Berry Gordy Biography, Age, Parents, Siblings, Wife, Songs and Death

BIOGRAPHY OF BERRY GORDY

Berry Gordy III, also known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is an American songwriter, television producer, film producer, record executive, and record producer. He is the founder of Motown Record Corporation (1959), a record company and its subsidiaries. It was the most successful black music company in the United States, as it was the highest-earning African-American business.

Through Motown, Gordy developed the majority of the great rhythm-and-blues (R&B) performers of the 1960s and 1970s, including Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Marvelettes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations and Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five. He is said to have orchestrated the popular “Motown sound,” a ballad-based blend of traditional black harmony and gospel music with the brisk rhythm of R&B.

BERRY GORDY AGE

Gordy was born on November 28, 1929 in Detroit, Michigan, United States. He turns 88 in 2018.

FAMILLE BERRY GORDY

Parents

Gordy was born in Detroit to Berry Gordy II (also called Berry Gordy Sr.), a plastering contractor, and Bertha Fuller Gordy, an insurance agent. They died in 1978 and 1975 respectively. His father was from Oconee in Washington County, Georgia, in Detroit in 1922 when he learned of the employment opportunities for blacks offered by the booming automobile companies.

The first Berry Gordy was the son of a white plantation owner named James Gordy, Georgia, and his slave wife. His half-brother, James, was President Jimmy Carter’s grandfather.

BERRY GORDY SIBLINGS

Berry Jr. had seven siblings, including three brothers and four sisters. He is the seventh child of eight: the eldest Gordy was Fuller Berry Gordy (1918-1991), Esther Gordy Edwards (1920-2011), Anna Ruby Gordy Gaye (1922-2014), Loucye Gordy Wakefield (1924-1965), George Weldon Gordy Sr. (1926 – 2011), Gwen Gordy Fuqua (1927 – 1999) and his younger brother Robert Louis Gordy (b. 1931).

BERRY GORDY WIFE

Berry has been married and divorced three times. He has eight children from his three marriages. His first wife was Thelma Coleman whom he married in 1953 and they divorced in 1959. Together they have three children; Hazel Joy born August 24, 1954, Berry IV born October 1955 and Terry James born October 1956. Hazel Joy had been married to Jermaine Jackson.

In the spring of 1960 he married his second wife Raynoma Mayberry Liles but they divorced in 1964. Their marriage resulted in the birth of a child; Kerry Gordy who was born on June 25, 1959. He had another daughter, Sherry, with Jeana Jackson on May 23, 1960?

Gordy’s other son, Kennedy William, was born on March 15, 1964, to his then mistress, Margaret Norton. Kennedy would later become better known as Motown musician Rockwell. He obtained his recording contract without the knowledge of his father to avoid a case of nepotism.

He had an intimate relationship with Diana Ross, a Motown artist, from 1965 to 1970. Their relationship resulted in the birth of their daughter Rhonda Suzanne on August 14, 1971. Rhonda was raised by Robert Ellis Silberstein, her legal father in under California family law.

Gordy’s last born is a son of Nancy Leiviska and known as Stefan Kendal (born September 3, 1975). He is a DJ, rapper, singer, songwriter, dancer and record producer who is best known by his stage name Redfoo. He is part of the LMFAO duo with his nephew Skyler Gordy (stage name: Sky Blu). Sky Blu is the grandson of Gordy Jr. and Thelma Coleman through their son Berry IV and his wife, Valerie Robeson.

CHILDREN OF BERRY GORDY | BERRY GORDY KIDS

Gordy III is the father of eight children: Hazel Joy, Berry IV, Terry James, Kerry Gordy, Sherry, Kennedy William, Rhonda Suzanne and Stefan Kendal. His publishing house, Jobete, is named after his three eldest children, Joy, Berry and Terry.

BERRY GORDY SON | BERRY GORDY IV

The son of Gordy Jr., Berry Gordy IV is the father of Skyler Gordy, also known as Sky Blu, a member of the LMFAO duo while his half-brother (Berry Gordy IV) Stefan Kendal Gordy is the other member of the LMFAO duo. The two are known for their song “Party Rock Anthem” released in 2011.

BERRY GORDY AND DIANA ROSS | DAUGHTER OF DIANA ROSS

Gordy had an intimate relationship with Motown entertainer Diane Ross from 1965 to 1970. They had a daughter Rhonda suzanne, who was born August 14, 1971. He once said, “I had this wonderful relationship that s turned into a great romantic relationship, but I was more interested in making her the biggest star in the world.

Managing his career and developing his career has been my greatest joy. “Diana’s former lover and the man who made her a superstar.” Berry further says that they are still “best friends”.

BERRY GORDY MORT

While hoaxes mainly spreading about celebrity deaths are common on the internet, the founder of Motown Records was also the victim of such a hoax. A Facebook post claimed he had passed on the hat (Saturday November 13, 2018) and it drew many comments and condolences. He is alive and well as it has been confirmed to be a hoax.

DAUGHTER OF BERRY GORDY HAZEL GORDY | THE GIRL

Hazel Gordy is the daughter of Berry Gordy and Thelma Coleman. She is an abhorred media personality and former model. She is also notably recognized as the ex-wife of Jermaine Jackson, brother of Michael Jackson. Her marriage began to show cracks when she found out her husband was cheating with his mistress, Margaret Maldonado. They have a son together. Hazel tried to reconcile their relationship but eventually gave up and filed for divorce in 1988.

ROCKWELL BERRY GORDY

Kennedy William Gordy, known as Rockwell, is the son of Motown founder and CEO Berry Gordy and Margaret Norton who was then Gordy’s mistress. He was named Kennedy William after John F. Kennedy and William “Smokey” Robinson by his father.

SISTER BERRY GORDY

Ann Gordy Gaye, older sister of Berry Gordy was an American composer and songwriter. Ann became a record executive in the mid to late 1950s, distributing records released on Checker and Gone Records before forming the Anna label with Billy Davis and his other sister Gwen Gordy Fuqua. She later rose to prominence as a songwriter with several hits, including The Originals’ ‘Baby, I’m for Real’, and at least two songs from Marvin Gaye’s album What’s Going On. She was the first wife of Marvin Gaye. Their turbulent marriage later served as the inspiration for Gaye’s album, Here, My Dear.

BERRY GORDY MOTOWN

Berry Gordly is the founder of Motown Records. It is an American record company founded as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959 and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960 in Detroit, Michigan. The name of a portmanteau of motor and city, has also become a nickname for Detroit. This company was instrumental in the racial integration of popular music as an African-American record company that achieved significant crossover success.

BERRY GORDY NET WORTH

Gordy, founder of Motown Records, has an estimated net worth of $345 million.

LABEL BERRY GORDY

Logo Motown

BERRY GORDY HOUSE | BERRY GORDY MANSION | BERRY GORDY HOME

The star’s best-known home was the Motown mansion in Detroit’s historic Boston Edison District. It is called Motown Mansion after Berry Gordy Jr., the founder of Motown Records owned it. The mansion was sold in the summer of 2017 (August) for $1.65 million. Gordy lived there, as did Diana Ross when they were together and he hosted many Motown stars at home.

Views from Berry Gordy Mansion

SONGS BY BERRY GORDY JR.

BERRY GORDY BOOK – TO BE LOVED

This is an autobiography by the founder of Motown Records in which he humorously and candidly recounts a moving insight into his incredible life and times.

Published: October 1, 1994 by Warner Books (NY)
Original title: To Love: Music, Magic, Memories of Motown: An Autobiography
Language of publication: English
Other editions (4): latest being May 3, 2013 ( eBook)