Motown Museum - - Motown Museum Home of Hitsville U.S.A. RSS Facebook Twitter YouTube About the Motown Museum Despite the passage of time since Motown Records’ establishment in 1959 by Berry Gordy, tens of thousands of visitors pass through Hitsville U.S.A., home to the Motown Museum, each year. Their presence is a testimony to Motown’s legacy and to the charisma, talent and staying power of the music and those who made it. The Motown Museum, which was founded by Esther Gordy Edwards in 1985, is one of Southeast Michigan’s most popular tourist destinations. Visitors come from across America and throughout the world to stand in Studio A, where their favorite artists and groups recorded much-loved music, and to view the restored upper flat where Berry Gordy, Jr. lived with his young family during the company’s earliest days... continue reading... Hitsville USA - Detroit - LocalWiki Hitsville USA View Edit Overview Hitsville USA, located at 2648 W. Grand Blvd has been known worldwide as the capital of Motown records even long after its recording equipment stopped spinning.

Today, Hitsville stands in the same place it did in 1959 when the Motown founder, Berry Gordy, Jr. purchased it. Once the main recording studio for Motown records, Hitsville has since been converted to “The Motown Museum”. The conversion did not drastically alter the aesthetics of most of the property, making it very much recognizable as the famed studio that cultivated world-famous artists such as The Supremes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, and many, many others. By Blob4000 at en.wikipedia Later versions were uploaded by FuriousFreddy at en.wikipedia. [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons Mr. Gordy, Jr. takes out a loan. Berry Gordy was born in November 28th 1929 and was the seventh of 8 children. His parents Berry Gordy Sr. and Bertha Ida Fuller were entrepreneurs owning a total of 5 companies. One of which was a plastering company that Gordy Jr. begrudgingly worked for as a youngster. His parents, like many others, came to Detroit from Georgia, enticed by the promise of the growing Auto industry1.

Gordy Jr., inspired by Joe Louis, trained hard to become a professional boxer where he fought in a number of matches from 1947-19502 including one in 1948 where his name appeared on the same fight card as Louis3. In 1951 Gordy Jr. served 3 years in the Korean war, where he drove the chaplain to and from the front lines4. Upon returning home, Gordy took up work at the Ford Assembly line. Although he despised this work and only stayed a week, he found musical inspiration amid the rhythmic clicking and whirring of the machinery. He often found himself humming along to the “beat” as he completed his monotonous work5. He started his musical career as a writer but made minimal money writing for acts such as Jackie Wilson. His early work as a writer and producer was under a company named Jobete, a contraction of his children’s names. His first royalty check, which surmounted to a huge dissapointment, was for $3.19. Encouraged by his friend Smokey Robinson and driven by his aspirations, Gordy decided to open his own recording business6.

In 1959, Gordy Jr. approached his family in need of seed capital. Along with his 7 siblings and his parents, Gordy Jr. created a family fund dubbed, Ber-Berry, in which they each deposited $10 a month. Of the fund’s operation, Gordy Jr. once recalled, “It was easy to put money in, but impossible to get it out.7” A withdrawal form the Ber-Berry fund required a unanimous agreement from the entire family. Fortunately, Gordy Jr. was successful in his pitch for the 1959 loan and walked out of the family meeting with $8008. He paid this back a year later with 6% interest and 30 years later, he sold Motown records for $61 million9. With his initial $800 loan, Gordy Jr. put a downpayment on a two-story house located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard . He named the house “Hitsville” and intended to turn it into a “music factory”. The mechanical beats laid out by the machines on the assembly line were not the only inspiration he drew from Ford Motor Company.

He also wished to take an “assembly line” approach to turn aspiring singers into superstars10. The effectiveness of this approach is obvious in the company's’ 1966 “hits ratio” (the percentage of records released that made the national charts) which reached an impressive 75%11. Upon purchasing the property, music production work began promptly. Curtains from a theater were used to soundproof the room and his father’s plastering company helped to fill cracks and fix holes in walls. The house boasted an attached photography studio which was later converted into the famous “Studio A” in which early Motown superstars recorded. Gordy Jr. took up residence on the second floor of Hitsville, where he lived from 1956-1959. In the years following the original purchase of Hitsville, Motown would expand across a total of 8 neighboring properties along West Grand Boulevard. All of the properties were a former residential houses. They were re-purposed to hold particular Motown business or production-related offices, supporting the Motown label, as well as the company’s numerous sister labels. At the time, DJs could only play 3 songs per record company per hour.

To circumvene this limitation, Gordy Jr. created 32 different record labels, all under the umbrella of Motown. He often sent seemingly random people to deliver records to disk jockeys as a means of disguising his ruse12. Hitsville was loved by the artists who spent countless hours recording their hits in its comfortable atmosphere. In the early days, hot, homestyle meals, were enjoyed by whoever was lucky enough to be around for supper time. Mary Wilson of the Supremes recounts more casual times when she and fellow members of the group would sit in on recording sessions of artists like Mary Wells, Mabel John, and Henry Lumpkin, attempting to learn as much as they could. When the Headquarters of Motown records was moved downtown to the Donovan Building in 1968, many of the artists complained of its cold, unfamiliar atmosphere, and they yearned for of the good times they enjoyed when recording at 2648 W Grand Blvd13. What was left behind Hitsville continued to record Motown music even after the company’s headquarters were moved to the Donovan building in downtown Detroit.

