![]() Gordy developed several self-serving policies which assured that Motown would have the upper hand in the manager-artist relationship. Motown established several labels to get around the fact that radio stations limited the amount of airplay given the same label. In addition to the Motown and Tamla labels, he developed other prominent subsidiary labels, including Gordy in 1962, Soul in 1964, Mowest in 1972, and Hitsville in 1976. In 1959, Gordy created Motown using an $800 loan from "Ber-Berry," a family fund earmarked for real estate purchases. Enterprises and purchased the buildings that would house Hitsville, U.S.A., and the Motown Record Corporation. In 1958, Gordy formed a song publishing company called Jobete Music. Gordy's work for the auto manufacturers, learning assembly-line production values, would profit him later in the recording studio. Her musical and technical skills were critical in helping Gordy to refine his songwriting craft, and she also convinced him to produce his own records, thus taking control over all aspects of production. Their union was short lived, though Liles continued to work for the company after the divorce. His first song, "Reet Petite," hit the charts in 1957, and several other hits followed. When he heard that Jackie Wilson's manager was looking for new material, he proceeded to write four hits for Wilson. ![]() Gordy developed an instinct for recognizing what made a hit song, and he became a master tunesmith. But while installing upholstery in cars, he began humming tunes and writing lyrics. The store folded in 1955, and Gordy went to work for Lincoln-Mercury. In 1953, an infatuation with jazz prompted Gordy and singer Marv Johnson to open the 3-D Record Mart, a retail store dedicated to jazz. He abandoned boxing and, after serving in the army, decided to pursue a musical career. became an average boxer who fought in the bantamweight class. His father, Berry "Pops" Gordy, Sr., and mother, Bertha Gordy, owned several businesses. One of eight children, Berry Gordy, Jr., was born in Detroit on November 28, 1929. But prior to Motown, Detroit had no major recording company. Detroit, called the motortown for its automobile production, also spawned a number of fine musicians, among them rock and roll stars Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, distinguished jazz artists such as Milt Jackson and Yusef Lateef, bluesman John Lee Hooker, soul singers Little Willie John and Jackie Wilson, gospel diva Aretha Franklin, and many others who became Motown artists. Motown derived its name from the a popular slang contraction of motortown. The most important Motown asset was not the solid gold records or the millions earned in revenue, but its talented and diverse artists, songwriters, producers, and musicians. ![]() Motown issued 56 number one pop and R&B songs in a decade. Between 19, Motown issued a total of 535 singles, 357 of which became hits. By Gordy's estimation, 70 percent of the buyers of a million-seller Motown record were non-black. At the company's height, an overwhelming 75 percent of Motown's releases charted, where the industry average was about 10 percent. ![]() ![]() Motown racked up an enviable number of releases that posted on both pop and rhythm and blues (R&B) charts. A black entrepreneur and songwriter, Gordy built a successful black-owned, independent company that became a formidable phenomenon in the music business. The company was founded in Detroit in 1959 by Berry Gordy, Jr. Motown is a record company, a musical style, and a corporate conglomerate with several subsidiary labels. ![]()
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