To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown : An Autobiography by Berry Gordy

by Berry Gordy

A personal account of Motown Records details its incredible recording artists--Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, among others--as well as the gossip, rumors, and myths surrounding it and the life and loves of the man who brought it all together.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, African American

Audio Cassette

First published October 1, 1994

Reviews

[The Lion's Share · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly magical and a story of life and events that will forever stay with me.

I picked this up after watching the fantastic Motown musical in London wanting to know more. I grew up listening and loving everything that came out of Motown and I still do. Decades of music that are and will remain on another level of quality and creativity. Pure gold.

Wow what a life this man created for himself and countless others. One of the most influential men of all time for black music and film.

So sad that it’s all over.

[Jay Pruitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Your lovin' gives me a thrill. But your lovin' don't pay my bills. I need MONEY -- that's what I want."
I picked up To Be Loved when I visited Detroit recently on a business trip. I didn't expect too much from the book, as autobiographies are notoriously boring and self-aggrandizing. I was pleasantly surprised by the book. The author (Berry) was so very candid and even self-effacing, spending as much time describing his mistakes as his successes. And let's face it, the man has SO much to be proud of - he accomplished a feat few could dream of, at a time when being a man of color meant having almost no chance of owning and growing a successful business.

The list of artists who came through Hitsville USA is just staggering (Jackie Wilson, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Four Tops, Commodores, Martha & The Vandellas, Gladys Knight, Mary Wells, Frankie Valli, and The Pointer Sisters, to name just a few) . I must admit that at a time not long ago I thought "Motown" referred simply to hits produced in Detroit during the 60s-70s. I had no idea the Motown brand referred to songs produced by one company, one man really, who was incredibly talented in spotting and nurturing artists. And of course, the city was LOADED with amazing artists.

As an aside, the book caused me to start watching YouTube video and reading about Jackie Wilson, Berry's first real artist (even before Smokey). OMG, Jackie was incredible, amazing, such raw energy. They called him Mr. Excitement and I understand why. He had a 4-octive (that's right) singing range and could make some amazing dance moves. Many artists would later incorporate Wilson's singing style (Elvis) and footwork (James Brown, Michael Jackson). Reportedly, when Presley was asked if Jackie was the black man's Elvis, he responded "No. If anything, I'm the white version of Jackie Wilson."

Back to Berry. Of course, To Be Loved reads like a Who's Who of folks he knew and associated with. But it's not presented in a way that says "I'm important because I knew important people". Rather, I can't see how you'd talk about Berry's life without naming a pretty impressive list of friends and artists. He spends a lot of time talking about Diana Ross (who I wore out record grooves listening to as a teenager) and it's clear Diana broke Berry's heart.

I just have to say after reading this book that I'm in awe of what Berry Gordy accomplished. The book should be stocked in the "business" section of the book store, as it describes the sacrifices it takes to build a special business. I highly recommend this book, even if it's not a genre you'd normally tune in for.

PS - I do think Berry could have done a better job talking about the "Funk Brothers" who were the musicians behind all the big Motown hits. During the 60s many of the big hit groups (outside Motown) were using the "Wrecking Crew" on the West Coast - including bands/groups like Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Simon & Garfunkel, Mamas & Papas, The Righteous Brothers, The Monkees, etc. But the Funk Bros can claim more #1 hits. Neither of these musician groups received the recognition they were due.

[John Winston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first review I've written on Goodreads and let me preface it by saying Berry Gordy is my biggest hero of all-times, so it will be extremely biased. I know, I know. He was a crook and stole from every one of his artists...at least that's the prevailing consensus. That being said, I am in awe of what he accomplished at the time he accomplished it; when black music was relegated to being just that...black music. His machine created phenomenal music and his genius found a way to play and sell that music to the whole world.

In my humble opinion, Motown music is the best collection of contemporary music ever created. Berry Gordy accomplished the improbable with Motown and that is what this book was about, more or less, in his own words. As a musician, music lover and Detroiter I remain in awe of this underrated feat, so much so I read the book at least twice and own two copies of it. I'm going to leave it at that and go on to make some objective reviews now.