In 1985 the Motown Museum was opened and the famed studios that pumped out Motown hits became accessible to the general public. Consisting of the first two houses purchased under Motown Records, The museum has changed little since the days of recording. Everything from the switchboards and recording machines, down to the rolodex that sits open on the desk in the lobby have been preserved for generations to come. The vending machine sits in the hallway exactly where it was when Stevie Wonder would frequent it. The Baby Ruth, his favorite candy bar, is still positioned four spots from the left, a location that the vending machine clerk took extra care to keep consistent so the visually impaired Motown star would have no trouble satisfying his sweet tooth. An archaeological approach to examining the details of this historical property reveals many interesting anecdotes of the prolific record company. Worn floor tiles in the studio’s production room mark where sound engineers thumped their feet along with the beats of the songs blaring through the speakers. On the second floor, a square hole in the ceiling, leading to the attic, is located where it was in the 1960s. This strange acoustic feature was designed by Berry Gordy Jr.

as a “shower simulator”, an idea inspired by the common belief that voices sounded best while singing in the shower. Referred to as “the echo chamber”14 artists would record portions of many tunes here. The echo effect that the “chamber” gave to instruments and to a singer’s voice can be heard in many Motown recordings. For example, in the Temptations song “My Girl”, the rhythmic, snapping that is heard throughout the song was achieved by snapping into the “echo chamber”. An elegant Steinway and Sons Grand piano sits in Studio A where is was once played during recording sessions. Having fallen into disrepair, the old piano was in much need of restoration work, which was completed in 2012 thanks to generous funding from Paul McCartney. For the restoration work, Motown Records returned the piano to Steinway and Sons in order to maintain the instrument’s authenticity. In 2012, upon the restoration’s completion, McCartney was joined by Berry Gordy Jr. at a performance in Steinway Hall to raise money for the Motown Museum15. 1. Gordy, Jr.

1994 KLM Travel Guide - Swinging in the Motown Museum Swinging in the Motown Museum  Arts & Culture Swinging in the Motown Museum Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Jackson Five, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder: these are only a handful of the names that became world famous with Motown. In 1959, Berry Gordy founded his record label Motown in 2 simple houses on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. Above the door he hung a sign saying ‘Hitsville USA’. Arrogant? Perhaps, but he certainly proved himself right. Gordy borrowed $800 from his family, transformed the garage into a studio and his kitchen into a control room, and the Motown record label was born. The world-famous name is a combination of ‘motor’ and ‘town’: Detroit, the centre of the car industry, was also known as the Motorcity, and Gordy preferred the term ‘town’ to ‘city’. The 2 houses where Gordy founded the label now accommodate the Motown Museum.

 Detroit: the cradle of the Motown label Detroit > Flights A fascinating new sound Shortly after founding his record label, Gordy achieved his first hit. ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ by Barrett Strong made the music charts in 1960 and reached second place in the Billboard R&B Chart. In the following years, more hits followed, including ‘My Girl’ by The Temptations, and in 1968 5 of the top 10 records in the Billboard Hot 100 were by Motown artists. The label also radically changed white Americans’ view of black music. The new sound fascinated both white and black youth. Soon, Motown, which represented artists who mostly came from the Detroit ghettos, had become the most successful African-American company in the United States. “Maybe I could create a place where a kid could walk in one door, an unknown, and come out another door, a star – Berry Gordy, founder of Motown”  Hitsville USA Home away from home Hitsville USA was also lovingly called ‘Motown U’ because the record label resembled a university campus.

Artists not only recorded their albums, they also rehearsed their choreographies and were taught etiquette by Mrs Maxine Powell. If the musicians were not working, they hung around on the porch or played baseball and table tennis. Hitsville USA was open 24 hours a day. For many it was a ‘home away from home’. After many hits, the label was bursting at the seams and in 1968, Motown moved into a bigger office downtown. Sing in Studio A The Motown Museum still exudes the atmosphere of the record label’s glory days. Visit the original recording studio (Studio A) and control room where many great artists recorded their albums. Imagine you are a big star and sing a few bars of your favourite Motown hit. Note the linoleum that has been worn down by many feet-tapping artists. The museum is decorated with photos and albums. There are also displays of the original costumes worn by famous artists, including one of Michael Jackson’s hats. A visit will make you realize how amazing it is that such a small house generated so many huge hits.  Studio A Motown Recording Studios - CDs and Vinyl at Discogs Motown Recording Studios Recording studio based in Hollywood, California, USA.

AKA Hitsville West Studios For the original Motown 'Hitsville' studio in Detroit, use Hitsville USA Studios, Detroit (Source of the name, from the Detroit 'Motor Town') Contact Info: KLM Reseguide - Swinging in the Motown Museum Swinging in the Motown Museum  Konst & kultur Swinging in the Motown Museum Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Jackson Five, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder: these are only a handful of the names that became world famous with Motown. In 1959, Berry Gordy founded his record label Motown in 2 simple houses on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. Above the door he hung a sign saying ‘Hitsville USA’. Arrogant? Perhaps, but he certainly proved himself right. Gordy borrowed $800 from his family, transformed the garage into a studio and his kitchen into a control room, and the Motown record label was born. The world-famous name is a combination of ‘motor’ and ‘town’: Detroit, the centre of the car industry, was also known as the Motorcity, and Gordy preferred the term ‘town’ to ‘city’.

The 2 houses where Gordy founded the label now accommodate the Motown Museum.  Detroit: the cradle of the Motown label Detroit > Flygresor A fascinating new sound Shortly after founding his record label, Gordy achieved his first hit. ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ by Barrett Strong made the music charts in 1960 and reached second place in the Billboard R&B Chart. In the following years, more hits followed, including ‘My Girl’ by The Temptations, and in 1968 5 of the top 10 records in the Billboard Hot 100 were by Motown artists. The label also radically changed white Americans’ view of black music. The new sound fascinated both white and black youth. Soon, Motown, which represented artists who mostly came from the Detroit ghettos, had become the most successful African-American company in the United States.

