USA: Barack Obama's Presidential win not just a black issue, say Motown artists as the label celebrates its 50th birthday.

Record ID: 393403

  • Title: USA: Barack Obama's Presidential win not just a black issue, say Motown artists as the label celebrates its 50th birthday.
  • Date: 11th January 2009
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SMOKEY ROBINSON, SAYING: "Everybody's looking to say this is now the United States of America. That is big. REPORTER ASKING: ARE YOU GOING TO ATTEND THE INAUGURATION? ROBINSON, SAYING: "I am going to the inauguration, yes, I will be there."
  • Embargoed: 26th January 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2HOEAC1GOCWMLYP38SPQQOFHH
  • Story Text: Motown founder Berry Gordy and Motown artist Smokey Robinson draw parallels between the record label and Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States, himself a huge fan of Motown music.
    The upcoming inauguration of the first black president of the United States will be watched by the entire world but for Motown, the first record to feature all black artists, it will be a culmination of many of their own personal struggles.
    Motown has always been about more than music.
    As the soul empire turns 50 on Monday (January 12), its founders are looking back at its brand of music dubbed the "Motown sound" that remains popular today and the record company's role in breaking down racial barriers in America.
    Founded in 1959 in Detroit by songwriter and entrepreneur Berry Gordy using an 800 dollar (USD) family loan, Motown plans a year-long celebration with record releases, documentaries and exhibitions.
    In the 1960s and 1970s, Gordy helped to make stars of the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, the Supremes, the Temptations and the Jackson 5.
    Stevie Wonder was a visible force on Barack Obama's campaign trail, often accompanying the then Democratic nominee as he stumped his way throughout the U.S. Obama returned the same affection for the Motown legend, telling Rolling Stone magazine the musician was his "musical hero".

    "The thing that makes me so thrilled about the whole Obama experience, it's not just me but the whole world, it seems that we're joined together and it's the same philosophy that we've had for years and years and years. And knowing that Obama is a Motown lover, I'd like to think that some of his philosophical points came from that kind of thinking, that Motown-type thinking. So I'm extremely proud. I never thought in my lifetime that I would see a black man as president and there are so many dreams and aspirations not only of the black people but also of white people and that's what's so heart-warming about this all is that the white people feel the same way and it's so warming to me," said Gordy.
    Robinson was one of the first five people to join Motown both as an artist and later as vice-president of the company. He talked about playing to segregated audiences in The South. His labelmate Martha Reeves said she was "shot at" and "was denied privileges" in the early days of the label while on tour.

    "Going through the social changes that we went through and our leader at that time was Dr. Martin Luther King, I regret that he did not live to see it because he started a movement that was unstoppable. And he started a movement that was not only a black effort because had it been just been a black effort, it never would have taken place because our white brothers and sisters and our red brothers and sisters and our yellow brothers and sisters and everybody in this country made this happen," Robinson told Reuters Television.
    He added that it wasn't only the U.S. but the entire globe which welcomed America's first African-American into the White House.

    "It is the first time in the history of the world, in the entire history of earth, that an elected official or a pointed official or an official that inherited that top spot in one country has been celebrated by the world. Not only is the United States celebrating Barack Obama's election, the entire world is celebrating his election. That is powerful. That is wonderfully, fantastically powerful," he said.
    Motown boasts nearly 200 No. 1 songs worldwide and in its heyday produced classics like "My Girl," "What's Going On,"
    "Dancing in the Street" and "Superstition."
    Underscoring its role in crossing racial boundaries was "Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas, which topped Mojo's poll of the 100 greatest Motown songs.
    The 1964 track was adopted as a civil rights anthem by black campaigners at the time, although lead singer Martha Reeves said the track was about soothing, not stoking, tensions.
    Obama will be inaugurated into the U.S. presidency on January 20 and Robinson said he plans to attend the ceremony.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register