60 and counting: The enduring Motown sound

A high school dropout, Berry Gordy Jr. took an $800 loan from his family in 1959 and with that, developed Motown into the most successful black-owned label in history. Here stands on the front lawn of ''Hitsville USA,'' the location of Motown Records as well as his home for a time, at 2648 West Grand Blvd. in Detroit.

It was singer/songwriter/producer William "Smokey" Robinson, a graduate of Detroit's Northern High, who convinced Gordy to start his own label in 1959, after seeing how little he was being paid for writing and producing songs for Jackie Wilson. Robinson became a vice president at Motown, and Smokey and the Miracles had their first Motown hit with "Shop Around" in 1960.

In 1954, Stevland Morris and his family moved from Saginaw to Detroit, where Stevie began singing in his church's choir; from there he blossomed into a genuine prodigy, learning piano, drums and harmonica all by the age of 9. In 1961, he was ''discovered'' by neighbor Ronnie White of the Miracles, signed to a Motown contract and given the stage name of Little Stevie Wonder. At left is Berry Gordy Jr.

The Supremes met in the late 1950s in Detroit's Brewster-Douglass housing project. Originally known as the Primettes, by the time they signed to Motown in 1961, they had been renamed the Supremes. Here, the Supremes, Florence Ballard, Diana Ross and Mary Wilson, walk near Detroit's Brewster Projects in 1965.

Marvin Gaye, seen circa 1964, was Motown's prince of soul, with a phenomenal range of of styles. His early Motown career featured romantic duets with Diana Ross, Mary Wells and especially Tammi Terrell ("Ain't No Mountain High Enough"). His landmark song "What's Going On" in 1971 was inspired by unrest of the Vietnam War.

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas dance for photographers in London, after arriving on Nov. 3, 1964 for TV appearances and recording work in the British capital. From left are Betty Kelly, Martha Reeves, and Rosalind Ashford.

The Four Tops -- from left, Abdul Fakir, Levi Stubbs, Lawrence Payton and Renaldo Benson -- pose at Heathrow Airport in London on Nov. 16, 1966 after completing a successful tour. Their playlist included hits such as "I can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out I'll Be There."

Motown's other superstar male vocal group, The Temptations, perform on a TV show in 1969. Known for their harmonies and slick dance moves, the group was formed by combining two Detroit groups, the Distants and the Primes. From left are Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Dennis Edwards, Otis Williams and Paul Williams.

Stevie Wonder lays down a track at Hitsville's Studio A, backed by the Funk Brothers, Motown's legendary studio band.

Smokey Robinson (left) and the Miracles perform in downtown Detroit in August 1969. The Miracles produced an astounding 37 Top 40 hits for Motown, many of them written by Robinson, who is credited with writing 4,000 songs.

James Jamerson, seen in 1964, played bass on most Motown recordings in the '60s and '70s, his melodic bass lines influencing many musicians. He died in 1983 at age 47 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

The Supremes perform in London on Oct. 8, 1964, after "Where Did Our Love Go" became their first single to go No. 1 on the charts. This was before adopting their ultraglamorous look favoring full-length sequined gowns. From left are Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross.

Martha and the Vandellas pose in an auto factory on June 15, 1965. They were Motown's second most-successful girl group after The Supremes. Known for a churchier, more southern-styled soul than the Supremes, their hits included ''(Love is Like a) Heat Wave,'' ''Nowhere to Run,'' and their signature song, ''Dancing in the Street.''

Berry Gordy ended up buying almost a whole block of houses on W. Grand to house his growing company. When the company outgrew the houses, Gordy bought the Donovan building on Woodward in 1967 for his business offices. The Hitsville USA house at 2648 W. Grand and the house directly to its east comprise today's Motown Historical Museum.

Berry Gordy listens as The Supremes lay down a track during a January 1965 recording session at Motown Records' Studio A, 2648 W. Grand Blvd. From left are Berry Gordy Jr., Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Diana Ross. A copy of this photo is mounted on the wall of Studio A today, for visitors to the Motown Museum to see.

One of Motown's signature acts, The Supremes recorded twelve No. 1 hits between 1964 and 1969. Many of the songs were written and produced by Motown's premier songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland.

