Motown: Music, Money, Sex, and Power by Gerald Posner

Author:Gerald Posner [Posner, Gerald]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Music, Genres & Styles, Soul & R 'N B, Pop Vocal, Business Aspects
ISBN: 9780307538628
Google: U6NuPn_TNogC
Amazon: 0812974689
Publisher: Random House LLC
Published: 2005-10-11T04:00:00+00:00

A young Berry Gordy in front of Motown’s first million-selling record, “Shop Around,” by the Miracles. (Courtesy of Peter Benjaminson)

Hitsville, Motown’s original headquarters, at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. Gordy and his family lived on the second floor and the rest of the house was converted into offices and a tiny recording studio. (Courtesy of Peter Benjaminson)

At the Roostertail nightclub, Gordy (far left) is joined by his sister Esther Edwards (behind him) and his father (two seats behind her). Mary Wilson and Flo Ballard of the Supremes are at the far right table, while Diana Ross sits, as is her custom, at Gordy’s table (across from him). (Courtesy of Peter Benjaminson)

That same night at the Roostertail, during a performance by the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye (third from left), the Supremes, and the visiting Everly Brothers take the stage for an impromptu finale. Motown’s early acts were accustomed to performing together on tours, sometimes in mock competitions orchestrated by Gordy. (Courtesy of Peter Benjaminson)

At a 1967 Detroit dinner honoring Motown, most of the label’s vice presidents gather with Gordy. From left: Smokey Robinson, the Miracles’ lead singer; Esther, Gordy’s sister and most trusted confidante; the sales wiz Barney Ales; Gordy; and Brian Holland, part of the label’s most successful songwriting trio. (Courtesy of Peter Benjaminson)

The scene of many outrageous parties, this sprawling turn-of-the-century, Italianate-style mansion boasted a marble-covered ballroom, billiard and screening rooms, a gym, an English pub, a two-lane bowling alley, and a manicured Greek garden. The main hall was dominated by a large oil painting of Gordy dressed as Napoleon Bonaparte. (Both courtesy of Peter Benjaminson)

By the late 1960s, the Motown sound was internationally popular. The Four Tops (from left to right: Renaldo Benson, Levi Stubbs, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, and Lawrence Payton) in London while on their first U.K. tour. (Courtesy of Peter Benjaminson)

The Supremes—the British tabloids’ favorite gossip subjects—arrive in England, with Gordy toting a camera like any other first-time tourist. (Courtesy of Peter Benjaminson)

Part of the reason for Motown’s British popularity was the strong endorsement of the Beatles. Here, the group is with Berry’s three children and his father. (Courtesy of Peter Benjaminson)

Motown had an unmatched roster of stars. Among them was Marvin Gaye (above), who dreamed of becoming a crooner similar to Frank Sinatra. He was the label’s sex symbol, with an enormous female following. (Courtesy of Peter Benjaminson)

Little Stevie Wonder (right) was discovered by Gordy when he was only eleven. (AP/Wide World Photos)

The incredibly talented David Ruffin (left) was the distinctive lead tenor for the Temptations—although his desire to stand out as the group’s star would lead to fights and his ultimate ouster. (Courtesy of Tom Noonan)

At a 1969 party in Los Angeles, Gordy introduced the Jackson 5, a group he had signed only one year earlier. Here, Marvin Gaye chats with American Bandstand’s Dick Clark. Marlon Jackson is between them. (Courtesy of Tom Noonan)

By 1970, the Jacksons had already sold eight million copies of their albums. From left to right: Tito, Marlon, Michael, Jackie, and Jermaine.

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