Berry Gordy Jr.
Berry Gordy Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 28, 1929. He was the seventh born out of eight siblings. His parents migrated to Detroit from Georgia during 1922. They were part of a mass exodus of African Americans who left the South in the 20's and traveled to northern cities in search of better economic futures. During that time jobs were plentiful in the factories, mainly the big four automotive plants that like, Chrysler, Ford, Chevrolet, and General Motors. Berry and Bertha Gordy would instill in Berry Jr. and his brothers and sisters a strong work ethic and a belief that anything could be achieved through persistence. His family also had deep roots in business. Berry Sr. owned a plastering and carpentry service, a general store, and a printing business. Gordy's family believed in the philosophy of Booker T. Washington, which stressed economic independence for blacks. Gordy Sr. named his store after him. Berry Gordy Jr. was heavily influenced by the ambition of his father.Like his father, he was also very determined and he tried many new ventures. Berry was an average student who earned decent grades. Despite this he decided to drop out of Northeastern High School to peruse a featherweight boxing career. He
Berry Gordy began recording Robinson's group, The Miracles, for New York based End Records. Motown started at a time when the country as a whole was optimistic about the future. and his message, fostered a sense that blacks were soon to enter a world of equality through the front door. Gordy also made the move into the filmmaking industry with popular movies like, "Lady Sings the Blues," starring Diana Ross. The main reason why the larger companies did not record many of these artists was because they were African American. In 1966 they had a famous hit called "You Can't Hurry Love. He served for two years during the Korean War; there he earned his high school equivalency diploma. In 1957 Smokey Robinson was the lead singer of a group called the Matadors. Motown enjoyed its greatest success between 1965 and 1968, when it dominated the Billboard charts. Grand Blvd with an $ 800 loan from his family. Companies like Columbia, Decca, Peacock Records, and Vee Jay Records helped pioneer the R&B movement by supporting great up and coming artists. It abolished the segregation of American schools and helped to upgrade the conditions of many inner-city schools. " This gave Berry a strong reputation as an accomplished songwriter in the music world. " Gordy then established Jobete Publishing company and began Motown Records. Gordy continued to dabble in freelance songwriting and he found success with "Lonely Teardrops," and "To Be Loved," which were two other hits that he wrote for Jackie Wilson.
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