BERRY GORDY got his start as a songwriter for local Detroit acts such as JACKIE WILSON and The Matadors. WILSON's single "Lonely Teardrops", written by GORDY, became a huge success; however, GORDY did not feel he made as much money as he deserved from this and other singles he wrote for WILSON. He realized that the more lucrative end of the business was in producing records and owning the publishing.
From 1961 to 1971, MOTOWN had 110 top 10 hits. Top artists on the MOTOWN label during that period included DIANA ROSS, THE SUPREMES, THE FOUR TOPS and THE JACKSON 5, while STEVIE WONDER, MARVIN GAYE, THE MARVELETTES and THE MIRACLES released hits on the sister label TAMLA.
The company operated several labels in addition to the TAMLA and MOTOWN imprints. A third label, which GORDY named after himself (though it was originally called "Miracle") featured THE TEMPTATIONS,THE CONTOURS and MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS. Under the slogan "The Sound of Young America", MOTOWN's acts were enjoying widespread popularity among black and white audiences alike.
SMOKEY ROBINSON once said of MOTOWN's cultural impact:
“Into the '60s, I was still not of a frame of mind that we were not only making music, we were making history. But I did recognize the impact because acts were going all over the world at that time. I recognized the bridges that we crossed, the racial problems and the barriers that we broke down with music. I recognized that because I lived it. I would come to the South in the early days of Motown and the audiences would be segregated. Then they started to get the Motown music and we would go back and the audiences were integrated and the kids were dancing together and holding hands.“
Two of the most successful formations of the MOTOWN label, THE TEMPTATIONS and THE SUPREMES are going to perform in Doha for their first time now and will perform all their gorgeous tunes, including “My Girl”, “Papa Was A Rolling Stone”, “Just My Imagination”. “You Can’t Hurry Love”, “Where Did Our Love Go” or “Stop In The Name Of Love”.
THE TEMPTATIONS
THE TEMPTATIONS are more than most other musical formation the synonym for the American dream come true. The group's repertoire has included, during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music. Known for their recognizable choreography, distinct harmonies, and flashy onstage suits, THE TEMPTATIONS have been said to be as influential to soul as the Beatles are to pop and rock.
Formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1960 as THE ELGINS (not to be confused with another Motown group with the same name), THE TEMPTATIONS have always featured at least five male vocalists/dancers. Having sold tens of millions of albums, THE TEMPTATIONS are one of the most successful groups in music history.
The original lineup included members of two local Detroit vocal groups:
From THE DISTANTS came second tenor Otis Williams, first tenor Elbridge "Al" Bryant, and bass Melvin Franklin; and from THE PRIMES came first tenor/falsetto Eddie Kendricks and second tenor/baritone Paul Williams (no relation to Otis).
Among the most notable future TEMPTATIONS were lead singers David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards (both later solo artists), Glenn Leonard, Ali-Ollie Woodson, Ron Tyson, Damon Harris, Richard Street, Theo Peoples, and G. C. Cameron. Like its "sister" female group, the Supremes, the Temptations' lineup has changed frequently over the years.
Over the course of their career, the Temptations have released four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and 14 Billboard R&B number-one singles. Their material has earned them three Grammy Awards, while two more awards were conferred upon the songwriters and producers who crafted their 1972 hit "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". The Temptations were the first Motown act to earn a Grammy Award. Six Temptations (Dennis Edwards, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin, Otis Williams, and Paul Williams) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Three classic Temptations songs, "My Girl", "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", are among “The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that shaped Rock and Roll”.
Several formations have been preserving the heritage of THE TEMPTATIONS with all different members of the formations through the years.
Performing in Doha is the TEMPTATIONS formation of former singer GLENN LEONARD.
THE SUPREMES
THE SUPREMES originally were the first American female singing group of world success and the premier act of MOTOWN RECORDS during the 1960s. Originally founded as THE PRIMETTES in Detroit, Michigan in 1959, THE SUPREMES' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul and disco. They were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and are, to date, America's most successful vocal group with 12 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Most of these hits were written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland. At their peak in the mid-1960s, THE SUPREMES rivaled the BEATLES in worldwide popularity and their success made it possible for future African American R&B and soul musicians to find mainstream success.
Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster- Douglass public housing project in Detroit, formed THE PRIMETTES as the sister act to THE PRIMES (with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, who later went on to form THE TEMPTATIONS). Barbara Martin replaced McGlown in 1960, and the group signed with MOTOWN the following year as THE SUPREMES. Martin left the act in early 1962, and Ross, Ballard, and Wilson carried on as a trio. During the mid-1960s, THE SUPREMES achieved mainstream success with Ross as lead singer.
In 1967, MOTOWN president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & the Supremes, and replaced Ballard with Cindy Birdsong. Ross left to pursue a solo career in 1970 and was replaced by Jean Terrell, at which point the group's name reverted to the Supremes. After 1972, the lineup changed more frequently; Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne, and Susaye Greene all became members of the group during the mid- 1970s. The Supremes disbanded in 1977 after an 18-year run. Several attempts to reunite have taken place.
Performing in Doha is the remaining formation with Scherrie Payne and Lynda Lawrence.
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