DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
“Truth is a Hit” says Berry Gordy
© NaimaLett.com/blog



©Motown

“The truth is a hit,” says Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records.

“You don’t have to fictionalize it. You don’t have to do anything with it. You just have to make it entertaining. That’s what we did at Motown.”

What a secret to success!

Hopefully, we’ll get to see some of that truth in Motown: The Musical, which is being produced for Broadway 2013, and currently casting and looking for a young Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. If you know any phenomenally talented 8-11 year olds, get those YouTube submissions going. :=)

How Much Truth?

Honestly, I’m not sure how much truth Gordy wants to share about his own life. It’s been reported that the self-described driven hustler has usually tried to silence (even legally threaten) projects like the original Dreamgirls and original Sparkle that portrayed the character based on him as the cutthroat businessman people seem to think that he is.

Motown, no doubt, was a huge success, and became the soundtracks to people’s lives during the 60s, 70s and 80s, because of Gordy’s business acumen. Started in 1959 with an $800 loan Berry secured from family members, Motown made history as “the most successful African-American owned and operated record company and business in the U.S.”, with over 450 employees and grossing over $20 million by 1966. (That’s within 7 years, Entrepreneur Fam.)

Motown crossed over to pop charts and proved to be “The Sound of Young America”. In 1966, the company’s “hit ratio”, the percentage of records released that made the national charts, was 75 percent! Unprecedented!

Motown churned out truth hit after truth hit from artists like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, Mary Wells, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, Lionel Richie and the Commodores, on and on.

But there were a lot of back alley, side room, under the table deals going on. It’s been said that Gordy did whatever had to be done to be successful. His autobiography has been reportedly used as a guidebook on how to navigate the music industry and build superstars to a whole new generation of managers including Matthew Knowles, Beyonce’s dad. Beyonce reported her dad idolized and studied Gordy’s every move when managing their girl group.

Give the People What They Want

I suspect the Motown musical will end up more “feel good” than “tell all”, especially since Gordy is producer and creator of the show. But either way, it’s always good when folks recognize that truth not only impacts people’s lives, but it’s actually what they want.

So, lets give the people what they want.
People yearn for truth.
It’s liberating.

That’s what Jesus says anyway. “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32

I love that! The truth makes us free. I wish everyone could live liberated in truth. I’ve been candid since childhood, or so I’m told. Some kids are just born that way. We see truth, say truth, and if we dare lie, it’s like the world is coming to an end until we can go get that lie straight and tell the truth. Folks instinctively feel like they can let their guard down in our presence because we’re be real with them and they can be real with us. It’s a great way to live.

Go head. Try it.
Truth’s a hit,
Naima

What do you think? Has truth been a hit in your life?

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©Motown