Berry Gordy

Berry Gordy
Gordy in 1998
Gordy in 1998
Background information
Birth nameBerry Gordy III
Also known asBerry Gordy Jr.
Born (1929-11-28) November 28, 1929 (age 94)[1]
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.[2]
Genres
Occupations
  • Record executive
  • record producer
  • songwriter
  • film producer
  • television producer
Years active1953–2019[3][4]
LabelsMotown
Formerly ofThe Corporation

Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), also known as Berry Gordy Jr.,[5] is an American retired record executive, record producer, songwriter, film and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record label and its subsidiaries, which was the highest-earning African-American business for decades.[6]

As a songwriter, Gordy composed or co-composed a number of hits including "Lonely Teardrops" and "That's Why" (Jackie Wilson), "Shop Around" (the Miracles), and "Do You Love Me" (the Contours), all of which topped the US R&B charts, as well as the international hit "Reet Petite" (Jackie Wilson). As part of the Corporation, he wrote many hit songs for the Jackson 5, including "I Want You Back" and "ABC". As a record producer, he launched the Miracles and signed acts like the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Stevie Wonder. He was known for carefully directing the public image, dress, manners, and choreography of his acts.

Gordy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2016, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2021. In 2022, he was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

  1. ^ "Berry Gordy | Motown Museum | Home of Hitsville U.S.A." Motown Museum.
  2. ^ "Berry Gordy | Motown Museum | Home of Hitsville U.S.A." Motown Museum.
  3. ^ Allard, François; Lecocq, Richard (October 4, 2018). Michael Jackson: All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Octopus Books. ISBN 9781788401234. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  4. ^ Jem Aswad (September 24, 2019). "Motown Founder Berry Gordy to Retire". Variety. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  5. ^ Gordy, Berry Sr. (1979). Movin' Up – Pop Gordy Tells His Story. Harper Collins. ISBN 0060220538. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018.
  6. ^ Smith, Jessie Carney (January 1, 2006). Encyclopedia of African American Business. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313331107.