Stunning Photos That Capture The Magic Of Motown
After its founding in 1959, Motown Records emerged from Detroit, Michigan as a veritable powerhouse of soul music. It was nicknamed “Hitsville U.S.A.” and throughout the ’60s, ’70s, and up until the mid-1980s, this remained true enough for Motown to keep its momentum as a cultural juggernaut for years.
Although it wasn’t easy to keep up with the label’s demands, many of those who did during its classic era became superstars whose names still command legendary status today. Naturally, this family business and its messy backroom drama were the subject of some fascinating photos and we’re about to see them.
A Classic Family Business
When Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown, he found that his sisters were just as passionate and capable as he was. For that reason, many of them — like Esther Gordy Edwards — held staff or executive positions at the record label.
For her part, Edwards is considered the “mother of Motown” due partially to how she maintained the Detroit-born label’s legacy as president of the Motown Museum. Here she is chatting casually with Smokey Robinson, the label’s first signee and one of its most legendary artists.
Two Music Titans Record Together
Although Stevie Wonder would grow to be one of the most successful and culturally significant artists of the 1970s, he was already on an impressive rise by the time he recorded with the still dearly beloved and mourned legend Marvin Gaye in 1965.
Both artists would see their best work released in the ’70s but their talent was already crystal clear to Gordy and to the soul-loving public. Indeed, Wonder has scored his first number-one hit and the second for Motown at large with “Fingertips” at the age of 13 two years prior to this photo.
A Recognized Landmark Institution For Black Americans
Although the prospect of signing with Motown was often not as rosy as it seemed to the public at the time, there’s still no denying that the label was a force for change in the music industry. Not only did it bring the sound of soul (particularly Detroit’s version of it) to the world but it brought more Black artists to prominence than most other labels at the time.
These are likely just a couple of the reasons why Berry Gordy Jr. (right) was invited to this NAACP event on October 27, 1972. He can be seen here shaking hands with civil rights leader Roy Wilkins.
Undoubtedly Proud Parents
It’s unclear what high-end aquatic soiree Bertha and Berry Gordy Senior were departing when this picture was taken on September 21, 1968, but they had some good reasons to be all smiles that day. Not only had their son and Gordy’s namesake achieved such staggering success but so many of their other children were right there with him.
Indeed, the younger Gordy came by his corporate acumen honestly, as both of his parents were successful business owners in their own right after fleeing danger and a lack of opportunities in Georgia to make their home in Detroit.
The Woman Behind So Much Of Motown’s Success
Although Smokey Robinson was the first artist Motown signed, the artist who could reasonably be credited for truly getting the label’s sound off the ground was Diana Ross.
As the leading face and voice of The Supremes, Ross brought Motown the momentum that would put them in the right position to fund classics like Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On and Stevie Wonder’s songs In The Key Of Life. As the ’70s loomed, the success Ross brought to the label would continue, this time as a solo artist.
Key Motown Figures In A Playful Setting
This photo comes from the Sterling Ball gala in August of 1971, which was essentially a Motown party because it took place at the Gordy home. The man at the center of this picture is Barney Ales, who was Motown’s vice president and instrumental in bringing their sound to a mainstream audience.
On either side of Ales are Gordy’s sisters Gwen Gordy Fuqua (left) and Anna Gordy Gaye, the latter of whom spent 14 years married to Marvin Gaye before their acrimonious divorce in 1977.
A Welcome Surprise After 20 Years Of Work Together
Smokey Robinson was there for practically every chapter of Motown’s story and sought to retire as a musician in the early ’70s so he could focus on his executive position at Motown. However, success still kept following his music, prompting a comeback before the decade was out.
Indeed, he would continue recording well into the ’80s alongside more contemporary Motown signees like the constantly controversial Rick James. This photo comes as that chapter in Robison’s life was unfolding and saw Gordy surprise Robinson onstage at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on June 15, 1981.
A Respected Artist In A Venerated Venue
Although most of her career wasn’t spent with Motown, Patti Labelle would nonetheless go on to receive an Emmy nomination for her performance in the TV special Motown Returns To The Apollo. Years before that happened, however, she was Christening another New York City institution with her presence.
Here she was singing among the audience at the famous Bottom Line venue in the Big Apple’s cherished Greenwich Village district. This would mark the first performance at the venue on February 11, 1974, as it would officially open the following day.
The Spinners Spread Their Wings Further After Leaving
Although the R&B group The Spinners spent much of the ’60s recording and performing for Motown, they had intermittent success on the label and faced periods of commercial drought. During these periods, Motown would have them serve as road managers, chauffeurs, and do other odd jobs for other artists on the label throughout the latter half of the ’60s.
With this in mind, it’s unsurprising that Aretha advised joining her at Atlantic Records in the early ’70s. Indeed, they likely never looked back since by the time of this 1984 performance, they had already earned a star on Hollywood’s Walk Of Fame.
The Temptations Gave Their Audiences The Real Thing
While other artists may loom larger in Motown’s history, the contributions The Temptations made to the label’s early success should not be underestimated. Not only did their music swing in a way that feels timelessly catchy, tight, and soulful even now but they kept the label relevant to the people.
