One of my favorite oldie music genres is Motown, Motown has been around for years. It has a wonderful history and it has a deep impact on american culture. This music has been listened to this day and loved by many,
Motown was formed in 1959 in HitsVIlle Detroit, by Berry Gorry. Berry Gorry worked in the automobile industry and he was also a boxer. His inspiration for forming Motwn was his work in the automobile industry, According to the Motown museum Gorry claimed "Every day I watched how a bare metal frame, rolling down the line would come off the other end, a spanking brand new car. What a great idea! Maybe, I could do the same thing with my music. Create a place where a kid off the street could walk in one door, an unknown, go through a process, and come out another door, a star." That wasn't the only lesson that working in the automobile taught him. It taught him a lesson of high quality standard that produced hit artists like The Supremes and The Temptations. Berry Gorry's company was one of the first black-owned and runned companies of it's time. The company's first release was Marv Johnson's Come to Me in 1959, while a year later it had its first hit was by The Supremes called Mr.Postman. Motown has led the way for other artists like the Jackson 5, Mavin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Motown also was inducted into the hall of fame in the late 1980's and had over 180 worldwide hits. With that much success Motown has left its mark on the world.
Motown has shaped civil rights for black people and POC (people of color). The Supremes were one of the first black groups to perform on Ed Sullivan's variety show, with hits like Stop in The Name of Love. Berry Gorry was one of the first people to hire a diverse workforce from black, to white people. Many of Motown's songs were also protest songs like The Temptations' Stop the war now which was a protest song about ending the war with Vietnam. On many occasions Berry Gold has helped fund Martin Luther King JR, famed civil rights activist. He also helped release an album of Martin Luther King's JR speeches called "The Great March to Freedom: Reverend Martin Luther King Speaks".
With its history Motown has become a pop culture icon. The impact Motwn has is undeniable, and we see it today. Motown music is still being listened to today and placed itself in people's hearts. As we move forward we should black people and people of color for creating such wonderful music.
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Motown: A short essay on the history of Motown music
Non-FictionThis is short essay on the history of Motown music and the impact it played on American society.