Motown Turns 50, Proud of Musical, Social Legacy
Motown has always been about more than music. As the soul empire turns 50 on Monday, its founders are looking back at its brand of music dubbed the “Motown sound” that remains popular today and the record company’s role in breaking down racial barriers in America.
Founded in 1959 in Detroit by songwriter and entrepreneur Berry Gordy using an $800 family loan, Motown plans a year-long celebration with record releases, documentaries and exhibitions. There is even talk of a Broadway musical in 2010.
Originally called Tamla and operating out of a two-story house, Gordy changed the name to Motown to reflect the auto industry that dominated Detroit.
He often likened his method of grooming black talent to an automobile assembly line that transformed plain metal frames into gleaming motorcars.
His management style, which involved weekly “quality control” meetings and lessons in deportment for Motown stars, chafed with some of his biggest acts. But, especially early on, it worked.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Gordy helped to make stars of the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, the Supremes, the Temptations and the Jackson 5.
January 12th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
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