Name: Berry Gordy
Born:28/11/1929, Detroit, Michigan.
Berry Gordy’s Motown record label is perhaps the most famous and popular soul label of all time. During the 1960s the label scored a massive run of hits and helped create a multitude of black super stars, formerly in the shadow of their white counterparts.
Born into a large family during the depression of the 1920s, Gordy dropped out of school at an early age and became an amateur boxer. Discovering this career path was rather dangerous, the teenager chose to follow his other passion: music. Gordy opened a record shop with limited success and soon found himself working in the car factories of Detroit, writing songs in his spare time. Eventually Gordy got his break when he met the manager of Jackie Wilson and provided the star with a hit with the now classic “Reet Petite.” Following this breakthrough, Gordy provided more hits for Wilson: “Lonely Teardrops,” “To Be Loved,” and “I’ll Be Satisfied.” Sadly, a disagreement regarding royalties stopped Gordy writing for Wilson and the budding songwriter was back at square one.
Gordy did not give up his dream and soon became friends with local singer William “Smokey” Robinson. He became the manager of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and co-wrote a number of hits with the singer. In 1959, with his confidence restored, Gordy obtained a loan from family and friends and started his own Tamla label. Based at a small Detroit house (boldly named “Hitsville USA”), the label attracted a great deal of local interest. The label’s first hit was Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” again written by the label’s founder, and more hits for the Miracles followed. As talk of the label spread, more and more artists and writers offered their services and by the early 1960s Gordy had created a phenomenal production line comparable to the motor factories in which he had once worked.
The label’s success was due, in part, to the competitive edge Gordy encouraged between his artists. Despite this fierce desire to outdo previous achievements, the business-savvy Gordy also created a family atmosphere within the label. To nurture rising stars such as Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder, Gordy hired staff to concentrate not only on the music, but the appearance and actions of the artists.
As writers such as Holland-Dozier-Holland, Norman Whitfield and Ashford & Simpson made their mark at the company, Motown broke into the national and international charts, establishing a new kind of soul music, as popular with white music lovers as black.
As success became second nature, the family atmosphere wavered. Favouritism for certain stars was rumoured, in particularly Diana Ross who had a brief romance with the label owner. Gordy changed The Supremes into Diana Ross and the Supremes and before long the singer had left for a solo career. With the Holland-Dozier-Holland departing and the lights of Hollywood in his lights, Gordy relocated the Motown headquarters to Los Angeles, perhaps losing the local magic that had originally brought the talent to the label. Lady Sings The Blues was the first Motown film, with Diana Ross in the lead role as Billie Holliday and Gordy installed as producer.
Although The Jackson 5’s record-breaking introduction to the US charts continued earlier success, the Motown sparkle dwindled. The Commodores became the label’s most lucrative act but as the 1980s approached the label began to lose money. A Motown 25 celebration, famous for Michael Jackson’s astounding Billie Jean performance, marked the end of an era and in 1988 Gordy reluctantly sold Motown to MCA.
Soul Albums 