Barrett Strong, Motown's First Star, Dies at 81

Courtesy Photo Motown Museum 

Barrett Strong, the man behind Motown Records' first hit and a gifted singer and songwriter who helped create some of the legendary label's classics has died. 

The Motown Museum announced his death, at the age of 81, on social media Sunday.

"It is with great sadness that we share the passing of legendary @ClassicMotown singer and songwriter Barrett Strong," the Museum wrote on its official Twitter account. 

Born in West Point, Mississippi on Feb. 5, 1941, and raised in Detroit, Strong was the voice behind Motown's first hit, "Money (That’s What I Want)."

Recorded when he was just 18, Strong played piano and provided the vocals for the Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford penned song, in 1959.

Within a year the record had become the label that would come to be nicknamed Hitsville's first smash, selling over a million copies and peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot R&B chart (No. 23 on the Billboard 100).

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of legendary @ClassicMotown singer and songwriter Barrett Strong.

The voice behind @motown's first hit, the iconic “Money (That’s What I Want),” was born in West Point, Mississippi on February 5, 1941 and was raised in Detroit. pic.twitter.com/RvINyjJgcc

— Motown Museum (@Motown_Museum) January 30, 2023

Gordy, who founded Motown, offered high praise for his departed colleague in a statement, even though the men had butted heads over the years after Strong claimed he co-wrote the song along with Grody and Bradford.

"Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work," he said. 

Ultimately, Barrett was denied a writing credit but that did not damage his relationship with Motown.

Along with Whitfield, he was the driving force behind some of its signature hits, such as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "War" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone."

He was voted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, which cited him as "a pivotal figure in Motown's formative years," in 2004.

 

Smokey Robinson Drops New Single From Upcoming Album 'Gasms'

Smokey Robinson's new album “Gasms” will be released on April 28.

On Friday, Motown legend Smokey Robinson teased his first new album release since 2017's "Christmas Everyday" — which included three original songs by the artist mixed in with seven seasonal standards.

"My New Music is OUT NOW!!!" wrote Robinson on his official Instagram account. "The New Single
“If We Don’t Have Each Other” is available on all platforms… and my New album ‘GASMS’ will be available April 28, 2023."

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The founder and front man of one of the seminal R&B labels' first vocal supergroups — the Miracles — Robinson has also enjoyed a lengthy solo career. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

“Gasms” features nine new songs produced and written by Robinson. It is his most ambitious musical undertaking since the release of “Smokey & Friends” in 2014.

The album of duets featured an all-star lineup of his contemporaries, including Elton John, Steven Tyler, Sheryl Crow and Mary J. Blige. It peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart and No. 12 on the Billboard 200, making it the second most successful effort of his solo career.

Earlier this year it was announced that Robinson will be honored alongside Motown founder and fellow musician Berry Gordy as the 2023 “Persons Of The Year” at the Recording Academy’s annual MusiCares event on Feb. 3 in Los Angeles.

Papoose Named Head of Hip-Hop at Music Distributor TuneCore

Mixtape messiah and occasional "Love & Hip Hop" series star Papoose has been named Head of Hip-Hop at DIY music distributor TuneCore.

The company, which hails itself as "the leading development partner for self-releasing artists—owned by Believe, one of the world’s leading digital music companies" announced the partnership on Tuesday.

"When hiring executives I look for expertise and experience," TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson said of the company's reasoning behind the move in a statement.

"Papoose’s years of hustling and success in the industry make him uniquely qualified to advise Hip-Hop artists because he’s been in their shoes, he understands what they’re going through and he knows first-hand what works.”

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The Brooklyn-bred wordsmith, who celebrated the news with several posts on his social media, said the new role would allow him to help others forge their own path to success in an industry notorious for its pitfalls.

“For my whole career, everyone has known what I stand for: independence,” Papoose said. “For me, being in this position with TuneCore where I can directly contribute and help other self-releasing artists on the come-up is like magic. I understand what it’s like to be in the studio, to be on the road, to chase your dreams as an artist, and I’m excited to help up-and-coming artists make their dreams a reality.”

In addition to scouting talents on behalf of the music distribution service, Papoose will oversee its artist ambassador program for hip-hop and rap along with education and career advice workshops.

The deal furthers a relationship between TuneCore and the artist that began in 2021 when he had the idea of releasing an album a month. Papoose credits TuneCore as the only distributor that allowed him to release music at that rate.

"When everyone else slammed their doors in my face I was lucky to discover TuneCore, the only distributor that allowed me to share my music at such a high rate," he told Rock The Bells. "Giving me this freedom allowed me to make history by becoming the only artist to release an album a month for a whole year, and that helped me gain support from genre giants like Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Swizz Beatz, Fabolous Timbaland, and others."

Papoose also announced the release of his latest single, “Makin Plays (feat. Jim Jones and Jaquae)” out February 10th. He described the song as a high-energy anthem about creating your own opportunities for success and hitting whatever your goals might be.