Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), also known as Berry Gordy Jr., was an American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer, and television producer. He is most famous for starting the Motown record label and other companies it owned, which became one of the most successful African-American businesses for many years.

As a songwriter, Gordy wrote or helped write several popular songs, including "Money (That's What I Want)," "Lonely Teardrops," "That's Why" (Jackie Wilson), "Shop Around" (the Miracles), and "Do You Love Me" (the Contours). These songs reached the top of the US R&B charts. He also wrote the international hit "Reet Petite" (Jackie Wilson). As part of a group called The Corporation, he wrote many songs for the Jackson 5, such as "I Want You Back" and "ABC." As a record producer, he helped launch the career of the Miracles and signed artists like the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Stevie Wonder. He carefully guided the public image, clothing, behavior, and dance moves of the artists he worked with.

Gordy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. He received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2016 and was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2021. In 2022, he was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

Early years

Berry Gordy Jr. was born on November 28, 1929, in Detroit, Michigan. He was the seventh of eight children born to Berry Gordy (also called Berry Gordy Sr.) and Bertha Fuller Gordy. His parents moved to Detroit from Oconee, Washington County, Georgia, in 1922 as part of the Great Migration, a movement in which many African Americans relocated from the South to the North.

Berry Gordy’s grandfather, also named Berry Gordy, was the son of James Gordy, a white plantation owner in Georgia, and one of his enslaved workers. Berry Gordy’s half-brother, James, was the grandfather of President Jimmy Carter. Berry Gordy II, Berry Gordy Jr.’s father, moved to Detroit because of job opportunities in the growing automotive industry and concerns about the unsafe conditions in the American South, where Black men were often killed in violent attacks by the Ku Klux Klan. Between 1900 and 1920, more than 1,500 lynchings were reported in Southern states.

Berry Gordy II owned a grocery store, a plastering and carpentry business, and a printing shop. His brothers, Fuller and George, worked in construction and printing as their father assigned them. However, Berry Gordy Jr. and his brother Robert preferred dancing and music. Berry Gordy Jr. was most interested in boxing.

In 1949, Berry Gordy Jr. left Northeastern High School after his 11th grade year to become a professional boxer, hoping to earn money quickly. He continued boxing until 1950, when he was drafted into the United States Army in 1951 for service in the Korean War. He arrived in Korea in May 1952 and was first assigned to the 58th Field Artillery Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, near Panmunjom. Later, he worked as a chaplain’s assistant, driving a jeep and playing the organ during religious services at the front. His military service in Korea ended in April 1953. After returning to the United States, he earned a GED, a certificate that shows the same level of education as a high school diploma.

In 1953, after returning from Korea, Berry Gordy Jr. married 19-year-old Thelma Louise Coleman in Toledo, Ohio. He developed an interest in music by writing songs and opening the 3-D Record Mart, a record store that sold jazz music and 3-D glasses. The store was not successful, so he looked for work at the Lincoln-Mercury plant. However, his family connections helped him meet Al Green (not related to the singer Reverend Al Green), owner of the Flame Show Bar Talent Club, where he met the singer Jackie Wilson.

In 1957, Wilson recorded “Reet Petite,” a song co-written by Berry Gordy Jr., his sister Gwen, and writer-producer Billy Davis. The song was a modest hit, meaning it was not very popular at first, but it became more successful in the United Kingdom, where it reached the Top 10 and later topped the chart in 1986. Over the next two years, Wilson recorded six more songs co-written by Berry Gordy Jr., including “Lonely Teardrops,” which reached the top of the R&B charts and number 7 on the pop chart. Berry Gordy Jr. and his siblings, along with Billy Davis, also wrote “All I Could Do Was Cry” for Etta James at Chess Records.