[Taryn Rydell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Say what you want about Berry Gordy. He is a genius. He did things in the music industry that hadn't been done before or since. Motown is the greatest collection of contemporary music ever created. In To Be Loved, you get it from the horse's mouth. Whether you believe what's written here or not, the words matter because somebody's got to tell history. Who better to tell it than the person who created it all. We believe the words prophets wrote in the Bible because men deemed them inspired by the almighty. I believed Berry Gordy was inspired by a higher power and from Smokey Robinson to the Jackson Five we are blessed to hear his story in his own word. This is a must read for any fan of Motown music.

[Troy Legette · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was there in a lonely room reading words painting
the perfect picture. A man following his dreams asking
family members to help invest in it. Using your last
savings to invest is amazing. I learned so much about
some of the artist he helped have success in the music
industry.

[Dave Schwensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see why this book would be the inspiration for the hit Broadway show, Motown. It’s a positive musical romp through one of the most important eras of popular music with some of the biggest names in the industry. Of course a major part of this story is the mega-success of a black-owned business in America during the early to mid 1960’s. Detroit was already known as Motor City before Barry Gordy ever worked in a car plant and learned the factory system. After adapting this process to his record company, Detroit was known for being Motown.

This is Gordy’s side of this story and as the founding father of Motown he had the best seat in the house from which to tell it. Readers need to assume he’s giving us the inside scoop, but I couldn’t help thinking we weren’t getting all the details. As a former boxer from the rough streets of Detroit, it’s doubtful all business dealings were handled with kid gloves. And even thought that opinion is only based on reports from past articles and other books, they are not at all addressed, confirmed or denied, in this book.

The historical aspects of Gordy’s success are monumental. Motown broke through the color barrier and the restrictions “race music” had to fight to be heard on the most powerful and popular radio and television broadcasts (in other words; white-owned stations). It is a story worth telling and knowing about.

The supporting cast includes some of the most dynamic and talented performers of the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s. It’s easy to visualize Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and The Jackson Five entering and exiting during different segments of the book with their classic songs providing the soundtrack.

Gordy’s memories are sandwiched between agonizing decisions to sell his company and are the perfect bookends for this story. Some of the less famous characters, including the various mothers of his numerous children, become confusing as the story continues, but I enjoyed the book and again, consider it an important story. The only reason not to go five stars was that it didn’t hook me as a page-turner. I had no problem putting it on the shelf and reading two other books before coming back to finish. Fortunately, the legendary Motown stars, known to all music fans, always made it easy to pick up the story from where I had left off and follow through to the end.

[Gary Baughn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Berry is continually trying to correct the impression that he was a dictator of Motown Records, he probably was, and this is still a fun book to read, if you like that music, and want to hear about how it came to be. I've been to Hitsville, and this should make you want to see that little bungalow that changed the world of music.
What is most interesting is how he combined creativity and manufacturing, two ways of doing things that, like oil and water, supposedly are at odds with one another and cannot be combined. He did it. And while he was a dictator, and his word was final, the other creative voices had their say, and creative talents were both in competition with one another and in collaboration towards excellence.
Some people point at all the talent that eventually left Motown as proof that Gordy was hard to work for and that his way of doing things doesn't work. But the proof of good parenting is how completely the and successfully the fledglings learn to fly and leave the nest. Gordy developed talent to the point of independence, and kept us all Dancing in the Streets.

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching, Inspiring, Informative, Heartfelt & Beautiful! A Awesomely Beautiful Read! I Loved It!

[Jennifer Lafferty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great history and detailed inside stories. Berry Gordy has an amazing memory. The book was a little long with a lot of superfluous information but all things considered, very worthwhile for fans of Motown.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's how much I love autobiographies and memoirs (or maybe I should say, "here's how much of a book geek I am"): I went to see Motown: The Musical, loved it, found out it was based on Berry Gordy's autobiography, and immediately had to read it. I'm glad I did, because I really enjoyed it.

Besides being a trip through the history of much of the best pop music ever, it was also a story of an interesting and I think somewhat admirable man. I know that people make themselves look good when they write an autobiography, but I think that it is telling that a man like Gordy (a workaholic, womanizing, professional perfectionist) seems to have ended up with good relationships with all of his exes, his 8 children by several different mothers, his extended family and even with most of the people he has worked with.

My only complaint is that the book ended in the early 1990s, and I would love another chapter or two of resolution to know what else has happened in his life since then!