“Maybe I could create a place where a kid could walk in one door, an unknown, and come out another door, a star – Berry Gordy, founder of Motown”  Hitsville USA Home away from home Hitsville USA was also lovingly called ‘Motown U’ because the record label resembled a university campus. Artists not only recorded their albums, they also rehearsed their choreographies and were taught etiquette by Mrs Maxine Powell. If the musicians were not working, they hung around on the porch or played baseball and table tennis. Hitsville USA was open 24 hours a day. For many it was a ‘home away from home’. After many hits, the label was bursting at the seams and in 1968, Motown moved into a bigger office downtown. Sing in Studio A The Motown Museum still exudes the atmosphere of the record label’s glory days. Visit the original recording studio (Studio A) and control room where many great artists recorded their albums. Imagine you are a big star and sing a few bars of your favourite Motown hit. Note the linoleum that has been worn down by many feet-tapping artists. The museum is decorated with photos and albums.

There are also displays of the original costumes worn by famous artists, including one of Michael Jackson’s hats. A visit will make you realize how amazing it is that such a small house generated so many huge hits.  Studio A Motown Musuem Our Motown Heritage (Part 24) The Motown Historical Museum (PICTURE TOUR OF OUR MOTOWN HERITAGE) by Robert Dennis In the 1960's an independent record company in Detroit, Michigan began creating and marketing hit records better and in larger volume than any record company in the world. The name of this record company was Motown. The recording techniques that were developed by Motown in the mid 60's were part of the formula for the company's success. Even today, many of the recording techniques used find their roots in this "Motown Sound" of the 60's. The Motown Historical Museum includes the original Hitsville USA building that housed Motown's original recording studio on West Grand Blvd. in Detroit. I worked for Motown 1963-1968. I was the "Disc Recording ("Mastering") Supervisor and had other responsibilities in the engineering department and in quality control of the sound quality.

The recording student and the recording engineer of today will find a visit to the museum both interesting and informative. Recording EQ would like to give you a glimpse of our "Motown Recording Heritage." The Original Hitsville USA The outside of the East museum building looks much like it looked in the 60's with the "Hitsville USA" sign above the large display windows. In front of the building is the official State of Michigan plaque declaring this a historical site. When I worked for Motown (1963-1968) the basement of this building housed the Engineering Department. The Control Room was on the first floor and the studio was in an addition in the back. The attic had an acoustic reverberation chamber in it. Before I left, Motown had installed a mix room in a close-by building and had another studio miles away. Read the Motown Heritage article about winter at the spread out 1960's Motown . The Original Console The recording console just routed and mixed the signals. Racks of gear to shape the sound had to be "patched" into the console. The Control Room was small, but for some reason you could cram a lot of people into it.

The panels of the console were custom built by Motown's engineering department. Read the Motown Heritage article about Motown's custom engineering . The famous reverberation of the 1960's was obtained by acoustic chambers built into the three main Motown building attics and patched into the console during mixing. The patch points for the three chambers were labeled with the address of the building (like "2648") The Equipment Racks The back of the control room had racks of equipment that could be patched into the console. In a modern console much of this gear would actually be in the console housing. Read the Motown Heritage article about the racks catching on fire. The original 3 track tape machine (Left) recorded many hits in its day. The first Motown 8 track (middle rack) took over a year to build and install. In those days you couldn't buy an 8 track from the music store. Read the Motown Heritage article about how these machines tended to break tape . The Studio The studio was fair-sized and had "good" acoustics. Mic cables were fed from the ceiling so the cords weren't stepped on.

The studio was actually an addition on the back of the building - similar to how you may add a recording studio to your house. Studio A - Motown Museum - Motown Museum Home of Hitsville U.S.A. THE COLLECTION Studio A What could be more exciting for a Motown lover than standing on the exact spot where the Supremes first issued the command to “Stop in the Name of Love”? Original instruments and equipment, dating from 1959 through 1972, stand ready for the legendary producers, singers and musicians to return for the next recording session. CONTROL ROOM Imagine Norman Whitfield, Eddie Holland, Smokey Robinson or Lamont Dozier at the helm of the recording console in Hitsville U.S.A.’s Control Room as the Temptations, Miracles or Marvelettes, backed up by the Funk Brothers, tuned up for another jammin’ session in Studio A. Motown Note The recording equipment displayed in the Control Room dates back to the early 1960s. Many of Motown’s earliest hits—”Shop Around,” “Please, Mr. Postman,” and “Do You Love Me? (Now that I Can Dance)”—were recorded using this console.

Although the company’s headquarters moved to downtown Detroit in 1968, Studio A continued to be used as Motown’s principal recording venue until 1972. History - Classic Motown History Store Berry Gordy Receives $800 Loan Berry Gordy Jr. launches Tamla Records with an $800 loan from the Gordy family savings fund, and releases Marv Johnson’s “Come To Me.” Read more Birth Of The Motortown Revue The “Gordy Star Attractions Show” makes its debut, featuring the Miracles, Marv Johnson and Mable John, among others. Read more Home Of The Hits On West Grand Blvd. Berry Gordy buys a two-story house at 2648 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, and puts up a sign to signal his intentions: Hitsville U.S.A. Read more 'Bad Girl' Makes Good With Chess The Miracles’ “Bad Girl,” written by Berry Gordy and William “Smokey” Robinson, is released under license to Chess Records. Read more Money (That's What I Want) First released on Tamla Records, Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” is a hit when nationally distributed by Anna Records.

