Berry Gordy attends the 12th Annual MusiCares MAP
Fund Benefit Concert held at The Novo by Microsoft on May 19, 2016 in
Los Angeles.
The term "icon" is overused, but there’s no denying it’s
a fitting descriptor for Berry Gordy. The 87-year-old legend, who in 2013
received the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Pioneer Award, tells Billboard the
secret of the Motown magic and looks back on his early days mentoring Smokey
Robinson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.
Gordy, who
deferred his induction from last year, will be inducted with the 2017
Songwriters Hall of Fame class -- including Jay Z, Max Martin, Jimmy Jam
and Terry Lewis, Robert Lamm, James Pankow and Peter Cetera of Chicago, and
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Also to be honored at the June 15
celebration are Ed Sheeran, Alan Menken, Caroline Bienstock and Pitbull.
Here’s
Gordy in his own words.
His Early Days
"When
I started out, all I wanted to do was write some songs, make some money and get
some girls -- not necessarily in that order, which was not unlike the majority
of the guys in my neighborhood. Most of my early songs were written on some
kind of truth of my own situation. For example, when I was broke, I needed
money, so I wrote a song called 'Money (That’s What I Want).' 'The best
things in life are free, but you can give ‘em to the birds and bees, I need
money…'
"Barrett
Strong recorded it, and it became a big hit. A few years later, the Beatles
recorded it, then the Rolling Stones… and I made even more money! Another time,
I remembered back to my teenage years when I couldn’t get girls 'cause I
couldn’t dance. So I wrote a song that started with: 'You broke my heart
'cause I couldn’t dance/You didn’t even want me around/And now I’m back to let
you know/I can really shake ‘em down/(Now) Do you love me?'"
Dreams Come True
"Motown
was like a fairy tale that happened to have come true. Songwriting was my love
and everything I did was to protect that love. I didn’t like how my songs were
being arranged, so I started arranging them. I didn’t like how they were being
produced, so I started producing them. I didn’t like how my writer royalties
were being paid, so I started my own publishing company. Then I went on to
distribute the records and Motown came into its own. Being in the right time
and the right place is important. But atmosphere was the key to Motown. It
allowed people to experiment creatively and gave them the courage not to be
afraid to make mistakes. And it was the process that we loved, the
togetherness, the camaraderie, and the honest competition. That helped keep
everyone energized, and all that was topped by the love and respect we had for
each other -- and the fun. At Motown we always had fun."
What He's Most Proud Of
"All
the artists, writers, musicians and producers, who had so much faith and trust
in me and the courage to follow me down roads that didn’t even exist. They are
the people who worked, laughed, cried, lived and died to help make the Motown
legacy what it is today, and I’ll always be grateful to them."
On Smokey Robinson
"He
was the first. My first artist at Motown, my first writer, my first producer,
the one who wrote the company song that kept our mission in focus. That’s why
we called him the 'soul of Motown,' and he’s still my best friend."
On Diana Ross
"I
wanted to make her the biggest star in the world. She believed in me and I
believed in her. Together we made magic."
On Stevie Wonder
"When
I first met Stevie, I knew he was a wonder, and he proved me right over
and over again. One of the most brilliant people I have ever seen. It has been
wonderful to watch him mature as a person and musically from
'Little' Stevie Wonder to the musical genius and humanitarian he is
today."
On Michael Jackson
"I
called him the sponge. When the Jackson 5 came to Motown I was fascinated at
Michael’s ability to study my every move. He learned everything I knew and
everybody else he was interested in, too. I put a songwriting team together,
called the Corporation. 'I Want You Back,' 'ABC,' 'The Love You
Save' and 'I'll Be There' -- with those songs the Jackson 5 became the
first group in history to have their first four singles go straight to No. 1 on
the Billboard [Hot 100]."
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