Today in Music (1959): Motown founded

January 12, 1959 Motown founded

In 1957, Berry Gordy, Jr. wrote the hit “Reet Petite” for Jackie Wilson. He went on to write others, such as “Lonely Teardrops,” but aspired for more. With an $800 loan from his family, he founded Tamla Records on January 12, 1959. He added the Motown label later that year. He purchased property on Grand Boulevard, converting a photography studio into a recording studio and setting up administrative offices in other buildings. DH His first successful signing was The Matadors, who were rechristened as The Miracles. Gordy co-wrote Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want),” the company’s first big hit in 1960. The Miracles’ “Shop Around,” also released that year, became the company’s first million seller. Over the next decade, the company produced more than 100 top-ten hits from artists including the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Martha & the Vandellas, the Marvelettes, the Supremes, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder. Gordy applied an assembly line approach to crafting the artists and their hits. Artists were trained in choreography and how to present themselves. OMC Songwriting was often handled by famous teams such as Holland-Dozier-Holland and the Funk Brothers served as studio musicians. The company owed much of its success to the ability to create music that crossed over to become popular with white audiences as well as black audiences. In 1972, the company moved its headquarters to Los Angeles. In 1988, Gordy sold his stake in Motown to MCA for $61 million. The original Motown location in Detroit – known as Hitsville U.S.A. – is now a museum where people can see the original recording studio. DH Resources: Dave’s Music Database: “History Index” for more important dates in music history Dave’s Music Database: “Music Makers’ Birthdays” Dave’s Music Database: “Motown: Top 100 Songs” DH Detroit Historical Society “Motown Records” OMC Oprah’s Master Class (6/16/2013). “Motown: How It All Began” Related Links: First posted 1/6/2024.