Berry Gordy

The Tamla and Motown labels were then merged into a new company Motown Record Corporation, which was incorporated on April 14, 1960.

Gordy's gift for identifying and bringing together musical talent, along with the careful management of his artists' public image, made Motown initially a major national and then international success. Over the next decade, he signed such artists as The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Jimmy Ruffin, The Contours, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Commodores, The Velvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder and The Jackson 5.

Gordy was not known for cultivating white artists, although some were signed, such as Nick and the Jaguars, Mike and the Modifiers, Chris Clark, Rare Earth, the Valadiers, Debbie Dean and Connie Haines.

Berry produced a record on the Penny Label (part of early Tamla Records) in the spring of 1959 showcasing a white doo-wop group known as "Bryan Brent and The Cutouts". Berry had hoped that "Vacation Time", written by himself and Billy Davis, would be the hit side. However, "For Eternity", written by the Cutouts, became the summer hit and enjoyed an unprecedented #1 spot in the greater Detroit area for 8 weeks. Bryan Brent and The Cutouts performed on Soupy Sales late-night TV show and on Mickey Schorr's Detroit Bandstand TV show, as well as many radio station-sponsored dance parties, such as Tommy Clay's Sock Hop at the Light Guard Armory on 8 Mile Rd. Read Less