*Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. is reportedly investing $100 million into a Broadway production which will tell the story of his life and the label.
The New York Post is reporting that the 81-year-old music mogul is developing the production to tell the true story on the inception and running of the label, which had 110 top 10 hits in the US between 1961 and 1971.
Berry is believed to be working with former Universal Music CEO Doug Morris and Rent producer Kevin McCollum on the autobiographical story, which will be set against a backdrop of the 60s civil rights movement in America.
A source told the Post: “Berry’s been wanting to do this for a long time. He’s got the money and investors lined up. He’s trying to involve Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson. This is Berry’s chance to set the record straight.”
One of the issues the musical may address will be the relationship between Berry and singer Marvin Gaye, which was notoriously difficult and saw them fight over various things, including the amount of control Berry had over which songs Marvin recorded and released.
Berry notoriously called his “What’s Going On” track “the worst record I ever heard.”
As Berry owns the rights to most of the Motown back catalogue, others have found it incredibly difficult to tackle Marvin’s story, with directors F. Gary Gray and Cameron Crowe recently abandoning a biopic after saying it was “impossible” to license his music for the soundtrack.
Another source said: “Berry basically owns the rights to the Marvin Gaye story. And he’s been quietly blocking the scripts and music because he doesn’t want his name dragged through the mud.”
However, Berry’s publicist Adrian Bryan-Brown denies these claims, saying: “All licensing of anything Motown has to go through EMI. Mr. Gordy is unaware of any projects being blocked.”
I want to see the part where he seduces Diana, knocks her up and then tries to pass the little nugget off as her white husband’s.
That was Diana’s doing – not Berry’s. Read his book – cause he states that in his book how she did not want to tell Berry it was his child, but wanted to continue raising Rhonda off as her white husbands even though you could look and see whose child she was. Diana was pregnant with Rhonda when she married Robert Ellis.
That white man must have been smoking some good sh*t if he ever believed that girl was his lol
o.k., I stand corrected but, I STILL WANT TO SEE THAT PART!! LoL. btw, her ex’s last name was Silberstein.
His name is Robert Ellis Silberstein – he worked professionally as Robert Ellis.
Berry Gordy must of been smoking or drinking when he made that statement about What’s Going On because that song is a CLASSIC!! only one of Marvin’s best and he left us with some excellent songs.
While I definitely respect Mr. Gordy for what he achieved and the impact he has had on American culture; he has not interest in telling “the true story”,but instead wants to make himself look good.
…And “Dreamgirls” bothered the hell outta him. I think he was tryin’ to sue the makers of the play and the movie at one point.
Dis niggah?, has lost his G.D. miiiiiiind! With his lil theeeeevin as-s! I bet they won’t be “singing bout all “dat”!, will they, lil duckman!? FOH & I STILL want my…check, son!!
BTW niggah!…”Dreamgirls” has already been done! WTF are you g’on “add to it”, to make yo shyt even worthy of “Lifetime TV”, let alone, a theater!?? Maaayn… g’on wit dat weak shyt!