His life and career in links.
Rock Hall Bio:
http://rockhall.com/inductees/berry_gordy_jr/bio/
Motown site:
http://www.motown.com/
Berry dropped out of school to be a boxer and got drafted to fight in Korea. He worked as a janitor before Jackie Wilson recorded his “Reet Petite.”
Reet Petite by Jackie Wilson (1957):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ3-NnNx6Zs
Gordy also co-wrote “Lonely Teardrops” for Wilson and “All I Could Do Was Cry” for Etta James. He took the money from songwriting and reinvested it eventually creating Motown Records.
The First Motown Release: Bad Girl by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1959):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca9pyyu7dpM
Shop Around by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1960): helped put Motown on the map
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQGXa3FiXKM
Please Mr. Postman by the Marvelettes (1961): Motown’s first #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dVt11UZ0uA
My Guy by Mary Wells (1964):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgwpHYzcwUA
Dancing in the Street by Martha and the Vandellas (1964):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdvITn5cAVc
My Girl by the Temptations (1965):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltRwmgYEUr8
You Can’t Hurry Love by The Supremes (1966):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyxVYl8DrKI
Uptight by Stevie Wonder (1966):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDbyOLzEyfk
Reach Out I’ll Be There (1966): Notice the change in tone from earlier Motown hitshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvoPOrBm-4w
I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye (1968):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hajBdDM2qdg
ABC by the Jackson 5 (1970):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOXG8wtxx_w
The Tears of a Clown (1970):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2kxlZDOHeQ
What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye (1971):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-5c5o85SGo
In 1972, Gordy relocated Motown Records to Los Angeles.
Lady Sings the Blues:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z39AXp-uWzQ
The company continued into the eighties, but never achieved its previous success. Gordy sold the company in 1988.
In 2006, Dream Girls based its character Curtis Taylor Jr. on Gordy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owpvh1821tU
Rock Hall Bio:
http://rockhall.com/inductees/berry_gordy_jr/bio/
Motown site:
http://www.motown.com/
Berry dropped out of school to be a boxer and got drafted to fight in Korea. He worked as a janitor before Jackie Wilson recorded his “Reet Petite.”
Reet Petite by Jackie Wilson (1957):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ3-NnNx6Zs
Gordy also co-wrote “Lonely Teardrops” for Wilson and “All I Could Do Was Cry” for Etta James. He took the money from songwriting and reinvested it eventually creating Motown Records.
The First Motown Release: Bad Girl by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1959):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca9pyyu7dpM
Shop Around by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1960): helped put Motown on the map
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQGXa3FiXKM
Please Mr. Postman by the Marvelettes (1961): Motown’s first #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dVt11UZ0uA
My Guy by Mary Wells (1964):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgwpHYzcwUA
Dancing in the Street by Martha and the Vandellas (1964):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdvITn5cAVc
My Girl by the Temptations (1965):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltRwmgYEUr8
You Can’t Hurry Love by The Supremes (1966):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyxVYl8DrKI
Uptight by Stevie Wonder (1966):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDbyOLzEyfk
Reach Out I’ll Be There (1966): Notice the change in tone from earlier Motown hitshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvoPOrBm-4w
I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye (1968):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hajBdDM2qdg
ABC by the Jackson 5 (1970):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOXG8wtxx_w
The Tears of a Clown (1970):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2kxlZDOHeQ
What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye (1971):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-5c5o85SGo
In 1972, Gordy relocated Motown Records to Los Angeles.
Lady Sings the Blues:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z39AXp-uWzQ
The company continued into the eighties, but never achieved its previous success. Gordy sold the company in 1988.
In 2006, Dream Girls based its character Curtis Taylor Jr. on Gordy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owpvh1821tU
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