Read more Mary Wells' Debut Single "Bye Bye Baby" is the debut Motown single by 17-year-old Mary Wells, who wrote the song herself. Read more Marvin Gaye signs to Motown After singing with the Moonglows, Marvin Gaye moves to Detroit and, through group leader Harvey Fuqua’s contacts, joins Motown. Read more The Miracles' First National Hit The Miracles’ first national hit, “Shop Around” is released, after Berry Gordy summons the Miracles to the studio at 3 a.m. to re-record the song. Read more The Supremes Sign To Motown The Supremes sign to Motown, with their first 45 on the Tamla label, “I Want A Guy,” released in March. Read more Motown Sign Little Stevie Wonder Berry Gordy signs Little Stevie Wonder after an impressive audition at Hitsville by the 11-year-old, playing several instruments. Read more The Temptations' Debut Single “Oh Mother Of Mine,” the Temptations’ debut for Motown Records, is issued on the company’s Miracle label. Read more Motown's First No. 1 Motown ends the year with its first No.

1 on the pop charts: “Please Mr. Postman” by the Marvelettes. Read more First Holland/Dozier/ Holland Teamwork Motown issues “Dearest One” by Lamont Dozier, his first song written with Eddie and Brian Holland. Read more First Top 20 Single For Gordy Label The Gordy label gains its first Top 20 success with “Do You Love Me” by the Contours. Read more The Motortown Revue Begins The first “Motortown Revue” package tour of more than two dozen cities begins in Washington, DC. Read more Marvin Gaye Enters The Charts Marvin Gaye has his first Top 50 pop hit with “Stubborn Kind Of Fellow.” Read more Holland/Dozier/ Holland Chart Success The Marvelettes’ “Locking Up My Heart” is released to become an early chart success for the Holland/Dozier/Holland team. Read more The Four Tops Sign To Motown The Four Tops sign to Motown, and begin recording in Studio A at Hitsville. Read more The 12 Year Old Genius Little Stevie Wonder’s The 12 Year Old Genius Recorded Live is Motown’s first No.

1 album, as “Fingertips – Pt. 2” tops the Hot 100. Read more Motown Signs U.K. License Deal Motown kicks off its new U.K. license deal with EMI Records with the release of Martha & the Vandellas’ “Heat Wave”. Read more Motown launches Soul label Motown launches its Soul label with Shorty Long’s “Devil With The Blue Dress” whilst Jimmy Ruffin and Jr. Walker & The All Stars join the roster. Read more My Guy Tops The Beatles “My Guy” by Mary Wells becomes Motown’s fourth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the company's first major U.K. hit. Read more The Supremes' Chart Success The Supremes begin their run of five consecutive No. 1 hits with “Where Did Our Love Go”. Read more Smokey Pens My Girl The Temptations get together with Smokey Robinson at Hitsville’s Studio A to record a new song, “My Girl.” Read more Tamla Motown U.K.

Tour The Tamla Motown label is launched in the U.K., while Martha & the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, the Miracles and the Supremes begin touring England, Scotland and Wales. Read more Motown's 10th No. 1 The Four Tops achieve Motown Records’ tenth No. 1 with “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch).” Read more The Supremes' debut at Copacabana The Supremes make their triumphant debut at New York’s Copacabana nightclub. Read more Brenda opens for the Beatles Brenda Holloway opens for the Beatles at the group’s historic concert at Shea Stadium, New York. Read more Temptin' Temptations hits the charts Temptin’ Temptations is the first of the group’s two Top 20 albums this year; the second is Gettin’ Ready. Read more Marvin Gaye At The Copa The latest Motown star to play New York’s Copacabana is Marvin Gaye. Read more The Four Tops Hit No.1 The Four Tops’ “Reach Out I’ll Be There” is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Read more The Temptations Enter the Top 10, Again Motown takes its thirteenth Top 10 pop hit of the year with the Temptations’ “(I Know) I’m Losing You.” Read more Stevie's Back On Track Motown releases Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made To Love Her” to become his biggest hit since “Fingertips – Pt. 2.” Read more Presenting Diana Ross & The Supremes “Reflections” is the first release to feature new billing for Motown’s prime attraction: Diana Ross & the Supremes. Read more Motown's Chart Triumph Motown takes ten of Billboard’s top 100 best-selling albums, including Diana Ross & the Supremes’ Greatest Hits at No. 1. Read more I Heard It Through The Grapevine Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” is No. 1 on the R&B best-sellers and No. 2 on the pop charts. Read more First Motown No.1 Album in the U.K. The Four Tops’ Greatest Hits takes the top slot in the U.K. from the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Read more Motown HQ Moves Motown Record Corp. officially opens its new Detroit headquarters in downtown’s Woodward Avenue, moved from West Grand Boulevard. Read more The Jackson 5 Audition, Dennis Edwards Joins The Temps The Jackson 5 audition for Motown, and the Temptations gain a new lead singer. Read more Motown Take Half the Top 10 Motown takes half the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, including the Top 3 with Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross & the Supremes. Read more Marvin Sits On The Top Spot America’s No. 1 single this entire month is “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye. Read more Motown earns its first Grammy® award with the Temptations’ “Cloud Nine.” Read more The Jackson 5 Are Unveiled Motown throws a launch party in Los Angeles for the Jackson 5, and unveils its new rock label, Rare Earth, in Detroit. Read more Diana To Leave The Supremes Billboard reports Motown’s announcement that Diana Ross will leave the Supremes for a solo career, with Jean Terrell to join the “new” Supremes.