A music store displays Supremes records and a poster promoting their hit "Come See About Me," the No. 1 pop single on the Billboard chart in December 1964 and January 1965.

Vintage Motown from the 1960s: Kim Weston takes the lead while Berry Gordy accompanies her on the piano and Marv Johnson, next to Gordy, claps while Little Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and others provide backup.

Motown artists say there was always a family feeling at the company, with Berry Gordy Jr. playing the paternal role. Artists would sing backup on each other's records, and there was even a company song ("We are a swinging company") written by Smokey Robinson, that employees would sing at every meeting.

The Supremes attend an event with Berry Gordy Jr. and his son Berry Gordy lV in January 1966. (The elder Berry Gordy was known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., but his real name was Berry Gordy III.)

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, wearing some serious hair, pose for a publicity photo in 1965.

Most people think of the Supremes as a trio, but the group started out with not only Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson, but their school friend Barbara Martin (seated) as well. Martin left the group right before their biggest success in the early '60s.

Motown artists often promoted other products in the 1960s. In this photo taken in April 1966, the Supremes, from left, Florence Ballard, Diana Ross and Mary Wilson, pose with "Supremes Bread," made by Detroit-based Schaefer Bakeries.

By the time Gladys Knight and the Pips were signed to Motown, the young woman was a seasoned music business veteran, having toured as a teenager in the late '50s with R&B stars like Little Willie John and Sam Cooke. It was in 1967 that Knight and the Pips recorded Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong's "(I) Heard It Through the Grapevine" for Motown, and they scored the first hit with it on the R&B charts, because Marvin Gaye's very different version of the song had been delayed by Berry Gordy Jr. Gaye's rendition came out in 1968.

Although the Pips never had any commercial success on their own, they were famous for the distinctive background harmonies that they provided for Gladys Knight. Edward Patten, William Guest, Merald ''Bubba'' Knight, the older brother of Gladys, helped formed the band.

For a time, The Supremes, seen here eating fish and chips on a visit with the Motown Revue to London, England, rivaled even the Beatles in terms of commercial appeal, recording five No. 1 singles in a row.

The second great surge of popularity for Motown came in the early 1970s, fueled by the Jackson 5, seen here performing at the Michigan State Fair on September 9, 1971. While press reports (planted by Motown) claimed that Diana Ross discovered the brothers in Los Angeles, in fact, prodded by their ambitious father Joseph, they had been recording and touring out of their native Gary, Ind., for years. Berry Gordy co-wrote their first Motown hit, "I Want You Back," and personally supervised its recording.

Stevie Wonder, who became blind soon after birth because of inadequate oxygen in his hospital incubator, never allowed his blindness to hold him back. Here, Wonder receives the key to the city of Detroit from Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young, who issued a proclamation declaring it Stevie Wonder Day. Wonder would receive the same honor from Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in 2005, along with another key to the city.

Seen in the 1970s, the Temptations, unlike many groups, were able to change singers and maintain their high standards. Front row from left: Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin and Glenn Beonard. Back row from left, Richard Street and Dennis Edwards.

The Four Tops, on the other hand, stayed together for more than four decades, after meeting in Detroit as teenagers. Seen here in 1985 are Lawrence Payton, Levi Stubbs, Abdul 'Duke' Fakir and Renaldo Benson. They remained intact until the death of Payton in 1997.

Michael Jackson, center, joins Motown Records mogul Berry Gordy, second from left, and Jackson's brothers, from left, Marlon, Tito, Jackie (front) and Jermaine, as the Jackson 5 are in inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on May 6, 1997, in Cleveland.

Eddy Willis and Joe Messina play an encore at the end of the Funk Brothers' jam session at the Roostertail in Detroit on Nov. 10, 2002.

Renaldo Benson, left, of the Four Tops, tips his hat to the crowd as group member Abdul Fakir looks on during a ceremony in Detroit where eight streets in a new housing development were named in honor of Motown recording legends on April 11, 2002. The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, the Supremes and others were honored at the event.

In this Jan. 20, 2006 photo, the original hat and sequined glove worn by Michael Jackson while he performed "Billy Jean" on the Motown's 25th Anniversary NBC-TV special is shown along with costumes worn by the Supremes, the Temptations, and Brenda Holloway, at the Motown Museum in Detroit.

