Quality Control Acquired by Scooter Braun-Led HYBE America in Deal Reportedly Worth $300 Million
Motown
Motown Records Star Barrett Strong Dead at 81
Words by: Brandon Simmons
Motown Records star Barrett Strong has passed away at the age of 81. Strong was Motown’s primary hitmaker and songwriter as the label transitioned through the 1960s.
Born in West Point, Mississippi, Strong was one of the first acts to sign with the startup record label. His first hit, “Money (That’s What I Want)” reached the number two spot on the U.S. R&B chart. This led to Strong writing hits for many artists for years to come. Barrett had a hand in writing songs for The Temptations, such as “Cloud Nine”, “Papa Was A Rolling Stone”, and “Just my Imagination” to name a few. He helped write Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and Edwin Starr’s “War.”
By the 70s, Strong’s time with Motown was up and he set out to resume his music career, this time behind the microphone. The “Money (That’s What I Want)” artist released albums with Epic Records as well as Capitol Records. His biggest song during that time was “Is It True”. Strong’s career started to dwindle in the 1980s as he started to make less music for himself. He still had the fire to write for other artists and just focused on that. But, in 2008, he decided to release Stronghold II, a sequel to his album, Stronghold.
Motown Records founder Berry Gordy made a statement regarding Strong’s death:
“I am saddened to hear 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…Barrett is an original member of the Motown Family and will be missed by all of us.”
Barrett Strong received a Grammy in 1973 for his work on the song, “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.
His cause of death has not yet been revealed.
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Diddy Reportedly Inks a Deal with Motown Records
Diddy is headed to Motown. The legendary Hip-Hop hitmaker is preparing a new album under the iconic Motown Records. According to theJasmineBRAND, Diddy is currently at work preparing the release.
Although he is on Motown, Bad Boy Records is said to still exist. Diddy was noted to have Off The Grid Vol. 1 set to release last September but could have been held off due to the label change.
Motown is currently the home to Quality Control, which has a stacked roster of Lil Baby, Migos, City Girls, Lil Yachty, and more.
In addition to the Motown news, Sean “DIDDY” Combs will host the “2022 Billboard Music Awards,” according to MRC and NBC (BBMAs). This year celebrates the 25th anniversary of Diddy’s first Billboard Music Award, which he received in 1997 for his multi-platinum album No Way Out. Diddy will also serve as executive producer, reimagining the experience and bringing together the greatest in entertainment, with some surprises in store.
“This will be unlike any awards show – I’m bringing the love and setting the frequency at an all-time high,” said DIDDY. “The Billboard Music Awards truly represent the artists and where music is today, so I’m excited to curate the biggest live performances and surprises. The world has to tune in to see.”
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