Read more Diana Ross & the Supremes play their final show together at the Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas. Read more The Jackson 5 Are On A Roll With “I Want You Back,” the Jackson 5 score the first of four consecutive No. 1 hits this year. Read more Tamla Motown Invades the U.K. Charts Tamla-Motown takes a quarter of the U.K. Top 20 with hits by Edwin Starr, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Diana Ross and Jimmy Ruffin. Read more Motown's Seventh No.1 Of The Year Motown triumphs with its seventh No.1 of the year on the Billboard Hot 100 with Smokey Robinson & the Miracles’ “The Tears Of A Clown.” Read more Motown Wins Its 2nd Grammy® Motown wins its second-ever Grammy® award, for Dr. Martin Luther King’s album, Why I Oppose The War In Vietnam. Read more What's Going On One of Motown’s greatest music milestones, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On album, is released.

Read more MoWest Scores A Chart Hit Motown's new L.A.-based label, MoWest, has its first chart entry with Tom Clay's "What The World Needs Now Is Love/Abraham, Martin and John". Read more The Jackson 5 Become TV Stars Motown’s latest TV stars are the Jackson 5, front and center in their own special, Goin’ Back To Indiana, and a cartoon series, The Jackson 5ive. Read more The Commodores' Debut The Commodores’ debut Motown single, “The Zoo (The Human Zoo),” is released on the MoWest label. Read more Marvin Performs What's Going On Marvin Gaye performs What’s Going On in its entirety at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Read more Stevie Opens for The Rolling Stones Stevie Wonder kicks off a 50-date itinerary opening for the Rolling Stones, and the Jackson 5 begin a nationwide summer tour in New York. Read more Smokey's Final Performance With The Miracles Smokey Robinson & the Miracles play their final concerts together in Washington, D.C. Read more The Temptations Take 3 Grammy® Awards Motown’s 30th No.

1 hit, “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” by the Temptations, takes three Grammy® awards. Read more Diana's First Solo No.1 Album Diana Ross scores her first solo No. 1 album with the soundtrack from Lady Sings The Blues, in which she plays the late jazz singer, Billie Holiday. Read more Stevie Wonder Releases Innervisions Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions album is released, three days before the musician is involved in a traumatic auto accident in North Carolina. Read more Marvin's First No. 1 in 4 Years “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye is his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.” Read more Stevie Wonder Wins 5 Grammys® Stevie Wonder is honoured with five Grammy® awards, including Album of the Year for Innervisions, and two for “Superstition.” Read more 'Diana Ross Month' Motown declares this to be “Diana Ross Month,” with her new album, Live At Caesar’s Palace, at its centerpiece. Read more Jimmy Ruffin Returns To U.K.

Top 10 Jimmy Ruffin’s 1966 smash, “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted,” is a U.K. Top 10 hit for the second time. Read more Fulfillingness' First Finale Hits No.1 Motown is No. 1 on the album charts once more, with Stevie Wonder’s Fulfillingness’ First Finale. Read more Stevie Cleans Up At The Grammys® Stevie Wonder makes a second consecutive sweep of the Grammy® awards, this time with Fulfillingness’ First Finale. Read more A Quiet Storm Smokey Robinson’s third solo album, A Quiet Storm, is released, later to inspire an entire music radio format. Read more The Commodores Enter The Top 20 “Slippery When Wet” becomes the Commodores’ first Top 20 success on the Billboard Hot 100 as the group’s popularity grows. Read more Mahogany Opens In New York Diana Ross’ second feature film, Mahogany, directed by Berry Gordy, opens in New York. Read more Motown Embraces Disco Disco rules. Among the winners are the Miracles ("Love Machine") and Diana Ross ("Love Hangover"), both with No.

1 hits. Read more The Supremes' Final Top 40 Hit The Supremes enjoy their final Top 40 hit on the pop charts with “I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking.” Read more Marvin Sells Out Royal Albert Hall Marvin Gaye performs his first-ever concerts in the U.K., selling out London’s Royal Albert Hall and adding a show at the London Palladium. Read more Stevie's Songs In The Key Of Life Tops The Charts Stevie Wonder’s Songs in The Key of Life begins a 14-week run at the top of the Billboard album charts. Read more Stevie's Fifth No.1 Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” becomes his fifth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Motown’s 40th. Read more Thelma Houston Sets A Motown First “Don’t Leave Me This Way” by Thelma Houston is the first Motown single to reach No. 1 on the pop, R&B and dance charts. Read more Marvin's Live At The London Palladium Climbs The Charts Marvin’s Live At The London Palladium climbs into the Top 3 of the album charts as “Got To Give It Up” heads for No. 1.

Read more The Supremes Perform Their Last Concert The Supremes – Mary Wilson, Susaye Greene, Scherrie Payne – perform their last concert together, at London’s Theatre Royal. Read more Rick James' Breakthrough Rick James’ first Motown album, Come Get It, is released, featuring his breakthrough hit, “You And I.” Read more The Commodores' First No.1 “Three Times A Lady,” written by Lionel Richie, is the first No. 1 on the pop charts for the Commodores. Read more Motown Premieres The Wiz Motown Productions premieres its newest movie, The Wiz, starring Diana Ross and co-starring Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor. Read more Marvin Releases Here, My Dear Here, My Dear, Marvin Gaye’s emotional farewell to his first wife, Anna, is released.