Motown Record Corporation

Gordy used the money he made from writing songs to start producing music. In 1957, he found a group called the Miracles (originally named the Matadors) and began creating a collection of successful artists. In 1959, with help from Smokey Robinson, the leader of the Miracles, Gordy borrowed $800 (which was worth about $8,835.60 in 2025) from his family to start an R&B record company. He first wanted to name the company Tammy Records, after a song by Debbie Reynolds. However, that name was already taken, so he chose Tamla Records instead. The company began operating on January 12, 1959. "Come to Me" by Marv Johnson was the first record released as Tamla 101. United Artists Records helped distribute "Come to Me" nationwide, as well as Johnson's later successful songs, such as "You Got What It Takes," which Gordy helped create. Although Gordy received credit as a co-writer, the song was originally written and recorded by guitarist Bobby Parker for Vee-Jay Records about a year and a half earlier. Gordy's next release was a single from his Rayber label, featuring Wade Jones and an unnamed female backup group. This record did not sell well and is now one of the rarest releases from Motown. Berry's third release was "Bad Girl" by the Miracles, the first song released on the Motown record label. "Bad Girl" became a hit in 1959 after Chess Records helped distribute it. Barrett Strong's song "Money (That's What I Want)" first appeared on Tamla and later reached number one on Gordy's sister's label, Anna Records, in February 1960. The Miracles gave the label its first million-selling hit with "Shop Around," a Grammy Hall of Fame-winning song. This song and its follow-up hits, such as "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (another Grammy Hall of Fame-winning song), "Mickey's Monkey," "What's So Good About Goodbye," and "I'll Try Something New," made the Miracles the label's first stars.

The Tamla and Motown labels were later combined to form a new company, Motown Record Corporation, which was officially created on April 14, 1960. In 1960, Gordy signed an unknown singer named Mary Wells, who became the label's second major star. Smokey Robinson wrote her hits, including "You Beat Me to the Punch," "Two Lovers," and "My Guy." The Miracles' song "Shop Around" reached number one on the national R&B charts in late 1960 and number two on the Billboard pop charts on January 16, 1961 (number one on Cash Box), proving that Motown was a successful independent company. Later in 1961, the Marvelettes' song "Please Mr. Postman" reached the top of both the R&B and pop charts.

Gordy's ability to find and bring together talented musicians, along with his careful management of his artists' public image, helped Motown become a major success in the United States and around the world. Over the next ten years, he signed artists such as the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Jimmy Ruffin, the Contours, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Commodores, the Velvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson 5. Although he also signed some white artists, such as Rare Earth and Rustix through the Rare Earth label, Gordy mainly promoted African-American artists. He carefully controlled their public image, clothing, manners, and choreography to ensure broad appeal.

Gordy announced his retirement in 2019 at the age of 89.

Relocation to Los Angeles

In 1972, Gordy moved to Los Angeles, where he created the successful movie Lady Sings the Blues, a story about Billie Holiday. The film starred Diana Ross, who was nominated for an Academy Award, Richard Pryor, and Billy Dee Williams. At first, the studio rejected Williams after several tests, but Gordy, who was determined, convinced them to cast him. This helped Williams become a famous movie star. Soon after, Gordy produced and directed Mahogany, which also featured Ross and Williams. Originally, Tony Richardson was the director, but Gordy fired him after a disagreement about casting and directed the film himself. In 1985, Gordy produced The Last Dragon, a martial arts film starring Taimak and Vanity, who was one of Prince’s proteges.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Motown continued to create popular songs by artists such as Jermaine Jackson, Rick James, Commodores, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson. However, Motown was no longer as powerful as it had been before. On June 28, 1988, Gordy sold his ownership in Motown Records to MCA and Boston Ventures for $61 million (equivalent to $139,170,000 in 2024). Later, he sold most of his shares in Jobete Publishing to EMI Publishing. Gordy wrote or co-wrote 240 of the approximately 15,000 songs in Motown’s Jobete music catalog. A few years later, Polygram paid over $330 million for Motown’s catalog, and Diana Ross received shares in this version of the label.

In 1994, Gordy published an autobiography titled To Be Loved.

Awards and accolades

Gordy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1993, he received the CBC Lifetime Achievement Award. He was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2009.

When Gordy received the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Pioneer Award on June 13, 2013, he was the first living person to receive the honor.

In 2014, Gordy received the key to the city from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on October 22, 2014.

In 2016, Gordy received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama for helping to create a new and innovative sound in American music. As a record producer and songwriter, he helped build Motown, launching the music careers of many legendary artists. His unique sound helped shape the story of our country.

Berry Gordy Square in Los Angeles was named by the City Council at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Argyle, where Motown’s office was located.

In 2021, he was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors alongside Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell, Justino Díaz, and Lorne Michaels.

In 2022, he was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

In 2022, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Michigan.

Statements about Motown artists

After Marvin Gaye's funeral on April 5, 1984, Gordy said Gaye was "the greatest of his time." Berry stated that Gaye "was unmatched in music" and explained that he continued the work of other soul singers who sang about many different topics, such as love and civil rights, like Billie Holiday.

