Barrett Strong, Motown legend, dies aged 81
Motown legend Barrett Strong has passed away aged 81. The singer-songwriter was born in 1941 in West Point, Mississippi, before moving to Detroit, Michigan. In the late 1950s, he began singing in local doo-wop and gospel groups, leading to his discovery by the founder of Motown Records, Berry Gordy.
After passing away on Sunday, 29th January, Gordy issued a statement: “I am saddened to hear of the passing of Barrett Strong, one of my earliest artists, and the man who sang my first big hit… 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, primarily with the Temptations. Their hit songs were revolutionary in sound and captured the spirit of the times … Barrett is an original member of the Motown Family and will be missed by all of us.”
Strong was signed to Tamla Records in 1959, Motown’s original label. That same year, he gave the company its first hit, ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’. Since its release, the song has been covered by significant artists such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Flying Lizards, The Rolling Stones, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Sonics.
The song reached number two on the Hot R&B Chart and 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Motown’s first hit. In the mid-1960s, Strong worked primarily as a lyricist, frequently working with Norman Whitfield. The pair wrote some of the era’s biggest tracks, including The Temptations’ ‘Cloud Nine’, ‘I Can’t Get Next to You’, ‘Psychedelic Shack’, and ‘Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone’. Furthermore, the duo penned ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’, sung by both Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight and the Pips.
In the early 1970s, following Motown Records’ move to Los Angeles, the musician signed with Epic before settling with Capitol Records. During this time, he released several solo albums, ‘Stronghold’ and ‘Live & Love’. He was recognised for his talents in 2004 with his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
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