[James Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished. Amazing. Even for an R&B history lover like myself, I learned tons of stuff. A lot of these stories I'd heard, but not from Berry Gordy himself. I teared up a couple of times. Good stuff.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good

love this time in history and this book is such a good source of American history. loved hearing the stories of where some favorite songs were created.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent autobiography...he was more honest and open than I thought he would be. I enjoyed it very much, so interesting and we'll written.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I need to stop reading autobiographies and memoirs; I just don't know how to evaluate them. For instance, this one is well-written and covers a number of topics I find extremely interesting: evolution of music; the role of blacks in creating, developing and releasing phenomenal music when, as a whole, they were so repressed (and still are, unfortunately); how a poor black man could build an empire and become so rich and successful, and how that same man dove into new endeavors with a fervor not often seen. And that's just touching the surface. Yet, I find this overall disappointing (as apparently did the rest of the reading public, since I got this as a "complimentary copy" when I purchased a t-shirt at the Motown Museum when I had time to kill in Detroit recently.

I still love Motown, and now I want to read what others had to say about their experiences with the company and Mr. Gordy.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this book when I visited the Motown Museum back in May '23. As was the case with my museum visit, the Berry Gordy's memoir leaves me even more impressed by the immense impact Motown had on the music of the 60's and 70's, how the Motown stable of artists dominated the music of my chilhood and youth.

[John Alsaigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pretty sweet read I had a jolly good time reading it

[Jackie Stanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a pleasure to read about someone who's a charismatic, talented and remarkable person, and Berry Gordy, Jr. fits that bill to a T. This is the autobiographical memoir he wrote in 1995 that became the basis for the hit Broadway musical, "Motown", which I had the pleasure of seeing in October while in New York. As it turns out, the gentleman who transports us to/from LAX was the chauffeur for Mr. Gordy for 13 years, when Gordy moved his company to Los Angeles, and he lent me his autographed copy of this interesting, fast-paced look into the amazing career of the man who shaped much of the music that was the soundtrack of my generation. Anyone who loves music, especially rhythm and blues, will enjoy this honest look at a man who is, to all who know him well, an honest businessman, brilliant and creative genius, and loyal friend.

[atom_box Evan G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barry gave us Motown, as sure as the founding fathers gave us the United States. And we need to recognize that. And reading a book from a founder's point of view has a meta-satisfaction: this is the thinking of the man who thought up Motown.

This is two books: (1) the story of Motown and (2) Barry Gordy looking for some love.

I give Berry 4 out of 5 for covering the history of Motown. These aren't deep or insightful stories - more like stories from someone who doesn't know how to listen to people. But the quantity, the breadth, and the insider perspective make the stories great reading. And we learn what is on the mind of a founder, not an artist.

Almost entirely unasked are the questions: what is music, what is good music, what is it like to create music? Berry's perspective is entirely extractive, like a prospector: "HDH had been hired away, but then I found Whitier".

To Be Loved filled in a lot of facts I've been wondering about. To name a silly but satisfying example, I had no idea that the mysterious Rockwell ("Somebody's Watching Me") was Berry's son.

Berry Gordy's stories worked best when they were from his childhood, and about the streets of 1940s Detroit, and the boxing ring (his high point was being the flyweight round on a card that featured Joe Louis in the heavyweight round).

The next 70% of the book is a reasonably compact history of early, middle, and final Motown: all very important history. He's not the best person to tell that story though since his point of view is a bit distant from the people actually doing it.

And the city itself, Detroit, never gets much love. He depicts it as something he outgrew, as if it were one of his ex-wives. "I'm from the ghetto" he tells Californians. And he has murals of "the Detroit Ghetto" in his backyard in Los Angeles.

He describes his love affairs in language which imply he had no agency. Throughout the book he seeks to receive the love of women, but as a partner he depicts himself as deeply nonreciprocal.

In the end, Barry gave us Motown. He's a founder. Hearing him tell all of this is important. Shelve this next to an Elon Musk or similar autobiography from someone you have mixed feelings about.

[Jim McCulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite a departure for me. I don't read many autobiographies but this one was a gift from the curator at the Motown Museum in Detroit. . . so I read it.

I came of age in the 1960's and was very familiar with the "Motown sound" although I have learned that I really knew little or nothing about it. In fact, I thought it was a regional "sound" much like the Bakersfield sound in country music or the country swing sound of Texas. I had no idea that Motown was a company created and operated by Berry Gordy. I had no idea that Berry also produced movies, wrote music, and managed difficult talent.

