan School of Music and from 1996 to 2007 was lead guitarist in the house band of the television programme Saturday Night Live.

Music and breakthrough

Through a meeting with the Swedish producer Max Martin he found his way into pop production. In 2004 he wrote and produced Since U Been Gone for Kelly Clarkson together with Martin. Who Knew for Pink, Girlfriend for Avril Lavigne and I Kissed a Girl for Katy Perry followed, among others. He worked on Britney Spears's Femme Fatale from 2011 and produced Part of Me and Wide Awake for Perry. He founded the labels Kemosabe Records and later Amigo Records, and in 2022 produced Super Freaky Girl for Nicki Minaj. In 2014 a series of lawsuits with Kesha began, which was settled out of court in 2023.

Influence

His work is built on clear choruses, loud guitars and electronic rhythms. In 2010 Billboard named him producer and songwriter of the year. Dr. Luke represents the glossy, layered pop production of the 2000s and 2010s, in which producers became just as important as the singers.

Listening