The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts recently announced that Motown Music Founder Berry Gordy will be one of several notable honorees at the 44th Kennedy Center honors, according to a WXYZ report.
The ceremony recognizes lifetime artist achievements, according to the article. High-profile celebrities like actress Bette Midler and singer Joni Mitchell will also be honored.
“The Kennedy Center Honors celebrates luminaries whose art and creativity have enriched us beyond measure,” Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein said in a news release. “Visionary music producer and songwriter Berry Gordy brought the quintessential soulfulness of Detroit into every home in America, elevating the Motown sound to become a national treasure.”
Motown got its start after receiving an $800 loan from his family’s Ber-Berry Co-op in 1959 before the creation of Motown Record Corporation in 1960, according to the article.
He bought a two-family home on West Grand Blvd. and moved his family into the upper unit and built his world-renown record company on the first floor, according to the article.
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