Composer
Berry Gordy, Jr.
American record producer, founder of Motown Records
b. 1929
14 works in the index
- Born
- 1929
- Birthplace
- Detroit
- Citizenship / historical state
- United States
- Period (estimated from birth year)
- Contemporary
Biography
Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), also known as Berry Gordy Jr., is an American retired record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer, and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record label and its subsidiaries, which was the highest-earning African-American business for decades.
As a songwriter, Gordy composed or co-composed a number of hits including "Money (That's What I Want)", "Lonely Teardrops" and "That's Why" (Jackie Wilson), "Shop Around" (the Miracles), and "Do You Love Me" (the Contours), all of which topped the US R&B charts, as well as the international hit "Reet Petite" (Jackie Wilson). As part of The Corporation, he wrote many hit songs for the Jackson 5, including "I Want You Back" and "ABC".
As a record producer, he launched the Miracles and signed acts like the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Stevie Wonder. He was known for carefully directing the public image, dress, manners, and choreography of his acts.
Gordy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2016, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2021. In 2022, he was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
Biography excerpt from Wikipedia contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting and reference markers have been removed; the introduction may be shortened. View contributors and article history.
Life and musical career
- Occupations
- record producer; autobiographer; songwriter; film producer; television producer; boxer; music executive; film director; composer
- Recorded memberships
- The Corporation
- Genres
- rock music; rhythm and blues; soul; pop music; doo-wop
- Awards
- Grammy Trustees Award; star on Hollywood Walk of Fame; National Medal of Arts; Kennedy Center Honors; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Songwriters Hall of Fame; Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame; honorary doctor of the University of Michigan
- Birth name
- Berry Gordy III
- Pseudonym
- The Bear
- Languages used
- American English
- VIAF ID
- 103130683
- ISNI
- 0000000078414618
- GND ID
- 119275759
- Library of Congress ID
- n79070928
- MusicBrainz ID
- 55bc7f0d-bc56-4a5e-8555-77557bb757cd
Recorded in Wikidata. Affiliations may refer to earlier stages of the composer's career.
In this catalogue
- Common listed instruments
- Piano, Vocal
- Works with composition dates
- 0 of 14
These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.
Catalogue
Works
Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.
| Work | Year composed | Catalogue / opus | Key in title | Listed instruments | Genre | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shop Around | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| I Want You Back | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| I'll Be There | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| Money | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| Do You Love Me? | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| You've Got What It Takes | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| You've Made Me So Very Happy | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| Maybe Tomorrow | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| Mama's Pearl | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| Get It Together | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| Sugar Daddy | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| O.P.P. | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Lonely Teardrops | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
| Way Over There | — | — | — | Piano, Vocal | — | 0 |
Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. Authority record: VIAF 103130683. Portrait: Angela George at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharongraphics/, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.