- Motown music is from musicians who were signed under Motown Records.
- Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye all were signed under Motown Records.
- This is how they got their start and where they are now.
Although Motown has become a genre itself, true Motown music refers to the songs created and produced at Motown Records. Berry Gordy Jr. decided to turn Detroit, Michigan, or "motor town," into Hitsville, U.S.A., the hot spot for up-and-coming musicians
These musicians have legacies that will outlive them forever. Find out where the best and biggest Motown stars are today.
Diana Ross, lead singer of The Supremes, fronted the most-successful "girl group" of all time.
The Supremes are ranked as Billboard's greatest "girl group" of all time for creating 12 No. 1 hits from 1964-1970 such as "Stop! In the Name of Love,""Come See About Me,""Baby Love," and "You Can't Hurry Love."
Their 1965 performance at the esteemed NYC nightclub, The Copacabana paved the way for other Motown groups to sing around the country.
In 1970, Diana Ross began a successful solo career with Motown Records starting her self-titled album (later released as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." She also began acting, and earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as Billie Holiday in "Lady Sings the Blues."
Her song "Upside Down"spent four weeks at No. 1.
Diana Ross is still touring and performing.
In 2019, she celebrated her 75th birthday with a performance at the Grammy Awards and a Las Vegas residency. On the actual date, March 26, nearly 700 theaters around the country will be showing "Diana Ross Live in Central Park."
The popular Broadway musical, "Motown: The Musical" based on a book about Berry Gordy's creation of Motown Records, featured Diana Ross as a character singing her original music. The romantic connection between Gordy and Ross is heavily featured in the musical.
She has five children including Tracee Ellis Ross, the lead actress in "Black-ish," and Evan Ross, a singer, and actor who is married to Ashlee Simpson.
Smokey Robinson was one of the earliest members of Motown.
Smokey Robinson started with the band The Miracles and became known for his soulful voice and gold-green eyes. He helped produce 26 Top 40 hits for Motown Records, including several top 10 hits like "You've Really Got a Hold on Me,""I Second That Emotion," and "The Tears Of a Clown."
Robinson was a prolific songwriter for The Miracles and other bands on the label, with over 4,000 writing credits to his name.
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