I have no recollection of ever hearing his name but I sure knew his artists and their work. Berry's story is fascinating. I'm a retired business guy, and the business aspects of his story are fascinating with his level of success bordering on the astounding.

This one is well worth the read if you have an interest in music history or remember the Motown sound.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in the great city of Detroit, (1958-1983) and I'm still in the area. My siblings were a little bit older, so even as a young child, Motown was playing everywhere there was a record player or a radio. My transistor was turquoise & white. I can sing every word to probably 95% of all of the entire Motown catalogue. I have been to the Motown Museum (Hitsville U.S.A.) many times. When I had children, we would listen to Motown. They grew up appreciating the music and they know most of the artists that were singing and who wrote the songs. I have taken my grandchildren to the museum. My grandson has always loved Edwin Starr's "WAR". He was thrilled to hear it at the exact moment he was viewing Starr's gold record at the museum.
Motown is apart of my soul. I really enjoyed this book because, as much as I knew about Motown, I truly didn't know everything about Berry Gordy, and the business side of Motown. Motown is a proud legacy in Detroit. To read so many reviews by people from all over the planet, is incredible. I am thrilled that the legend of Motown, the music, and Berry Gordy's success story will live on. The museum is undergoing a renovation and expansion. A space being created that will enable the Motown story to be shared for generations to come, as well as performing opportunities to encourage young artists to follow their dreams. Great things are happening in MOTOWN!!

[Lauren Godlesky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, inspiring, and iconic story from start to finish. Born and raised in Michigan, my Flint-raised parents had Motown music on loop just about every day. To read about Motown's humble beginnings was such a heartfelt and nostalgic journey for me. I was immersed in this book and truly loved learning about its origins and the iconic creatives that encompassed Motown. I finally got the chance to take a tour of the Histville Museum in late 2023 where all recipients of that walkthrough were gifted a free copy of this book from Mr. Gordy himself. Would highly recommend this read for not just Motown lovers, but for all creatives and music lovers alike.

[Akshay Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Berry goes on to write his story in a most wonderful and candid way.
From his childhood, his bold decisions and self - belief, makes one belive in miracles. Also one makes his own miracles.
He speaks about his business and risks, relationship and how the world came to know him.

One of the best autobiographies written I guess!!

In his words - The whole purpose of writing a book is to be understood, if other people write a book about you, they try to guess why you did things, or they hear things from others.

[Jeff Morford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard work and relationships can overcome chaos and early lack of business acumen.

The book seemed set up to be turned into a movie or miniseries with the time jumps and focus on a few key characters. It even opened like a villain or anti-hero tells their story.

I liked reading it by a smart speaker. I had many moments of thinking I didn't know a song Gordy mentioned, asking my music service to play it, and realizing I just didn't know the title.

Finally 1958-1988 (most of the book's setting and the period where Gordy controlled his companies) was 30 years. 1988-2023 is 35 years. Wow.

[Mickey McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This man needs no introduction. His label Motown is more than just a company that made records, but it was a cultural and social revolution, and who better to tell the story than the man who built it, Berry Gordy Jr.
He's a great storyteller as he leads you from his upbringing in Detroit, to following his dreams first as a songwriter, and as a record label owner, and through the highs and lows of success.
Anybody who is into music, or social and cultural studies show read this.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up in Detroit and the Motown era I enjoyed reviewing all the names and stories of Motown's growth. Have visited the little blue Motown house many times. This autobiography is very detailed. Gordie must have kept extensive notes or recordings to be able to summarize such detail in his autobiography. Just look at the appendix!

[Brian Pan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most brilliant marketing genius of our times, Berry Gordy was initially my career inspiration before I decided on a different path in life. His autobiography offers both a good lesson in business as well as an example of grit. I would recommend reading this as a way to pick up little gold nuggets of leadership, hard work, and success.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good I just started right over again. What an achievement by this man and his family and friends. And that’s just what it was - friends and family working together to achieve something truly special. The book really brings this home.

[Christopher Dalla Riva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quality memoir by Motown’s founder. Though he does write about some of the darker parts of the music business and his relationships, if you want a more candid telling you’ll probably need to turn elsewhere.

[Sandy III · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowing a lot about Motown, I was intrigued when I ran across this audio book.

[Debra E. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is okay, a real love letter to his self . Missing are stories about half of the act at Motown. Real stories about those days.