berry gordy jr. – Encore Atlanta

HITSVILLE U.S.A.

Aug. 12, 2015 - by Kathy Janich

There’s only so much history one can get from a two-hour musical. But “Motown the Musical” — with its 66 hit songs — reminds us how Berry Gordy’s vision helped create an America in which both blacks and whites were “Dancing in the Streets.”

HITSVILLE, U.S.A.

Jul. 31, 2013 - by Kathy Janich

Motown, the groundbreaking record label founded by Berry Gordy Jr. in 1959, is enjoying a renaissance of sorts. Just one example: “Motown: The Musical,” selling out on Broadway six months into its run, a possibly headed to the Fox Theatre once it tours.

The soundtrack of our lives

Jul. 9, 2013 - by Phil Kloer

The girls in these groups — and sometimes they were girls, just 15 or 16 years old — were rarely known to the public as individuals. That made it easier for African-American singers like the Marvelettes (“Please Mr. Postman”) to be played on white radio stations.