Berry Gordy was born on November 28, 1929 in Detroit, Michigan. Growing up, he was the second youngest of eight children. When he was a junior in high school, Gordy dropped out to pursue a career as a professional featherweight boxer, but abandoned his dream after being drafted by the US Army in 1950. After serving in the army for three years in Korea, Gordy returned to America and married Thelma Coleman. At this time, he also began writing music and opened his own jazz record store, the 3-D Record Mart – House of Jazz, which was unsuccessful.
A family member introduced Gordy to Al Green, and Gordy began attending Green’s Flame Show Bar talent club. Here, he met Raynoma Liles, with whom he began writing songs for up-and-coming artists, and eventually married. Together, they formed the Rayber Music Writing Company. Gordy’s first writing success was Jackie Wilson’s “Reet Petite” in 1957.
After a brief stint working on the assembly line at Lincoln-Mercury, Gordy then turned his talents toward producing, and discovered artists such as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. In January 1959, he founded R&B label Tamla Records, which produced hits like Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want).” That same year, Robinson convinced Gordy to create Motown Records on December 14. The Miracles’ number-one single “Shop Around” was the first hit released by the label. Throughout the 1960s, artists such as The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops and The Jackson Five all had record deals with Motown.
In 1968, Gordy moved to Los Angeles, where he established a Motown Records office, eventually relocating the entire label to California four years later. In 1971, he had a child with Diana Ross, Rhonda Ross Kendrick. Two years later, he renamed his company Motown Industries, and began branching out into the movie, publishing and television industries.
Gordy sold his share of Motown Records in 1988. His contributions to the music industry were recognized in 1990, when he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
