Motown's Role In The Civil Rights Movement

2.With performers like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gay, the Temptations, and Diana Ross and the Supremes, Motown Records changed music history. Who founded Motown Records in 1959?

Motown Records was able to produce legends that included the Jackson Five, Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves, the Four Tops, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, and Marvin Gaye. It is evident that Motown had created a new tune that had never been heard before among the American youth, and thus it helped in the shaping of the 1960’s.

On February 19, 1940 Smokey Robinson was born. Save for founder Berry Gordy, no one has been more connected with the recording empire in Detroit known as Motown than the great William “Smokey” Robinson. First he leads the Miracles singing Group then he did other things such as being a producing at Motown, writing sons for them, he also became very close to Gordy you can say he was his right hand man. Smokey Miracles were signed second in Gordy’s management and production company. Motown was just a big old family and everyone knows family have affairs. The Primettes best known as the Supremes because they had later changed their name. They ended up auditioning at Motown because they knew Diana Ross she was a neighbor of Robinson’s. Between 1960 and 1971 the Miracles was really popping they scored twenty-seven pop soul hits with their leader Smokey Robinson songs such as “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Mickey’s Monkey,” “Going to a Go-Go” and “I Second That Emotion”.

Motown was established by Berry Gordy Jr. in the later winter of 1959. Then about 3 to 4 years later Motown Records,”was selling more singles and releasing more hits than any other record company.” (Classic Motown) Motown then soon became known as a central icon for many artists and just ordinary people. Motown had such a different and new sound that the people loved it and they wanted more. The love for this music has not gone away. People still listen and talk about the Motown sound and how it changed the way we looked at music. Motown created such fascinating sounds that would make you want to get up and dance. They would put soul, pop, and rock into everything they did. The best thing about Motown was that the artists and the bands and the recording people loved what they did they loved to sing dance play the instruments. This is what made them so successful that they did not have to try hard to love what they did.

It was no coincidence that rock ‘n’ roll and the civil rights movement started at the same time. The genre originated from African American music and was greatly discriminated against. Traditional white Americans would target anything bad about it. But as the teenager demographic of the 1950s started increasing the sales of the music, the genre started gaining more popularity. It was the style of Elvis Presley and his new voice that made girls weak in the knees and boys want to be him. Artists such as Presley had enough influence to change the view of their devoted fans on civil rights issues. Soon as protest songs and rock ‘n’ roll became more popular and influential, it began a gap between the young adult generation and their parents

During the Civil Rights era, African Americans changed the way people looked at music by ending the segregation in the music world and by making a well-known “soundtrack” and influence during the Civil Rights Movement.

     The birth of Motown music came to be in a small recording studio aptly named Hitsville, U.S.A. Barry Gordy, who came from a large middle class family had borrowed money in order. The main stage of Motown music came from a small house that had been remodeled into a recording studio, the name of the company was Hitsville, U.S.A. Mr. Gordy had gathered the best jazz and blues players in and Motown was born through his genius. This small but dynamic

At the turn of the decade Detroit became an important center for black singers and a certain type of sound called Motown, for Motown records. Popular exponents of this style are the Temptations,Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, and Gladys Knight and the

As stated in the introduction there were many successful Independent Record labels. If it wasn’t for Berry Gordy’s strong ambition and willingness to learn the music business through trial and error. Motown would not have the strong respects it holds today. Though Motown Records is not as big as it was during 1959 to 1972. Many artists to this day such as R& B singers Ne-Yo and Ashanti achieve success through Motown which now under Universal Music Group. This goes to show the incredible impact Motown served in the music industry. Berry Gordy played a role in almost every aspect eliminating performing, Berry wrote, produced, oversaw the label, managed, handled booking and much more. There is no denying that mogul Berry Gordy did not pour his

The broadcasting and recording industries did not solely represent the conquering racial assumptions of the 1950's, they internalized them and helped to continue them. Racial conventions permeated the organization and structure of the music industry at every level. The very existence

Eddie James “Son” House, Jr., an American blues singer and guitarist once stated, "People keep asking me where the blues started and all I can say is that when I was a boy we always was singing in the fields. Not real singing, you know, just hollerin', but we made up our songs about things that was happening to us at the time, and I think that's where the blues started (Cohn, 1993).”

Motown took the world over by surprise. The vivid and new sounds from Motown artists made screaming dedicated fans all over the world. With the addicted fans, Motown artists raised the bad and opened the eyes of those who thought African Americans would never amount to anything. Although there still happened to be racism, and prejudice, African Americans managed to become recognized and well known for their abilities. Not only were the Motown artists extraordinary talented, but they also were unbelievably strong and persistent for going against all those people out there who discriminated on them. They took the criticisms continued and went on with what they loved to do. One of the most famous groups during the

Hip hop music was much different music from the one heard on the radio. These disk jockeys were innovating a style that was popular in Jamaica.

while people of color resided and continued to reside in cities. During the early 80’s as a

In the 1960's, America was ready for a change. Black rhythm and blues known as Motown became popular. Bob