The beginning's of MOTOWN
Berry Gordy got his start as a songwriter for local Detroit acts such as Jackie Wilson and the Matadors. Wilson's single "Lonely Teardrops", written by Gordy, became a huge success, but Gordy did not feel he made as much money as he deserved from this and other singles he wrote for Wilson. He realized that the more lucrative end of the business was in producing records and owning the publishing.
In a book titled, Motown: Music, Money, Sex, and Power by Gerald Posner, Berry Gordy ran his company like a benevolent tyrant, stuffed his pockets with other people's money, commissioned portraits of himself dressed as Napoleon, and betrayed his hometown of Detroit by moving his record label and recording studio to Los Angeles.
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HITSVILLE U.S.AIn 1959, Berry Gordy found building with a photographer’s studio in a converted garage, and this is where Gordy decided to create the famous record label, Motown. Gordy decided to title the building Hitsville U.S.A., for he believed only hits would be produced by Motown. In June of 1972, Berry Gordy closed down Hitsville and made the move from Detroit to Los Angeles.
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The Supremes’ Mary Wilson suggests in her memoir Supreme Faith that part of the initial impetus for Motown’s big move were the July 1967 riots in Detroit – five years before Hitsville announced it was closing.
The most popular types of artists produced by Motown were group musicians. This included The Supremes, The Temptations, and The Marvelettes (learn more about these groups here.) Their rythmic voices resonated throughout rooms while people played their music on the record players. It wasn't until later on in Motown's history where we saw solo acts of Motown.
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