The legendary Berry Gordy tried many careers—boxing, record store ownership, assembly line worker and a tour in the U. S. Army during the Korean War—until he found his niche in the entertainment world. With his vision of entrepreneurship, a tenacity that reflected his training as a boxer and a keen ear for talent, he built the empire known as Motown Records. In the 1970s, the same vision led to his success in the movie industry. Although he sold the company in 1988, the same year of his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his connection to the “Sound of Young America” is eternal.
Entertainment exec Suzanne de Passe is one of the most successful women in her field. She began her career as a creative assistant at Motown and went on to discover and/or promote the careers of several young artists, including the Jackson Five. De Passe rose through the ranks to become president of Motown Productions, where she oversaw film and TV projects, including the award-winning Lonesome Dove. Her honors include two Emmys, three Peabodys, an Oscar nod and induction into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. She’s currently co-chair of de Passe Jones Entertainment.
One of the projects marshalled by Gordy and de Passe was the Emmy-winning TV variety special, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, which originally aired in 1983. The seminal event in pop culture history became the backstory for the Tony-nominated Broadway play, Motown The Musical.
SOURCE: PBS
