November 28
BERRY GORDY DAY
His family had been prominent Georgia farmers transplanted to Detroit. He was a boxer and won nine out of 15 fights. After a stint in the U.S. Army, he worked for his father during the day and prowled jazz clubs by night. Other career attempts included a jazz record shop from 1953-55, and a job at a Ford factory. Finally, Berry Gordy III, born on this day in 1929, found his forte. He began writing songs.
For three years he wrote for the Golden Gloves champion he had once worked out with, Jackie Wilson. The songs he wrote for Wilson became hits and included Reet Petite, That is Why (I Love You So), I’ll Be Satisfied and Lonely Teardrops.
In 1956, Berry with his second wife, Raynoma, formed a production company. They recorded and released hits by Marv Johnson, changed Smokey Robinson and the Matadors to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and leased their records. Gordy owned a record label (with sisters Anna and Gwen). Anna wrote its first hit, Money (That’s What I Want). Then Berry started Jobete Music Publishing, Hitsville U.S.A., International Talent Management and Motown Record Corporation. The corporation’s first release was The Miracles’ Way Over There. By 1961, their Shop Around was #1 on the R&B charts and also, a #2 pop hit. Gordy had moved out of the local scene. He tightly controlled Motown, and the family operation soon dominated black pop music of the 1960s.
Mary Wells, the Supremes, The Jackson 5, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Gladys Knight and The Pips, The Temptations, The Marvelettes, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder and many more recording stars were developed and promoted under strict Motown rules.
Some of the artists eventually rebelled against the Berry Gordy style; but the proof of his style being genius was in the success of the song: over 100 Motown singles made it into Billboard magazine’s top ten from 1961 to 1971.
Berry Gordy easily left his mark on the history of rock ’n’ roll.
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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