Berry Gordy

Shortly after sending shock waves through the music industry with his 1988 decision to sell Motown Records to MCA Inc., company founder Berry Gordy finally decided to turn the story of his life into a book. One by one, writers came with notebooks, tape recorders and hopes of becoming the "with"--as in "An Autobiography by Berry Gordy with (fill in hopeful writer's name here)." Not quite like being Gladys Knight, maybe, but right up there with becoming a Pip.

NEW YORK - The songs are among the most popular of the baby boom era - "My Girl," "I Want You Back," "Dancing in the Streets. " They may be the staple of oldies radio; they haven't been part of a big Broadway musical. Now "Motown: The Musical" is about to become this season's big bet on the drawing power of the jukebox. The show will tell the real story that "Dreamgirls" was merely based on: the life of producer Berry Gordy, a onetime boxer who founded the Motown record label and signed some of the decade's biggest R&B stars, including the Supremes, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.

Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes and Michael Jackson are among the array of hit-makers on a spectacular new 10-CD salute to Motown Records, but the real star of the Motown story is the man whose photo is featured on the cover of the package's booklet: Berry Gordy.

Deke Richards, 68, who as part of the songwriting and producing team known as the Corporation was responsible for many of the Jackson 5's early hit songs for Motown Records, died Sunday at a hospice in Bellingham, Wash., of esophageal cancer, according to a statement from the Universal Music record label. Richards and the other members of the Corporation -- Alphonso Mizell, Freddie Perren and Motown founder Berry Gordy -- created and shaped the Jacksons' first three No. 1 hits: "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "The Love You Save.

Michael Jackson added three personal items to the $125,000 he has already given the Motown Museum in Detroit: a trademark glove, a hat and a uniform he wore when he was 13 and performing with the Jackson Five. "I'm very happy and proud to be back to the soil from which I came," Jackson told Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. on Sunday. "Berry Gordy is the man that made it all possible for me. I want to say thank you, Berry, and I love you."

Deke Richards, who as part of the songwriting and production team known as the Corporation was responsible for many of Motown Records' signature songs, died Sunday at a hospice in Bellingham, Wash., of esophageal cancer, according to a statement from his record label. He was 68. Born Dennis Lussier in Los Angeles, Richards helped launch the Jackson 5 to stardom by co-creating -- alongside Alphonzo Mizell, Freddie Perren and Motown founder Berry Gordy -- the family band's first three No. 1 hits: "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "The Love You Save.

Gwendolyn Gordy Fuqua, who helped persuade her family to finance Berry Gordy's Motown Records and founded several music companies as well as Motown's legendary artist development program, died of cancer Monday at her home in San Diego. She was 71. Considered the first entrepreneur of the eight Gordy children, Fuqua started in business as the operator of a photo concession at Detroit's Flame Show Bar.

Regarding the race between Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli as 1972's best actress ("A Long, Strange History for Your Consideration," by Damien Bona, March 19): Yes, Motown and Berry Gordy staged an aggressive campaign for "Lady Sings the Blues," not too dissimilar to the wondrous Miramax marketing machine of today. Still, when you lay the cards on the table, Ross' race and Gordy and Motown's freshman entrance into the Hollywood game must also be considered. Minnelli gave a wonderful performance in "Cabaret" but also had sentimentality on her side, while Ross gave a wonderful performance and had her heritage as a major wall against her. This is very sad and still very alive today.

Diana Ross has never won a Grammy. Though nominated 12 times for her work with the Supremes and for her solo efforts, the singer behind pop classis such as "Baby Love" and "Upside Down" has never taken home the award. This Saturday, she will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy along with Gil Scott-Heron, the Allman Brothers, Glen Campbell, George Jones, Antonio Carlos Jobim and the Memphis Horns, at an invitation-only ceremony the night before the Grammy telecast.

Deke Richards, who as part of the songwriting and production team known as the Corporation was responsible for many of Motown Records' signature songs, died Sunday at a hospice in Bellingham, Wash., of esophageal cancer, according to a statement from his record label. He was 68. Born Dennis Lussier in Los Angeles, Richards helped launch the Jackson 5 to stardom by co-creating -- alongside Alphonzo Mizell, Freddie Perren and Motown founder Berry Gordy -- the family band's first three No. 1 hits: "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "The Love You Save.

