Post by Forever Motown on Jun 5, 2005 14:35:47 GMT -5
Motown means family to Gordy
Legend will help honor woman who saw history in music
May 29, 2005
BY KELLEY L. CARTER
FREE PRESS MUSIC WRITER
Berry Gordy Jr. is coming back to Detroit.
Of course, he's not giving up warm West Coast weather to move back to the 313 for good, but the founder of the Motown record label will be in the area later this year to help give grand tribute to his sister Esther Gordy Edwards. Berry Gordy, who left Detroit for L.A. in the early '70s, isn't in town often. So it's big news that he'll be here to help mark the anniversary of his sister's pet project: the Motown Historical Museum.
It's been 20 years since the museum, which draws tens of thousands of visitors annually, opened its doors, and the anniversary celebrations get started this summer.
Gordy, who is the honorary chair for his sister's tribute, won't be the only Motown legend to attend the culmination of events in November, says the museum's executive director, Robin Terry. Former Motown songwriter, executive and artist Smokey Robinson will also be in town to sing to and honor the woman he says he and other Motown folks used to laugh at back in the day.
"Everywhere that we went on those tours, she saved everything. She saved all the pictures, all the placards, and we laughed. But what a wonderful thing she did. Because of her we have that museum, we have that place where people can go and see that history," Robinson says. "I love her. She's my family. She deserves any accolades and any honors that may be bestowed upon her. I wish I had known back then that we were not only making music, but we were making history. Because I would have saved every little piece of scrap that I wrote a song on or everything I did."
Other famous former Motowners might also be in town for the big November tribute, which will toast Edwards' inventiveness and commitment to developing the historical space, which is located at the old Hitsville building on West Grand Boulevard. But museum officials are being careful not to release any names before they get solid confirmations.
The Edwards tribute will be at the Park West Gallery in Southfield on Nov. 10 and the annual gala fund-raiser -- where Robinson will perform -- is scheduled for Nov. 12 at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. Pricing is still being worked out for both events.
The anniversary recognitions begin next month, with local radio personality John Mason, who broadcasts on Detroit's WDMK-FM (102.7), doing live broadcasts from the museum on Saturdays in June. The radio show is looking for bands to compete against other singing groups from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday. On June 24, the museum is sponsoring a Motown Bop to Ballroom Cabaret at the St. George Cultural Center in Bloomfield Hills. Tickets for the cabaret are $35 and $50.
The big event is the gala, which already has fans of the early Motown era buzzing with excitement.
Attendees at last year's event, which was hosted by broadcast journalist Ed Gordon, came from around the world and were entertained by the Temptations. The annual gala is the biggest fund-raiser for the nonprofit organization.
Terry, granddaughter of Esther Gordy Edwards and great-niece of Berry Gordy, says that the tribute and the gala will toast the lady with the foresight to save so much early Motown memorabilia and to commend the fact that the museum preserves the rich legacy of the label as it existed in Detroit. Terry expects that organizers will still be confirming Motown guests right up until the November tribute begins.
"We're going to have Berry Gordy here as honorary chair for his sister's tribute and then we're featuring Smokey for the gala on Saturday. When people say Motown is a family, it just is," says Terry, executive director of the museum. "And the family comes together for this kind of celebration. So we're really excited about celebrating the anniversary in this way and bringing this level of event and celebration back to Detroit."
For more information, contact 313-875-2264 or visit www.motownmuseum.org.
from Detroit Free Press
Legend will help honor woman who saw history in music
May 29, 2005
BY KELLEY L. CARTER
FREE PRESS MUSIC WRITER
Berry Gordy Jr. is coming back to Detroit.
Of course, he's not giving up warm West Coast weather to move back to the 313 for good, but the founder of the Motown record label will be in the area later this year to help give grand tribute to his sister Esther Gordy Edwards. Berry Gordy, who left Detroit for L.A. in the early '70s, isn't in town often. So it's big news that he'll be here to help mark the anniversary of his sister's pet project: the Motown Historical Museum.
It's been 20 years since the museum, which draws tens of thousands of visitors annually, opened its doors, and the anniversary celebrations get started this summer.
Gordy, who is the honorary chair for his sister's tribute, won't be the only Motown legend to attend the culmination of events in November, says the museum's executive director, Robin Terry. Former Motown songwriter, executive and artist Smokey Robinson will also be in town to sing to and honor the woman he says he and other Motown folks used to laugh at back in the day.
"Everywhere that we went on those tours, she saved everything. She saved all the pictures, all the placards, and we laughed. But what a wonderful thing she did. Because of her we have that museum, we have that place where people can go and see that history," Robinson says. "I love her. She's my family. She deserves any accolades and any honors that may be bestowed upon her. I wish I had known back then that we were not only making music, but we were making history. Because I would have saved every little piece of scrap that I wrote a song on or everything I did."
Other famous former Motowners might also be in town for the big November tribute, which will toast Edwards' inventiveness and commitment to developing the historical space, which is located at the old Hitsville building on West Grand Boulevard. But museum officials are being careful not to release any names before they get solid confirmations.
The Edwards tribute will be at the Park West Gallery in Southfield on Nov. 10 and the annual gala fund-raiser -- where Robinson will perform -- is scheduled for Nov. 12 at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. Pricing is still being worked out for both events.
The anniversary recognitions begin next month, with local radio personality John Mason, who broadcasts on Detroit's WDMK-FM (102.7), doing live broadcasts from the museum on Saturdays in June. The radio show is looking for bands to compete against other singing groups from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday. On June 24, the museum is sponsoring a Motown Bop to Ballroom Cabaret at the St. George Cultural Center in Bloomfield Hills. Tickets for the cabaret are $35 and $50.
The big event is the gala, which already has fans of the early Motown era buzzing with excitement.
Attendees at last year's event, which was hosted by broadcast journalist Ed Gordon, came from around the world and were entertained by the Temptations. The annual gala is the biggest fund-raiser for the nonprofit organization.
Terry, granddaughter of Esther Gordy Edwards and great-niece of Berry Gordy, says that the tribute and the gala will toast the lady with the foresight to save so much early Motown memorabilia and to commend the fact that the museum preserves the rich legacy of the label as it existed in Detroit. Terry expects that organizers will still be confirming Motown guests right up until the November tribute begins.
"We're going to have Berry Gordy here as honorary chair for his sister's tribute and then we're featuring Smokey for the gala on Saturday. When people say Motown is a family, it just is," says Terry, executive director of the museum. "And the family comes together for this kind of celebration. So we're really excited about celebrating the anniversary in this way and bringing this level of event and celebration back to Detroit."
For more information, contact 313-875-2264 or visit www.motownmuseum.org.
from Detroit Free Press
