E-mail a friendJuly 28, 2009
In part two of his conversation with Tavis, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy reflects on his first number one song and some of the label's superstars, including Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
Full interview. (23:28)
Motown Records founder tells Tavis what it was like working with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson as children. (3:22)
Motown founder Berry Gordy helped groom Michael Jackson for stardom. After being convinced to see the young group from Gary, IN, The Jackson 5, Gordy knew they were right for his label. They signed at the end of '68 and, in fall '69, exploded with "I Want You Back," the first of four consecutive No. 1 pop hits. Jackson's first solo single, "Got to Be There," was released in '71, and put him on the path to superstardom. MJ ultimately left the label, but his Emmy-nominated performance of "Billie Jean" on Motown's 25th anniversary special—where he premiered his trademark moonwalk—was one that would send his career into the stratosphere.
