Carnival of Soul

The stars came out to pay homage to Motown Founder Berry Gordy this past weekend for a celebratory event commemorating the 60th anniversary of Motown Record Corporation. The three-day event started on Saturday September 21 and showcased an entertainment lineup  full of music, celebrities and dignitaries that converged on Detroit  for a celebration benefiting the Motown Museum.

Billed as Motown Weekend 60, the event  served as the ceremonial marker for the museum reaching the halfway point in the fundraising campaign—$25 million raised—and the start of construction on the first of four phases comprising the museum’s $50 million expansion project.

Motown Museum Chairwoman and CEO Robin Terry is the great niece of Berry Gordy and spoke passionately about her uncle’s legacy. Terry says the plans to expand the Motown museum was announced in 2016 and has garnered major contributions, sponsors and donations.
“It’s been such an important year for us to share Motown history and celebrate this milestone in a big way,” said Terry. “Our Motown 60 Weekend is the culmination of a year-long celebration all happening right here in Detroit.  Most importantly, we will honor and celebrate Motown’s iconic visionary founder Berry Gordy in Detroit where this story was born.”

Motown Gospel Concert – Saturday, Sept. 21 Triumph Church at the Detroit World Outreach Campus

Triumph Church at the Detroit World Outreach Campus hosted a free gospel concert as part of the Motown 60 Weekend. The concert featured a roster of super talent in today’s gospel music that included performances from Grammy Award-winning artist Regina Belle, Stellar Award-winning and current Motown Gospel label group Tye Tribbet & G.A., Tasha Page-Lockhart, winner of the gospel singing competition Sunday Best on BET and Detroit gospel royalty Kierra “Kiki” Sheard with an impromptu performance from  ‘America’s Got Talent’ finalists the Detroit Youth Choir.

Hundreds of  gospel music lovers and Motown fans filled the pews to help raise the $50 million dollars projected for the Motown Museum’s expansion. Detroit resident Tonia Baley  shared her thoughts after the concert. “I visited the Motown Museum for the first time 2 years ago, and it was just beautiful. It was full of rich history so I really think they should expand it so more people can see it.”

“People are coming together and praising the Lord,” says  Motown fan Dianne Mato, “and also commemorating 60 years of Motown which I grew up with and love.”

Bishop Walter L. Starghill Jr.  also enjoyed the concert and expressed how important it is to expand the museum to serve a new larger audience. “We came together as one under the music and umbrella of Motown with artists like Regina Bell and the new Detroit Youth Choir, says Bishop Starhghill.  That’s very significant that our legacy continues on and the vision for our young people continues to grow.”

Hitsville Next: Ground Breaking Ceremony – Sunday, Sept. 22:  at the Motown Museum

Sunday morning started off with a ground breaking ceremony at the Hitsville Motown Museum located at its landmark on Berry Gordy Jr. Boulevard in Detroit.   Hitsville is the original studio of Motown and currently serves as a  museum for over 70,000  visitors annually.  It was announced in 2016 that the museum will expand to a 50,000 square feet attraction located in the heart of Detroit, with a planned campus center for innovative educational and community programming.

The outdoor event titled Motown Next, was well attended with Berry Gordy’s  great niece Robin Terry, who serves as the Chairwoman and CEO of Motown Museum and her sister Elesha Bridgers along with special guests Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and Rev. Jesse Jackson.  Detroit’s favorite radio personality Donnie Simpson, Marvin Gaye III, and ‘First Lady of Motown’ Claudette Rogers Robinson were also present.

Governor  Whitmer says the Motown Museum is a celebration of the music that changed America.    “By the time this project is finished, tens of thousands of people will come to Detroit to learn about the city’s history, it’s contributions to pop culture, and some of the incredible people who have called it home.”

The crowd of over 200 people along with the news media cheered when Berry Gordy stepped to the podium. His first words reflected his love for his family and how his older sister played an important role in Motown’s success. “Who I  really want to honor here today is my big sister Esther Gordy Edwards,” Gordy says with emotion. “I was throwing out stuff and she was running around picking it up.  She took all this memorabilia and created this phenomenon monument, The Motown Museum. Esther Thank you!”

Hitsville Honors: – Sunday, Sept. 22 at Orchestra Hall

Hitsville Honors was a powerful musical tribute to Motown’s 60 year legacy and a tribute to Motown pioneer Berry Gordy who founded the Motown label in 1959. The afternoon started with a red carpet media blitz at The Orchestra Hall in Detroit with Motown alumni, guests of honors, and Berry Gordy’s family and longtime friends.

Some of the red carpet guests included Chae Stephen (Actor for Pride And Joy musical play), Charles Davis (original lead singer of Motown group The Contours), Claudette Rogers Robinson (former wife of Smokey Robinson, First Lady of Motown), Rhonda Ross (daughter of Diana Ross and Berry Gordy), Tasha Page- Lockhart (Stellar Award winning recording artist), Pamela Moffett (Award winning Motown songwriter), Levi Stubbs Jr. (son of  Four Tops original group member Levi Stubbs), and Beth Griffith-Manley (The Voice contestant-Season 17).

The evening turned into a star-studded gala with over 2000 people in attendance.   The 3 1/2 hour event was hosted by actor Hill Harper who presented  several awards to pioneers in the industry including Award winning television producer Debra Lee (Esther Gordy Edwards Award of Excellence); Grammy Award winning Motown Artist Ne-Yo (Spirit of Motown Award); Paul Riser (Motown 60 Hitsville Honors Award)  Shelly Berger (Motown 60 Hitsville Honors Award), and Legendary Motown Executive Susan dePasse  (The Game Changer Award).

Motown’s alumni; The Temptations, Four Tops, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, and The Velvelettes performed on stage with some of their original members.  They later joined with contemporary artists Ne-Yo, Big Sean, and Doug E. Fresh to sing together onstage, Stevie Wonders’ hit song ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours’.

The final award was presented by Award winning Producer-Director Lee Daniels who made a surprise onstage visit. Daniels expressed his endearment to Motown’s music when he presented Gordy with the Motown Legacy Award.  Berry Gordy, who is known for his influential music career and entrepreneurial vision will be celebrating his 90th birthday in November.  Earlier this month, he personally donated $4 million to the Motown Museum fundraising campaign.

In thanking the audience for his award he became  emotional when  announcing his retirement from the music industry.
“For years I have dreamt about it, talked about it, threatened it and tried to do it. In fact, this has gone on for so many years that those trying to help me retire (have) retired themselves. It is time for me to spend my next 60 years reflection on how fortunate I am, how much I appreciate and love all of you and how wonderful my life has been, and will continue to be.”

About the Author:  Don Howze is an Emmy Award Winning Film/Tape Editor and Associate Professor of Journalism who has taught at numerous colleges including Kennedy-King College of Chicago, UCLA Extension Journalism Department and Columbia College Chicago.  Don’s Emmy nominated documentary A Star For Marvin Gaye will premiere this fall on Amazon Prime Video.  Interviews conducted by Contributing Author, Daina Howze.