Short Biography: Smokey Robinson

Robinson attended Pasadena Junior College after high school. That is where he continued his athletic career. He played on the football team, baseball team, and he broke school broad-jumping records. Most of Jackie's teammates were white. In 1938,

Walker & the All-Stars, the duo of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell plus the youthful, Jackson 5 kept Motown were high on the charts. Proving it could change as musical fashion did, Motown racked up more hits imbued with psychedelic soul and funk overtones and socially conscious themes, led by producer Norman Whitfield. By the mid-1980s Motown had started losing money, and Berry Gordy sold his ownership in Motown to MCA Records and Boston Ventures in June 1988 for $61 million for which had only costed him $800 in 1959. Motown today continued to have a massive impact in music and the style of the way music is

Motown was established by Berry Gordy Jr. in the later winter of 1959. Then about 3 to 4 years later Motown Records,”was selling more singles and releasing more hits than any other record company.” (Classic Motown) Motown then soon became known as a central icon for many artists and just ordinary people. Motown had such a different and new sound that the people loved it and they wanted more. The love for this music has not gone away. People still listen and talk about the Motown sound and how it changed the way we looked at music. Motown created such fascinating sounds that would make you want to get up and dance. They would put soul, pop, and rock into everything they did. The best thing about Motown was that the artists and the bands and the recording people loved what they did they loved to sing dance play the instruments. This is what made them so successful that they did not have to try hard to love what they did.

Robinson afterwards went to Honolulu in 1941, to play for a racially integrated team called the bears. His career playing for the Bears. He later left them for the LA Bulldogs, but around that times the attacks on Pearl Harbour had started and US had declared war on the Japs; starting WW2, Which ended his Semi Pro Football Career.

Gordy had created a new sound that was not only popular with the black community, but with other races as well (“Motown Music” 2012). He was able to change the world so that there was not just black record labels or just white record labels. He created a sound that produced songs with gospel and blues influences and then wrote catchy pop songs that appealed to everyone (“Motown Music” 2012).

Ever since a young age, I have been amazed by everything Jackie Robinson achieved, the people he inspired, and the movement he started, which led to more African-Americans playing professional sports. His college and professional athletic accomplishments are almost unattainable; four varsity letters at UCLA, being enshrined in the MLB Hall of Fame, and his jersey number 42 being retired from all teams. The main reason I would want to have Jackie Robinson as a roommate is he would have so many life lessons to teach me; on how to stay humble, to not allow what other people say to stop you from achieving your goals, and lastly how to remain so calm during times where everyone around him wanted him wasn’t. Another reason would be for him to tell

The Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947, breaking the color line. The Dodgers, by playing Robinson, announced the end of racial segregation that had relegated black players, to the Negro leagues in the 1880s. At the beginning of Robinson’s career, his will was tested. The racial slurs and chants got to Robinson, but nothing stopped him from playing the game he loved. Robinson’s family received threats and he was asked not to fight back when confronted with racism. During one infamous game, the Philadelphia Phillies shouted derogatory terms at Robinson from their dugout. Many players on opposing teams threatened not to play against the Dodgers, even some of Robinson’s teammates threatened to sit out, but Dodgers manager, Leo Durocher, informed them that he would sooner trade them than Robinson. His loyalty to the player set the tone for the rest of Robinson's career with the team.

When Halley started on his rock and roll career he began with rockabilly and the band adopted the name the Comets. Bill Haley and the Comets came out with “Crazy Man, Crazy” and it became a hit with teens and went on to become the first rock and roll song to be on national TV. It was used for the soundtrack of a 1953 play which starred James Dean. Next came one of their biggest hits which is still popular today “Rock Around the Clock”. This hit sold 25 million copies and went into the Guinness Book of World Records and became a gold

Jackie Robinson once said, "I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... all I ask is that you respect me as a human being." Jackie was saying that he has confidence in himself so he does not need people to like him, but he does want them to respect who he is as a person. This is something he would struggle with his whole life.

Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia and he passed away on October 24, 1972. He was the youngest of five children, and he was raised by his single mother. When he got older he attend Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College. While attending both schools he was an star athlete that played four sports. He played football, basketball, track, and baseball. In 1938 he would be named the regions Most Valuable Player in baseball.

Berry Gordy wanted his record label to succeed so much and he wanted to prove that a black company can be well liked, large, and successful. Although Berry succeeded at this the problem was that Berry Gordy focused on making the artist popular and so successful that he didn’t allow the artist’s full talent and personality to show. Some say Berry Gordy gave the exception to Diana Ross from this for “obvious reasons.” Another problem was that many of the artist where to similar. Groups like the Temptations and the Four Tops all looked the same, talked the same, sang the same, and all around where to similar. When many artist sounded the same then people would most likely get bored with all the artist. Producing the motown artist took away from their own talent. Some say that Florence Ballard had a great voice and that she had a better voice than Diana Ross, but because of “obvious reasons” Diana Ross was the lead singer in the group. Many motown artist eventually got upset with the way motown was doing things and ended up leaving motown records. Marvin Gaye was one of the artist that did get upset with Berry Gordy and let him know it. Marvin Gaye was one of the artist that was able to promote his own talent. Along with Marvin Gaye, David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks of the temptations left the record label as well. Other reasons for some of the artist leaving the record label where financial reasons and some control issues. The control over many of the artist eventually failed when the artist entered adulthood and matured. The record label basically changed who the artist really were when they were in their career. The artist just couldn’t bring out their true personality and talent and this was one of the biggest problems with motown even though it was one of Berry Gordy’s main technique to make motown records as big as of a success that it

Stanley Brown states, "Gordy's true genius was to recognize that, above all, young America — black and white — wanted to dance” (Brown). The songs that came from Motown were upbeat, fun, and also funky. His music did appeal to the younger generation just as much as it did to the older generation. The music was alluring to all ages, when the Motown sound was aiming for the attention of the younger crowd. Additionally, Gordy built Motown into a record company with the most striking roster of artists in the history of pop music, ranging from Stevie Wonder, to Michael

While in jail, James met a man named Bobby Byrd. Bobby was a singer as well, and the two quickly became friends. Bobby was in a group named The Gospel Starlighters, and invited James to be apart of it, which he quickly agreed to. James soon took over the group and renamed them the Famous Flames. They soon got scouted by a man named Ralph Bass who worked for King Records, and offered the group a record deal. After recording the hit “Please, Please, Please” the group hadn't been able to match it, and The Flames decided to return home. Brown decided to move to New York where he met some new musicians who he also called The Flames. He soon recorded some more hits like “Night Train,” and “Lost Someone.” James Brown continued to tour around the world with his new band and also continued selling out show after

Barry Gordy Jr. was born in November 28, 1929, in Detroit, Michigan. Gordy formed his interest in music by writing songs In 1957, Jackie Wilson recorded Reet Petite, a song Gordy had Co written, and it became a modest hit, but had more success internationally. Jackie Wilson's next six songs also Co written by Barry Gordy including Lonely Teardrops which topped the R & B charts, and got to number 7 in the pop charts. Berry and Gwen Gordy also wrote All I Could Do Was Cry for the late Etta James at Chess Records. Barry Gordy reinvested his profits from his songwriting success into producing. He later discovered the Miracles, and began building a portfolio of successful artist, in 1959, the Miracles leader Smokey Robinson encouraged Barry

Amongst these awards included, Best R&B Recording, which was received for three consecutive years. His version of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia On My Mind” was named the Georgia state song in 1979. Unfortunately, we lost Ray Charles at 11:35 a.m. on June 11, 2004 to liver disease.