Read more Pops We Love You Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson hit the charts with their four-way tribute to Berry Gordy’s late father, “Pops We Love You.” Read more Rick James Lends A Hand Teena Marie is Motown’s newest hitmaker as “I’m Just A Sucker For Your Love,” written and produced by Rick James, debuts on the R&B charts. Read more Bonnie Pointer Brings Back A Classic A Motown hit from the 1960s returns to the limelight as Bonnie Pointer’s update of “Heaven Must Have Sent You” reaches the Top 20. Read more Stevie Performs His First Movie Soundtrack Stevie Wonder performs music from his first movie soundtrack, Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants, at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. Read more Motown's Newest Success: Billy Preston & Syreeta Motown’s newest international success is “With You I’m Born Again” by Billy Preston & Syreeta, a Top 3 hit in the UK.

Read more The Temptations Are Chartbound Once More Re-signed to Motown, the Temptations are chartbound once more with “Power,” co-written and co-produced by Berry Gordy. Read more Jermaine Jackson Gets Serious Jermaine Jackson has a new Top 10 hit with “Let’s Get Serious,” written and produced by Stevie Wonder. Read more A Tribute To Bob Marley A tribute to reggae godfather Bob Marley, “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” becomes Stevie Wonder’s 22nd Top 10 smash. Read more Marvin Releases His Final Album For Motown Marvin Gaye’s final album for Motown, In Our Lifetime, is released. Read more Motown Celebrates Smokey's Success Motown kicks off a year-long celebration of Smokey Robinson’s 25th anniversary in showbiz, following his biggest-ever solo hit, “Being With You.” Read more Rick James Storms The Charts Street Songs by Rick James hits the Top 5 of the album charts, going on to sell more than three million copies. Read more Diana & Lionel Love, Endlessly Diana Ross & Lionel Richie’s “Endless Love” begins its nine-week run at No.

1 to become one of Motown’s all-time top-selling singles. Read more Stevie Prepares His Original Musiquarium I Motown announces that Stevie Wonder has re-signed with the company, and prepares the release of his Original Musiquarium I set. Read more Gordy Co-Produces A Hit For Charlene Charlene’s “I’ve Never Been To Me,” co-produced by Berry Gordy, is a Top 3 success, almost five years after its first release. Read more The New Hitmakers: The Dazz Band The Dazz Band are Motown’s newest hitmakers as “Let It Whip” becomes a Top 5 smash on the pop charts. Read more Lionel Pens His First Solo Hit The first single from Lionel Richie’s latest album, “Truly” is his first No. 1 as a solo singer/songwriter. Read more Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever An NBC-TV special, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, celebrates the artists and music of the company’s extraordinary quarter-century. Read more Hitsville vs. Soulsville: How Detroit and Memphis are embracing their soul music heritage Hitsville vs.

Soulsville: How Detroit and Memphis are embracing their soul music heritage Glen Morren & Craig Meek | Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Hitsville U.S.A., home of the Motown Museum Doug Coombe Stax Records embraced the raw, live energy that came from its studio being located in a converted movie theater in a south Memphis neighborhood. Andrew Breig Stax Museum of American Soul Music United Sound Systems Helluva, producer in United Sound Systems Studio B Doug Coombe The Stax Music Academy provides after-school mentoring and music education with a focus on at-risk youth. Stax Music Academy A museum exhibit features a replica of the Soul Train dance floor, circa 1970, with original footage from the program. Looney Ricks Kiss Suits worn by the Dramatics inside of United Sound Systems Recording Studio Doug Coombe The Michigan Audio Historical Society Museum Doug Coombe This feature was produced in collaboration between Model D and its sister publication High Ground Memphis . There were two rival labels – and two cities – that defined soul music in the public consciousness. And fans still debate their preferences between the polished Motown soul of Detroit and the gritty Stax soul from Memphis.

Where Motown boasted an in-house finishing school, Stax embraced the raw, live energy that came from its studio being located in a converted movie theater with a sloped, concert hall-like floor. Motown self-proclaimed its studios to be Hitsville, U.S.A., while Stax's neighborhood called itself Soulsville, U.S.A. The rest, as they say, is history, and Motown and Stax have come to define their hometowns in the eyes of the world. So how are those cities embracing their soul music heritage and turning it into a cultural and economic asset? Hitsville, U.S.A. Techno, rock, punk, jazz, and hip hop -- the pantheon of 20th century music has representatives from Detroit in every genre. And then there's soul music, the genre that made Detroit synonymous with its most famous label, Motown Records. The musical legacy of Motown has its roots in the Great Migration of the early 20th century, when millions of African Americans made their way to industrial cities like Detroit in search of opportunity.

Theatres, bars, and clubs lined the streets of Detroit's popular black entertainment districts like Paradise Valley and 12th Street, and live music could be heard any night of the week across the city. (You can take an audio tour of Hastings Street in Paradise Valley through a mysterious recording by the "Detroit Count" on this rare blues record .) In this vibrant atmosphere, a young Berry Gordy developed his Motown label in the late 1950's. Motown grew to be one of the most successful independent labels of all time and was a huge inspiration to the artists and aspiring business men and women in Detroit and beyond. Soon, many mom-and-pop labels sprang up in imitation of Motown's startling success. And the talent was there to support them. Hitsville U.S.A., home of the Motown Museum But first and foremost was Motown. Comprised of two modest-looking houses on West Grand Boulevard, Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio churned out an epic number of hit records between the late 1950s to the early 1970s, when Gordy relocated most of Motown's operations to Los Angeles.

The houses look much the same today as they did during Motown's heyday, thanks in part to the establishment of the Motown Museum on the premises in 1985. When Motown Records moved to L.A., Berry Gordy's sister Esther Gordy Edwards stayed behind and worked to preserve the company's legacy in Detroit. The Motown Museum now is celebrating its 30th anniversary and sees 50,000 visitors a year. "Musical tourism is a big part of what we do," says Deanna Majchrzak of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau. "The Motown Museum, a partner of ours, in particular is huge in bringing in an international market. It's one of Detroit's biggest tourist draws." Inside the museum, you can see the label's humble beginnings in Gordy's small apartment next to the studio. There is Michael Jackson's trademark sequined glove and black fedora and the studio's Steinway baby grand piano, which was recently renovated courtesy of Sir Paul McCartney.