In other words, Motown’s success in the mainstream was built on a solid core of support from Black audiences the industry otherwise overlooked at the time. While The Supremes delighted the mainstream, The Temptations demonstrated to that core audience that the label was still worth supporting.
An All-Star Evening Courtesy Of Motown
Although Smokey Robinson’s Miracles were one of Motown’s flagship acts along with The Supremes, neither group gave the label its first number-one hit. Instead, that honor went to The Marvelettes for their song “Please Mr. Postman.”
All three of those groups plus Marvin Gaye were billed on this enviable show called the Motor-Town Revue at the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia. The star-studded revue took place here in May of 1963.
A Surprisingly Humble Residence
Considering how powerful Motown would become throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, one may expect its headquarters to tower over its neighbors on Detroit’s Grand Boulevard. Indeed, the major record labels to follow often adopted sleek, impressive designs for their buildings.
However, if it weren’t for the proud signage declaring Motown as “Hitsville U.S.A” and “The Sound Of Young America,” there would be no way of telling that this wasn’t just somebody’s house. It remained humble in its appearance even when this photo was taken in 1975, long after its long-term success was evident.
Robinson Clearly Spent A Lot Of Time There
Although Smokey Robinson had every reason to spend many of his days at Motown’s headquarters when he was an executive there, the label’s dependable artist seemed the most comfortable to be hanging out there among his labelmates.
After all, out of all the photos gathered of Motown’s offices here, Robinson is in more of them than he isn’t. Considering that this was taken in 1966 and similar photos weren’t far off from that, it seemed this was true from the very beginning.
A New, Uncertain Era For The Supremes
Although Jean Terrell, Cindy Birdsong, and Mary Wilson of The Supremes seemed to have a cozy time on this couch as they played with a little dog and teased it with food, there’s likely a reason they seem so downcast.
After all, it’s hard not to notice the absence of Diana Ross here. By the time this photo was taken in 1972, the group would be three years behind her. Although they’d enjoy one more top-20 hit that year, The Supremes would decline and their relationship with Motown would sour until they disbanded in 1977.
He Couldn’t Have Made His Ambitions Clearer
Although it would grow into even more of a powerhouse in the 1970s, the success Motown had already seen by 1966 likely encouraged Gordy to think that it would not only be a viable enterprise but a global phenomenon.
There could very well be practical reasons why Gordy had a globe in his office but from the way he’s looking at it and stroking it in this photo, it’s clear he had the ambition to take on the world. He certainly got closer than most people ever will.
Recording Sessions Had A Lot Of Pressure
Although so many of Motown’s biggest hits were bright and ebullient, that doesn’t mean this was how it felt to record them. The recording studio they used the most frequently was called “the snake pit” and the long hours and demanding standards musicians faced there made it live up to that name.
Here we can see a serious vibe to one recording session that had Gordy get specific about what he wanted to hear while Barbara McNair looked on with a stoic expression. The results of this session were likely great but the session itself seemed exhausting.
He Was Really Moving Up In The World
Freshly married to Anna Gordy Gaye and riding and shaping the wave of Motown’s early success, Marvin Gaye looked happy and proud while conducting a press conference at London’s Heathrow Airport in 1964.
Considering his location, it seems likely that he’s holding up the placard that helped him find his driver. He appears somewhere between amused and appreciative to see his name in such large letters. Of course, that was only the beginning of how big his name would truly become.
Another Legend Is Born
Gordy and his fellow decision-makers at Motown clearly had a knack for discovering young talent, as another world-changing superstar would grace the label less than a decade after Stevie Wonder’s incredible career began with a number-one hit at 13. Even more incredibly, this young star would grow up to be even bigger.
Of course, that superstar was Michael Jackson and the act he led to Motown in 1968 was the Jackson 5. Although they were immensely successful on the label, they ended up leaving in 1975 due in part to the lack of creative input they had in their own music. Naturally, Michael was just getting started.
The Group Who Made Motown’s Biggest Hits Possible
Although what Gordy and Motown’s biggest artists achieved during the label’s historic run was certainly impressive, there was a group of unsung heroes whose incredible musicianship and dedication built the foundation for the label’s biggest hits.
They were the Funk Brothers and while the lineup changed over time, Hank Crosby, Larry Veeder, James Jamerson, Joe Hunter, Mike Terry, and Benny Banjamin were the most consistent and acclaimed members. Whenever Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, or Marvin Gaye recorded a song, they likely played on it.
A Powerful Voice That Propelled A Signature Hit
One of the earliest and most beloved acts signed to Motown during the ’60s was the Four Tops, who are best known for their heartfelt, enduring classic, “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Although lead singer Levi Stubbs had long shown Motown fans his impressive, commanding voice by then, that song was just different enough to set the world on fire.
Although the familiar “I’ll be there” chorus sung by all four of them was a big part of what hooked listeners in, the raw power of Stubbs’ half-sung, half-shouted verses made the song unparalleled as an expression of passionate, dedicated love.
