LET’S SEE WHERE $800 CAN GET YOU… THAT’S ALL IT TOOK BERRY GORDY
How Motown Became Motown
Berry Gordy - The Man Behind Motown
January 12, 1959 in Detroit, Michigan a young African American songwriter had a vision of owning a record company. Berry Gordy founded Motown looking for voices that were soulful and could captivate a room. Motown became the place all minorities aimed to be. Gordy opened a studio in Detroit where there was 24-hour artist recording and artist development factory. Berry Gordy took same concept he learned while working on Ford-Lincoln's assembly line to place Motown on top.
Motown's Assembly Line Approach
Artist Training (Maxine Powell had a finishing school that taught the artists how to walk, talk, behave, etc.)
Quality Control (Producers produced the records and bands played the record)
Motown's Roster
Songwriters
- Smokey Robinson
- Holland, Dozier, Holland
- Marvin Gaye
- Stevie Wonder
- Berry Gordy
Studio Musicians: The Funk Brothers
Artists
- Supremes
- Temptations
- Jackson 5
- Marvin Gaye
- Stevie Wonder
- Gladys Knight and the Pips
- Four Tops
- Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
- Marvelettes
- Martha and the Vandellas
Motown Museum
Located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. Today, you can visit the original place that housed all of our music greats and classics! Before Hollywood, every Black artist came to Detroit to make greatness and here you can soak up the energy of that time. Imagine being in the same space that Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, etc. once walked through.
Feeling Jazzy?
What is Jazz? Jazz is a unique music style that originated in the African American communities of New Orleans. Jazz is a blend of blues,
The Love of Blues
The Making of Blues Blues is a musical genre created by African American people for African American people meant to express a wide range of
Dive into Ragtime
Brief History of Ragtime Ragtime was around but the name came along much later. The name was given to the style of music towards the
Mary J. Blige: Queen of Hip-Hop R&B
Bibliography Macpherson, Alex. “Mary J Blige on Drugs, Abusive Relationships and Self-Hatred.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 1 Feb. 2008, www.theguardian.com/music/2008/feb/01/urban. “Mary J. Blige.”