Inside the magical Studio A, referred to as the "Snake Pit" by Motown veterans, people are often transfixed as they stand where Marvin Gaye sang "What's Going On," or look over to the piano that Stevie Wonder played. It's hard to describe the feeling the studio conveys unless you've been there. Notes are hanging in the air and the music is alive. Funk Brother Dennis Coffee in Hitsville's Studio A United Sound Systems Imagine Keith Richards, Ron Wood, and Aretha Franklin walking in to the United Sound Systems (located about a mile away from Hitsville) to record a version of "Jumping Jack Flash" 29 years ago. Did they stroll in the front door in broad daylight, or did they slip in through the back late at night, vanishing into the studio from a blacked-out limousine? Did anyone see them and wonder, was that Keith Richards? Maybe they saw Whoopi Goldberg filming this sequence for her comedy Jumpin' Jack Flash? Founded in 1933, United Sound Systems Recording Studio 's legacy is just as impressive as Motown's, if not as regularly celebrated. Hidden behind the building's modest exterior are treasure troves of music history.

In Studio A, George Clinton and Funkadelic recorded "One Nation Under a Groove" and Anita Baker recorded her 5x-platinum hit album "Rapture." Upstairs in Studio B, John Lee Hooker recorded his first hit, "Boogie Chillen," in 1948 while stomping on a wooden board. Jazz greats like Miles Davis and Charlie Parker and soul artists like Isaac Hayes, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, and many more all cut records there. United Sound Systems That's a lot of history for one building. In fact, as an active recording studio, United Sound is still making music and history in Detroit. (Local punk band Timmy's Organism just recorded a new album on 2-inch tape in Studio A.) If you're not ready to cut a record at United Sound, tours are available by appointment. Sign up for one and you will notice that Studio A is a beautiful room with hardwood floors and intricately painted sound baffling panels. The walls are lined with donated gold and platinum records, testaments to the sound that made United Sound a desired destination for performers and producers. There are plans to turn part of the two-story structure into a small museum.

(George Clinton donated his 1920's Chickering baby grand piano, which was renovated on the reality show American Restoration .) United Sound Systems Studio A But United Sound's future is in question. When Paradise Valley was demolished in the early 1960s to make way for I-75, many significant sites in Detroit's musical history were lost, including Joe Von Battle's record shop; once again, a freeway threatens an important Detroit musical landmark. According to a 2004 environmental impact study by the Michigan Department of Transportation, United Sound Systems sits within an area slated for demolition to accommodate the widening of I-94, a freeway located just south of the studio. United Sound's owners and supporters have worked to obtain historic designation to prevent destruction of the site. "The Detroit City Council just voted unanimously to give the studio historic status, so the City Council has been very supportive of what we do here," says Richards. Unfortunately, even with the designation, the future of the building is still unknown. Carleton Gholz, a consultant for the studio as it sought historic district status, is president of Detroit Sound Conservancy , a collective dedicated to increasing awareness of Detroit's musical heritage.

The group hosts tours that visit neighborhoods across the city and venues and sites including United Sound Systems. Carleton Gholz For Gholz, the openness of United Sound to artists of various genres is fitting. The Sound Conservancy's tours aren't specific to soul music and take in the many facets of Detroit's music, including techno, rock, and jazz. "I'd like to look beyond specific genres of music to find collaborators in supporting preservation and awareness of Detroit's musical legacy," says Gholz. A first step in the preservation of that legacy would be saving the United Sound Systems. Michigan Audio Heritage Society Museum Brad Hales is another passionate supporter of Detroit and Michigan music. As owner of People's Records , Hales has amassed an incredible collection of photographs and ephemera beyond the music found on Detroit's many soul labels, which he also collects vigorously. He started the MAHS (Michigan Audio Heritage Society) Museum within the Trinosophes gallery and art space to not only display some of his collected material, but also for archival preservation. The museum is a labor of love for Hales and his supporting staff.

"We had a small matching grant from the Knight Foundation, but most of what's in the museum has been from collecting ephemera over the years at People's Records or on my own. We want to help tell the story here of the unheard artist," says Hales. Brad Hales The museum hosted a show featuring the underground Detroit Jazz collective and label Tribe, created in part by the recently deceased Marcus Belgrave. Hales plans on printing a book of rare photographs of Detroit musical notables, including many lesser known artists whose memory has stayed alive through the music they recorded. One potential project Hales would like support for is a small, low-watt AM radio station with world class programming devoted to playing Michigan music. Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame LaMont "Showboat" Robinson dreams on a larger scale. The owner of the Harlem Clowns basketball team would like to bring his Official Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame Museum to Detroit. The plan is for a museum similar in scope to Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but featuring soul, gospel, jazz, and R&B performers. "Of all the cities that want the R&B Hall of Fame, we want Detroit because Detroit is the music capital of the world.

Motown was the greatest independent music label of all time, and Detroit's musical scene is worthy of so much respect. Paradise Valley, the jazz history, the 20 Grand, John Lee Hooker, Aretha Franklin, David Ruffin, the Temptations..." says Robinson. LaMont "Showboat" Robinson Robinson has already created a Hall of Fame honor roll and already inducted many R&B greats. A 2015 induction ceremony is scheduled for October 4 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, with potential inductees including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Jerry Butler, and many more. Robinson has received letters of support from Mayor Duggan and the Ilitch family (owners of the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings sports franchises) and is currently looking to find a home in Detroit. Robinson's Hall of Fame would be an impressive addition to the city's institutions. "If someone wanted to bring a sports hall of fame to the city, then the governor and the state would be all over that. I want to bring the R&B Hall of Fame to Detroit. With all the abandoned buildings around, there has to be room for this.