In this Jan. 20, 2006 photo, 45's and photographs, including Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder in photo at right, are on display at the Motown Museum gallery in Detroit.

A T-shirt depicts Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye in the Studio A logo in the gift shop at the Motown Museum in Detroit, Michigan on Oct. 8, 2008.

Uriel Jones, left, drummer for the Funk Brothers, looks at old photographs of his first tour out west with producer, writer and engineer Clay McMurray in Studio A at the Motown Museum in Detroit on Jan. 12, 2009. Many people involved with Motown Records were on hand for visitors to talk to during the tour.

Abdul "Duke" Fakir of The Four Tops is shown in the recording studio at the Motown Museum in Detroit on Jan. 12, 2009.

Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. celebrates the record company's 50th anniversary with a host of musicians, supporters and celebrities during a Motown 50 Golden Gala at the Renaissance Center in Detroit on Nov. 21, 2009. The event was a fundraiser for the Motown Historical Musuem, whose chairwoman is his great-niece Robin Terry, left.

Claudette Robinson of the Miracles (and ex-wife of Smokey Robinson) shows off a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star for her former group at the Motown 50 Golden Gala at the Renaissance Center on Nov. 21, 2009.

The Temptations' Otis Williams, the last surviving original member of the group, attends the Motown 50 Golden Gala on Nov. 21, 2009, at the Renaissance Center in Detroit.

"Little Stevie Wonder," who began his Motown career at age 9, breaks out a harmonica solo during "Isn't She Lovely" during the Motown 50 Golden Gala at the Renaissance Center on Nov. 21, 2009.

Martha Reeves (second from left) of Martha and the Vandellas joins a host of others onstage for a rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Signed Sealed Delivered" to close the show at the Motown 50 Golden Gala at the Renaissance Center on Nov. 21, 2009.

For the one-year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death, the Motown Historical Museum presented an expanded Jackson 5 exhibit that included photos like this one, seen on June 24, 2010.

Young Michael Jackson is seen on a tour bus in a photo from an expanded Jackson 5 exhibit at the Motown Historical Museum in 2010, marking the one-year-anniversary of Michael Jackson's death.

From left, singers John Legend, Smokey Robinson and Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. hold a discussion hosted by first lady Michelle Obama for students, highlighting Motown artists, Feb. 24, 2011, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington.

Martha Reeves performs at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival's Rhythm and Blues pavilion on the National Mall in Washington on July 1, 2011.

R&B legend Mary Wilson performs at her Original Supreme Children Uniting Nations Benefit Concert on Dec. 16, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. Wilson remained with the Supremes after Florence Ballard left in 1967, followed by Diana Ross in 1970, before becoming a solo artist, author and activist. The Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

Berry Gordy, 83, poses in front of a billboard for "Motown: The Musical" in Times Square in New York on March 5, 2013. For Gordy, conquering Broadway was another major milestone in a magical musical career.

Singers line up at the Motown Museum in Detroit on Oct. 21, 2014, as the makers of "Motown the Musical" hold an open casting call for the touring show at the hallowed ground for the legendary label.

From left, Aisha Jawondo, Berry Gordy Jr. and Lucy St. Louis pose for photographers at the launch of "Motown The Musical" in central London on Oct. 5, 2015.

Berry Gordy Jr. smiles at the launch of "Motown The Musical" in central London on Monday, Oct. 5, 2015, building on a legacy of creating the largest black-owned company in America in the 1960s. Motown Records moved to Los Angeles in 1972, and Gordy sold the company to MCA in 1988. Since then, he's been a film and TV producer, writer and song publisher.

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Diana Ross, left, and Berry Gordy pose in the press room at the American Music Awards on Nov. 19, 2017, in Los Angeles.

Visitors Steve Thomas, left, of Oak Park, his son DeMarco, 10, and wife Lisette smile and wave outside the Motown Museum as it promotes its 60th anniversary on January 12, 2019. The museum has planned a series of events Sept. 21-24 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Motown Records.

Diana Ross performs during "Motown 60: A Grammy Celebration" at the Microsoft Theater on Feb.12, 2019, in Los Angeles. The TV special aired on April 17.

Jennifer Lopez, left, and Smokey Robinson perform a medley during a tribute to Motown's 60th anniversary at the 61st annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles.