Books like Motown by Gerald L. Posner

Gerald L. Posner’s authoritative biography traces Berry Gordy’s 1959 establishment of Motown Record Corporation from a modest bungalow in Detroit to a cultural powerhouse that dominated the pop charts in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Drawing on extensive interviews and court records stored in Wayne County’s courthouse, the book offers an inside look at the label’s business strategies, its roster of legendary African American musicians—such as Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder—and the social upheavals of the civil rights movement and the decline of northern industry. By detailing Motown’s entrepreneurial innovations, recording processes, and the personal struggles of its artists, Posner presents a comprehensive and engaging portrait of America’s most celebrated music dynasty.

First publish date: December 24, 2002