BERRY GORDY
AND
MOTOWN RECORDS

EARLY LIFE
-born 1929 (Detroit, Michigan)
-7 th of 8 children
-dropped out of high school
-became a boxer
-drafted into the Army
(Korean war)
-married Thelma Coleman (1953)

Career:
-began writing songs
-opened a record store
(3-D RECORD MART)
-wrote a song that was recorded by Jackie Wilson

PRODUCING:
-discovered Smokey Robinson and the Miracles in 1957
-he began building his group of artists
SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES

TAMLA RECORDS:
-founded in 1959
-R&B record label
-Motown label created in December
1959
-named after Detroit
“Motor City”
-also called Hitsville
USA

ARTISTS:
-Gordy promoted primarily
African-American artists.
-He controlled their image, dress, dance, and manners.
-This control over public image made Motown a national success.

ARTISTS OF THE 1960s:
Mary Wells
The Supremes led by Diana Ross
Marvin Gaye
The Temptations
The Four Tops
Gladys Knight and The Pips
The Commodores
The Velvelettes
The Marvelettes
Martha & the Vandellas
Stevie Wonder
Jackson Five

Mary Wells

Four Tops

The Supremes

The Commodores

Stevie Wonder

MOVING TO LOS ANGELES:
-Berry Gordy moved Motown
Records to Los Angeles in 1968 after riots in Detroit.
- Motown added movies, television and publishing to its record business.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$:
Motown Records was sold to
MCA and BOSTON VENTURES in 1988 for...

Berry Gordy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in
1990.

http://www.netglimse.com
http://classic.motown.com