Diana Ross has never won a Grammy. Though nominated 12 times for her work with the Supremes and for her solo efforts, the singer behind pop classis such as "Baby Love" and "Upside Down" has never taken home the award. This Saturday, she will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy along with Gil Scott-Heron, the Allman Brothers, Glen Campbell, George Jones, Antonio Carlos Jobim and the Memphis Horns, at an invitation-only ceremony the night before the Grammy telecast.

Hundreds packed a Detroit church Wednesday to give a final goodbye to Esther Gordy Edwards, the sister of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. who helped him build the company and led efforts to preserve the original headquarters in the city. Edwards died last week at age 91. Berry Gordy clasped hands with Smokey Robinson as they entered the Bethel AME Church. Stevie Wonder, who also signed to Motown, spoke before performing a stirring, soulful rendition of one of Edwards' favorite hymns, "His Eye Is on the Sparrow.

Chris Clark was a 17-year-old, 6-foot platinum blond when she arrived at Motown's Detroit headquarters in 1963 -- demo in hand -- to audition for Berry Gordy. "Berry kept me waiting in his office for three hours, covertly sizing me up, before he listened to the demo," recalls Clark. "Then he wanted to hear me sing something live, so I sat down at the piano and did Etta James' 'All I Could Do Was Cry.' I didn't know Berry had co-written that song!" Impressed and somewhat amused, Gordy was nevertheless hesitant to sign a teenage white girl to the label that already was home to such hit-makers as Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and the Marvelettes.

Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes and Michael Jackson are among the array of hit-makers on a spectacular new 10-CD salute to Motown Records, but the real star of the Motown story is the man whose photo is featured on the cover of the package's booklet: Berry Gordy.

DreamWorks Pictures, maker of the Oscar-nominated film "Dreamgirls," apologized to Motown Records founder Berry Gordy for any suggestion that a character in the movie was based on his life. The apology appeared as a full-page ad Wednesday in the trade publications Variety and Hollywood Reporter. " 'Dreamgirls' is a work of fiction," the studio said. "For any confusion that has resulted from our fictional work, we apologize to Mr. Gordy."

NEW YORK - The songs are among the most popular of the baby boom era - "My Girl," "I Want You Back," "Dancing in the Streets. " They may be the staple of oldies radio; they haven't been part of a big Broadway musical. Now "Motown: The Musical" is about to become this season's big bet on the drawing power of the jukebox. The show will tell the real story that "Dreamgirls" was merely based on: the life of producer Berry Gordy, a onetime boxer who founded the Motown record label and signed some of the decade's biggest R&B stars, including the Supremes, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.

DreamWorks Pictures, maker of the Oscar-nominated film "Dreamgirls," apologized to Motown Records founder Berry Gordy for any suggestion that a character in the movie was based on his life. The apology appeared as a full-page ad Wednesday in the trade publications Variety and Hollywood Reporter. " 'Dreamgirls' is a work of fiction," the studio said. "For any confusion that has resulted from our fictional work, we apologize to Mr. Gordy."

Baby boomers who grew up loving the sweet, exuberant sounds of Motown may find the suggestion little short of blasphemous, but here goes: We're experiencing the greatest flourishing of black musical talent since Berry Gordy Jr. built his musical empire. It's as if rock 'n' roll once again reflected the energy and originality of the '60s British Invasion or jazz regained the innovation of the bebop era. This new wave of R&B and hip-hop vitality has been building for years, thanks to OutKast, Dr.

Where did the love go? According to the eager-to-please documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," when Berry Gordy moved his company to Los Angeles the love remained in Detroit. Three decades after the music entrepreneur split Motortown, the love continues to tenderly envelop the studio musicians who call themselves the Funk Brothers and whom Gordy unceremoniously left behind. Musicians like Joe Hunter, a keyboardist who joined Motown at its launch.