Motown History: Berry Gordy

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Origins: Berry Gordy Jr.
 

  Berry Gordy Jr. was born in Detroit in 1929. Years later, he dropped out of school and first pursued a career as a boxer. He turned pro and it was at this time that he met fighter Jackie Wilson. After a stint in the US army, he worked for his father before opening up a record store. His Record Mart sold jazz discs and this venture failed. Gordy, now bankrupt, found work at Ford.

Around this time, he offered the song "Reet Petite", a song he co-wrote with Billy Davis (who used the pseudonym 'Tyran Carlo'), for his old acquaintance Wilson.  The song became the first of many chart hits Gordy helped pen for the singer.

With sisters Anna & Gwen Gordy, Berry set up a record company. He recruited some budding talent that included Lamont Dozier, Marvin Gaye and David Ruffin. As the label was distributed by Chess, royalties trickled in slowly. Another songwriter, Smokey Robinson, urged him to set up his own record company. Gordy did so, founding a label and a publishing company. 

Tamla was the first Motown label. Marv Johnson's "Come To Me" became its first release in early 1959. The early discs were issued to other companies, but distributed nationally by Motown by 1960 with a single by Robinson & his group (managed by Gordy) The Miracles.

Motown scored its first big single with "Shop Around" by the group that same year. The record label was on its way, attracting an unprecedented roster of artists, songwriters and musicians to the Hitsville office at 2648 West Grand Boulevard. The house was also a recording studio.

Berry's sister Anna married Marvin Gaye in 1963, but their relationship ended in 1977. She contributed songs to her then husband's landmark album 'What's Going On'. Anna died in 2014 aged 92.

 Sister Gwen had co-written hits for Wilson with her brother and friend Davis. In 1961 she married singer/ songwriter Harvey Fuqua (who had been in The Moonglows with Gaye). She co-wrote for Gaye and had a key role in Motown's evolution, particularly through the groups The Spinners and High Inergy. Gwen passed away in 1999, aged 72.

Berry was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1988. He wrote the book for the outstanding stage show "Motown - The Musical" which opened on Broadway in 2013 and enjoyed a 2-year run before touring the U.S. International versions followed with a West End premiere in 2016.
 

Have a listen to the Introduction To Motown playlist on spotify. It includes many of the greats from the legendary record label, including: Diana Ross, The Jackson 5, The Marvelettes, The Four Tops, Lionel Richie, Martha & The Vandellas, Mary Wells and The Miracles.

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