And we're going to make it happen," says Robinson. Soulsville, U.S.A. While both Motown and Stax enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity in the 1960s, Stax would suffer a devastating crash in the 1970s before its eventual resurrection as a museum, school, and community anchor in the 2000s. Founded in 1957 at Satelite Records and rechristened as Stax in 1961, the Memphis-based soul music label was bringing in more than $14 million a year in sales before being driven into bankruptcy in 1975 by a one-two-three combination of punches from forces outside of its control. First, a 1967 plane crash killed the label's biggest-selling star, Otis Redding, along with all but two of the original members of the Bar-Kays, Stax's session band. That same year, the label was forced to deal with the sale of Atlantic Records, with whom Stax had a distribution deal, to Warner-Brothers. The sale caused Stax to lose the rights to all its material released between 1960 and 1967.

Then the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stifled the formerly-vibrant atmosphere at the famously integrated recording studio. The deeply wounded label tried to soldier on, but folded in 1975. The Church of God in Christ bought the Stax building on McLemore for $10 in 1981 with plans to build a community center, and then demolished the structure in 1989, according to Robert Gordon in his book "Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion." Fortunately for the site's future, the sale included a clause that said the property could only be used for "nonprofit, religious, charitable, educational, scientific, cultural and/or civic purposes." The property found its civic purpose a decade later when Tim Sampson, who is now the Communications Director for the Soulsville Foundation, met with an anonymous donor in front of the blighted lot that had been Stax Records. The spot that had once been a source of intense pride for the impoverished neighborhood had become just another empty lot adding to the decay. "I started with this organization in January of '98," Sampson says. "This was like a warzone.

Where the Academy building is now, there was a 65-unit apartment with no windows and a burned out school bus behind it. There were no opportunities for kids in this neighborhood." Some people were skeptical of the plans to build at the former Stax location. "We were asking, 'If we build the museum there, is anyone else going to come?'" Sampson recalls. "I'm really happy we did it right smack here." Building the on the legacy of Stax Today the Soulsville Foundation is composed of three organizations at the original Stax site – the Stax Museum of Amercian Soul Music, the Stax Music Academy, and the Soulville Charter School. "It was never in our plan to be just a museum," Sampson said. In fact, the Stax Academy opened in 2000, three years before the museum. The Academy provides after-school mentoring and music education with a focus on at-risk youth. It was initially at the nearby Stafford Elementary School until its current 27,000-square-foot facility opened in 2002 as the first component of the Soulsville Campus.

The museum opened next door a year later in 2003 at the exact site of the original Stax building, with its famed exterior and Studio A recreated in exact detail as part of a 17,000-square-foot space packed with exhibits and memorabilia ranging from old instruments, costumes, and recording equipment to Isaac Hayes' gold-trimmed and shag-carpeted Cadillac. Finally, the Soulsville Charter School opened behind the academy in 2005 with a class of sixth graders. The intensive, tuition-free college preparatory school added an additional grade each year as its initial students grew up until it became a full grades 6-12 middle and high school. After-school practice at Stax Music Academy. Many of the instructors at the academy are also professional musicians, like trombonist Victor Sawyer who has taught there for the past two years. "It's a rigorous schedule. To perform the music you really have to immerse yourself in it," he says. The mentoring also goes beyond music as the instructors coach the students on every aspect of preparing for college from practicing for their music program auditions to making plans for housing.

"We focus on how we can make each student a great person – what we call a 'soul communicator,'" Sawyer says. The Academy's students have performed around the world, from Australia to the White House, and since 2008, every one of them who has applied to college has been accepted, along with every student from the charter school during the past four years. Many former students also return to campus from college to visit with former instructors who continue to mentor them. The alumni end up mentoring younger students in the process, bringing back the old spirit of Stax, a place where young musicians from the neighborhood would learn from the older pros in the studio. "Everything we do here is based on the legacy of Stax. Everything is open door," Sampson says. "We've really made people proud to be from this neighborhood again." Other south Memphis neighborhood landmarks The gleaming Soulsville campus has helped to revitalize the surrounding area as well. Across the street, the Memphis Slim House was once home to legendary bluesman John "Peter" Chatman, a.k.a. Memphis Slim.

During the heyday of Stax, it was a popular hangout for the artists, but the house fell into disrepair after Chatman's death in 1988. Today, however, it has been redeveloped as the Memphis Slim Collaboratory, a space in the Soulsville neighborhood for people to create, rehearse, and record music. Around the corner at a place where the music production never stopped, a studio owner is happy to see a new generation embrace the neighborhood's history. Royal Studios is were legendary producer Willie Mitchell recorded artists like Chuck Berry, Al Green, and Ike and Tina Turner back in the 1960s and 1970s. And it is where his son and current Royal owner Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell has recorded modern smash hits like "Uptown Funk" with Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars. "Before the whole Soulsville Foundation, the 12- and 13-year-old kids had no idea who Isaac Hayes, Dave Porter, Sam & Dave, or Booker T were," Mitchell said. "To me, that's probably the greatest impact on the youth.

It's insuring our music has a future." This feature was produced in collaboration between Model D and its sister publication High Ground Memphis . Detroit photos by Doug Coombe .

Question: Hitsville, in Detroit, is the original recording studio of which famous record label?
Answer: Motown