I worshipped Berry Gordy for the creative dreams he had made come true.
Back in the day, Motown was on the pulse of young America. It wasn't about just dope contemporary. It was pop, it was R&B, it was all of that.
I don't ever balk at being considered a Motown person, because Motown is the greatest musical event that ever happened in the history of music.
We are all big Motown fans.
One thing I can say about the Motown acts is that we were a family. That's not a myth.
Berry Gordy is a music legend, and we all know that, but I don't think Berry gets enough credit for his involvement with the civil rights movement.
I think Berry Gordy is a genius, I really do, and it's not a word I throw around lightly. But with all that comes the idiosyncratic behavior of a self-made, talented, creative person, and that's not easy to come up against.
Nothing surprises me about Berry Gordy.
The only recording studio was in Motown - it was called Tamla/Motown at that time and we used to audition there because Smokey Robinson was at that studio and Berry Gordy was the president. I remember asking Smokey to listen to my group and he did. For the first couple of years we were just singing background. We used to back up Marvin Gaye; Mary Wells was there then, Marv Johnson, the Marvelettes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Junior Walker and the All-Stars.
Berry Gordy turned his house into a studio and discovered over 30 acts in the city. And we're famous all over the world.
My favorite record label of all time is Motown. That era of music was my favorite.
I know that's blasphemous when you are from Detroit, but I was never a fan of Motown stuff. I don't care for the production much.
I grew up not far from where Motown was founded, maybe 300 miles from Detroit and I've always liked - I used to like the way they made records. I still do, I just haven't had a chance to hear as much. They used to entertain me.
Motown will always be a heavy-duty part of my life because those are my roots.
I never imagined I'd meet Berry Gordy who told me when he first heard me sing, "You know, your singing's okay, but I like your harmonica playing better."
Following in the footsteps of Berry Gordy, I always admire what he did.
My introduction to Motown was through The Jackson Five and Michael Jackson. Michael's been my greatest creative inspiration, so that's how I really became familiar with Motown as a whole, and as I got older, I learned far more about the other groups.
Berry Gordy discovered more superstars than anyone I know. I grew up in that environment, and I know you can develop talent and market it.
I lived on the north side of Detroit. Right down the street from me there was a young man by the name of Smokey Robinson. I was very proud to live down the street from him because he was our only celebrity in town. He was singing with the Miracles.
Many of my friends were there at Motown. The studio was only a few blocks from where my dad's home was, where we lived.
I really only knew the name Berry Gordy growing up, but I didn't know what he looked like or anything about him.
Berry Gordy has always been this hazy legendary figure that I've known about in my childhood that was responsible for everything that I found important in the world.
There were many stars in Motown's firmament - among them, Stevie, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves and Diana Ross - but I happen to have loved the Four Tops most of all.
My favorites are Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, but those are a little off in terms of getting Detroit right on the head. But of course, you know, "Dancing In The Streets." You can't forget the Motor City. And we can't forget the Motor City.
Motown was the mecca. It was every writer's dream to work there.
