West Grand Blvd. in New Center is where
you’ll find the Motown Museum, home to the
legendary record label that put Detroit on
the map as a hub of musical talent. The label pumped out hit after hit for years during
the height of its success from the late 50s to
the 70s. Many of these songs are still around
today and just as popular as ever. Motown
founder Berry Gordy Jr. had a musical talent of his own and he would write songs after
work on the Ford automobile assembly line.
Gordy submitted his songs to magazines,
contests and singers. One of his songs, “Reet
Petite” was recorded by Jackie Wilson 1957;
Gordy’s first modest success as a songwriter. The song earned him $1,000, but that
wasn’t enough and he decided that producing records and owning rights to publishing
would be more profitable. It was during his
early recording years that he discovered a
band called The Matadors in Detroit. William
“Smokey” Robinson was the lead singer of
the band. Gordy renamed the band to The
Miracles when he signed them in 1958.
Having achieved minor success, Gordy
dove in all the way and with an $800 loan
from his family he founded Tamla Records in
1959 housed at 1719 Gladstone Street (since
razed). That same year, he moved his recording studio to 2648 W. Grand Blvd., the site
of the current Motown Museum. Marv Johnson’s “You Got What it Takes” was his first
production to break into the pop Top 10 while
Barrett Strong’s song “Money (That’s What I
Want) made it to number 2 on the Billboard
R&B charts. By the time of the Miracles’ third
release, Gordy formed a second label called
Motown that issued the band’s song “Bad
Girl”. He continued to release more songs
on either label eventually absorbing the label
Anna Records owned by his sisters Anna and
Gwen Gordy and Billy Davis that allowed Barrett Strong to join Motown as staff songwriter.
Strong would stay with Motown until 1973.
fame on their own – The Funk Brothers.
A significant purchase in 1967 was the
home in Los Angeles, California that opened
as a second recording studio. Over the years,
Gordy became increasing interested in filming movies and TV shows and so the Los Angeles branch office expanded. In June 1972
a company newsletter stated that Motown
Records would be moving its headquarters to
Los Angeles thus closing the Detroit operations. Many Motown fans were devastated believing the company lost its heart and soul in
He began producing more and more the move. The 13 years from 1959 to 1972
acts from Mary Wells to Marvin Gaye. He were surely some of the most memorable.
discovered a group called the Distants,
who changed their name to the TemptaIn 1973 Gordy resigned as Motown Retions and the Primettes who came to him cords president to become Chairman of the
before they graduated high school. Gordy Board of Motown Industries that included
told them to graduate and come back; then the record label, motion pictures, television
changed their name to the Supremes when and publishing divisions. Motown Records
he signed the young soon-to-be stars. continued to produce Top 10 hits by Stevie
Wonder, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and the
For roughly the next decade, Motown’s Commodores. In 1988 Gordy sold Motown
studios would produce 110 Top 10 hits, Records to a partnership between MCA and
more than any other label at the time. Boston Ventures after having made $367
Gordy’s resume included Michael Jackson, million in 16 years and making Motown
The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the largest black-owned business in United
Diana Ross and The Supremes, The Tempta- States history. It was absorbed by Univertions, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, sal Records to create Universal Motown
Gladys Knight and The Pips, The Four Tops, Records and has since been re-launched as
The Isley Brothers, Martha Reeves and The the original Motown brand under The IsVandellas, and the famous backing band land Def Jam Music Group where contemfor many musicians who achieved some porary R&B artists are recorded to this day.