On March 20, 2009, Gordy was in Hollywood to honor his first group and first million-selling act, the Miracles, when they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Gordy said, "Without the Miracles, Motown would not be the Motown it is today."

Gordy spoke at the memorial service for Michael Jackson in Los Angeles on July 7, 2009. He said that calling Jackson "The King of Pop" might not be the best way to describe him because of his achievements, and instead called him "the greatest entertainer that ever lived."

Motown: The Musical

On May 15, 2011, it was announced that Berry Gordy was creating a Broadway musical about Motown Records. The musical tells the story of events in the 1960s and how they influenced the founding of the record label. Gordy wanted the show to help improve the reputation of Motown Records and correct any misunderstandings about why the label stopped being active.

Motown: The Musical had preview performances at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre starting March 11, 2013, and began regular shows there on April 14. The musical ended its run in January 2015.

The UK version of Motown: The Musical opened in London's West End in January 2016. Berry Gordy attended the first performance.

Personal life

Gordy was married three times and divorced three times. He has eight children with six different women. His publishing company, Jobete, was named after his three oldest children: Joy, Berry, and Terry.

He had three children with his first wife, Thelma Coleman, whom he married in 1953 (they divorced in 1959):
• Hazel Joy Gordy (born August 24, 1954), who was once married to Jermaine Jackson
• Berry Gordy (born October 1955), father to Skyler Austen Gordy
• Terry James Gordy (born August 1956)

In the spring of 1960, he married Raynoma Mayberry Liles (they divorced in 1964). They had one son:
• Kerry Gordy (born June 25, 1959)

With Jeana Jackson, Gordy had one daughter:
• Sherry Gordy (born May 23, 1963)

With his then-mistress, Margaret Norton, Gordy had a son:
• Kennedy William Gordy (born March 15, 1964); he later became known as the Motown musician Rockwell

Gordy had a daughter with Motown artist Diana Ross, with whom he had an intimate relationship from 1965 through 1970:
• Rhonda Suzanne (born August 14, 1971)

Gordy’s eighth and youngest child is a son born to Nancy Leiviska:
• Stefan Kendal Gordy (born September 3, 1975); he is known by his stage name, Redfoo, as one member of the duo LMFAO (the other member is Skyler Gordy, born August 23, 1986, known professionally as SkyBlu; he is the grandson of Gordy and Thelma Coleman through their son Berry IV and his wife, Valerie Robeson)

Berry married Grace Eaton on July 17, 1990, and they divorced in 1993.

He is also related to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. This connection comes from his white great-grandfather, James Thomas Gordy, who owned a Black, female slave named Esther Johnson.

A sexual assault lawsuit filed against Jermaine Jackson in December 2023 by Rita Barrett, who was the wife of Gordy’s friend Ben Barrett, alleged that Gordy helped hide Jackson’s actions in a sexual assault incident involving her in 1988.

Vistas Stables

Berry Gordy owned a young male horse named Powis Castle, who raced under the name Vistas Stables. In California, Powis Castle won the 1994 Oceanside Stakes and Malibu Stakes. The horse finished 8th place in the Kentucky Derby and 9th place in the Preakness Stakes, which are the first two races of the U.S. Triple Crown series.

In popular culture

• In the 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, Gordy was played by Billy Dee Williams. Williams had started his career in the 1970s with help from Gordy.
• In the 1998 miniseries The Temptations, Gordy was played by Obba Babatunde. Babatunde also plays an important role in the musical Ain't Too Proud, which tells the story of The Temptations.
• In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the character Gordy Berry (played by Babatunde) is named after Berry Gordy.
• In the 2006 musical film Dreamgirls, the character Curtis Taylor Jr. (played by Jamie Foxx) is a music executive. This character has been described as "seemed to be based on him." The film was inspired by the 1981 musical Dreamgirls, but it changed the story’s setting from Chicago to Detroit to make the connection to Gordy and Motown clearer. In the film, Taylor is shown as unfair and not caring about his artists, which led Gordy and others to criticize the film. Gordy said the portrayal was "100% wrong," and Smokey Robinson said it "blatantly painted a negative picture of Motown and Berry Gordy and of the Supremes."
• In the 2013 stage play Motown: The Musical, Gordy was played by Brandon Victor Dixon.