Barret Strong, pioneer of the Motown sound and the hit record of the Beatles and the Stones, has passed away

Barrett Strongsinger and composer of the legendary label’s first hit Motown RecordsAnd money (that’s what i want)And He passed away today at the age of 81, as announced on his Twitter account, The Motown Museum.

“It is with great sadness that we share the passing of legendary classicmotown singer-songwriter Barrett Strong. The voice behind @motownrecords’ first single, the icon money (that’s what i want)confirmed the museum located in Detroit, in the state of Michigan, the city where the record company was born at the end of the fifties.

After touring the city with his brothers, Strong’s ethereal vocal style caught the attention of Jackie Wilson, who introduced him to Berry Gordy. In April 1959, Barrett signed with Gordy’s Tamla Records, and that same month, he released his first simple single, let’s RockMuseum Reports.

Historic hit

In July of the same year, the singer records the first single for the record company money (that’s what i want)which reached #2 on the US sales charts and has been covered dozens of times, incl the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

John, Paul, George, Ringo and George Martin (who played piano) recorded cash in July 1963 and issued the theme in November. According to Harrison, they discovered the song in 1960 at George Epstein’s famous record shop in Liverpool, and played it on a Decca Test in 1962. There is also a live version on the BBC.

the Rolling stones They recorded the same theme on their first EP, in January 1964. There is also a well-known version by new wave group The Flying Lizards, in 1979.

Barrett Strong’s career

Subsequently, Strong teamed up with Motown producer Norman Whitfield to create some of the label’s most popular and successful songs, including I heard it through the grapevineWhich is famous for both interpretation Marvin Gay Like in Gladys Knight.

He also collaborated with Norman Whitfield on such classics as warby Edwin Starr (who then scored The Bruce Springsteen Years); Papa was Rollin’ Stoneof temptations, and Take me in your arms and love meWritten by Gladys Knight and The Peeps.

Strong left Motown when the record company moved to Los Angeles in 1972.and continued his career in companies such as Epic and Capitol, as well as some independent companies, and continued to record songs until the late eighties.

The singer and songwriter, born in West Point, Mississippi, on February 5, 1941, has lived a large part of his life in Detroit.

The folks at the Motown Museum have not provided further details on the location, date, or cause of his death.

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