Berry Gordy

Berry Gordy Jr (born the November 28th 1929 with Detroit) is a producer Afro-Américain which founded the label Motown and his multiple subsidiary companies.

Gordy is the seventh of a family of eight children. His/her parents, Berry Cordy Sr and Bertha Gordy, moved Milledgeville with Detroit in 1922. Gordy gives up the college on the level of the equivalent of the first in France to become Boxe ur professional. It continues this career until in 1950, date on which it leaves to be useful in the US Army for the Guerre Korea.

On its return of Korea in 1953, it marries Thelma Coleman. It develops its taste for the music by writing songs and by opening the 3D Record Chechmate, a store of discs dedicated to the Jazz. In front of the little of success of its store, he seeks work with the factory Lincoln-Mercury, but its knowledge puts it in relation to Al Green, owner of the Flame Show Bar, where he meets Jackie Wilson. In 1957, Wilson records Reet Petite , a song that Gordy Co-wrote with his/her sister Gwen and Billy Davis, which meets a certain success. Wilson records four other songs Co-written by Gordy the two following years.

Gordy reinvests the money of these successes in the production of artists. In 1957, he discovers Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and builds an address book of artists with success. In January 1959, Gordy creates a new label R&B called Tamla Records, which produces the first tube of Marv Johnson, Like to me . The December 14th 1959, encouraged by Somkey Robinson, it creates the Compagnie of music Motown. Money (That' S want What I) , of Barett Strong, in addition to appearing at Tamla, is referred under the Anna label, is created by Gordy, as from February 1960. The tube Shop around of the Miracles establishes Motown like recognized independent label, while becoming first of the hit-parades R&B at the end of 1960 then second of the hit-parades pop at the beginning of 1961.

Contrary to the majority of the producers of its time, Gordy produces only few white artists, although at some beginning signed with him, such as Nick and the Jaguars, The Valadiers, Debbie Dean, and Connie Vandyke. It however had several white employees with Hitsville. He more encouraged the artists Afro-Américains; the attentive management of the brand image of its artists made of Motown a national success. During the ten following years, it signs with Mary Wells, The Supremes carried out by Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Signals, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Commodores, The Velvelettes, The Marvelettes, Martha & the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, and The Jackson Five.

In 1968, Gordy moves with Los Angeles (California) and develops the offices of Motown to with it, following the riots of Strait. In June 1972, it moves the whole of Motown Records in Los Angeles; the following year, it restructures the company in Motown Industries, conglomerate of the industry of the entertainment including of divisions disc, Film, Télévision and edition.

Gordy sold its interests in Motown Records with MCA and Boston Ventures in June 1988 for 61 million dollars. It entered to the Rock-and-roll Hall off Famed in 1990 and published an autobiography, To Be Loved , in 1994.

Gordy had two children: Rhonda Ross Kendrick, with the singer Diana Ross, and Kennedy Gordy, more known like the musician Motown Rockwell.

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