Barrett Strong

Barrett Strong Jr. (February 5, 1941 – January 28, 2023) was an American singer and songwriter known for his recording of "Money (That's What I Want)", which was the first hit single for the Motown record label.<ref name="Italie 2023">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He is also known for his songwriting work in association with producer Norman Whitfield;<ref name="oldies">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> together, they penned such songs as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "War", "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".<ref name="Italie 2023" />

In 2004, Strong was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Whitfield.<ref name="Genzlinger 2023" />

Early life

Strong was born in West Point, Mississippi, on February 5, 1941,<ref name="amg">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the only boy of six children born to Barrett Strong Sr., a minister. His family moved to Detroit, Michigan, when he was four years old, and his father bought him a piano soon after.<ref name="wapo">Template:Cite news</ref> Strong began singing at Hutchins Intermediate School in Detroit, where his classmates included Aretha Franklin and Lamont Dozier.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Career

Tamla Records and Motown

File:Barrett Strong publicity shot.jpg

Publicity photo

Strong was among the first artists signed to Berry Gordy's fledgling label, Tamla Records, and was the performer (vocal and piano) on the company's first hit single, "Money (That's What I Want)",<ref name="LarkinSM">Template:Cite book</ref> which was recorded live at the music studio where other legendary artists would eventually record. The song reached No. 2 US R&B in 1960. Gordy later disputed claims that Barrett had part in writing this song, stating that Strong's name was only included because of a clerical error.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The single was originally released on Tamla, Motown's first label, but was then leased to the Anna label as it was getting airplay, and it was on the Anna label that it was a hit. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">Template:Cite book</ref>

"Money"<ref name="amg"/> was later recorded by a number of acts, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Kingsmen, Richard Wylie and His Band, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Searchers, the Flying Lizards, the Sonics, and Buddy Guy. Strong expressed that he co-wrote "Money" with Gordy and Janie Bradford; and his name appears on the song's original copyright registration with the United States Copyright Office.

In the mid-1960s, Strong became a Motown writer lyricist, teaming with producer Norman Whitfield.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> Together, they wrote some of the most successful and critically acclaimed soul songs ever to be released by Motown, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by both Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips; "War" by Edwin Starr; "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" by Marvin Gaye; "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by the Undisputed Truth; and the long line of "psychedelic soul" records by the Temptations, including "Cloud Nine", "I Can't Get Next to You", "Psychedelic Shack", "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", amongst others.<ref name="LarkinSM"/>

Strong received a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1973 for "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". Strong and Whitfield also co-wrote the ballad "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)",<ref name="LarkinSM"/> a 1971 Billboard No. 1 that also marked the last Temptations single to feature original members Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams.

Albums and founding Blarritt Records

After Motown moved its operations base from Detroit, Michigan, to Los Angeles, California, Strong left the label and resumed his singing career.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> He signed with Epic in 1972.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> Strong left the label for Capitol Records,<ref name="LarkinSM"/> where he recorded two albums in the 1970s:<ref name="amg"/> Stronghold (1975) and Live & Love (1976).<ref name="Bogdanov & Woodstra & Erlewine 2002">Template:Cite book</ref> The former reached No. 47 on BillboardTemplate:'s Black Albums chart.<ref name="Stronghold on US R&B chart">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In the 1980s, Strong recorded "Rock It Easy" on an independent label, and wrote "You Can Depend on Me", which appeared on the Dells' The Second Time album (1988).<ref name="amg"/> In 1995, Strong founded the record label Blarritt Records.<ref name="Genzlinger 2023">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="McCollum 2001">Template:Cite news</ref> He founded the company as a means of providing opportunity and support for aspiring musicians in Detroit;<ref name="McCollum 2001" /> he stated, "Young people were always coming to me: 'Can you help us get something going?' I thought, 'Wow, there's still so much talent here. They just don't have anywhere to go.Template:' "<ref name="McCollum 2001" /> In 2001, he released the album Stronghold II, which he wrote and composed in collaboration with vocalist Eliza Neals, through Blarritt.<ref name="Genzlinger 2023" /><ref name="McCollum 2001" /> The album would later be re-released in 2008 for digital distribution on iTunes.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Later career

Alongside Whitfield, Strong was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.<ref name="Genzlinger 2023" />

In 2010, Strong appeared in "Misery", his first music video in his fifty years of recording music, co-produced by Eliza Neals and Martin "Tino" Gross with Strong at the helm.<ref name="Misery">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>

Death

Strong died at home in the La Jolla district of San Diego, California, on January 28, 2023, aged 81.<ref name="wapo" /> He was survived by seven children and ten grandchildren. His wife of 35 years, Sandy White, died in 2002.<ref name="wapo" />

Discography

Albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions		Template:Tooltip
		US	US R&B
Stronghold	Template:Plainlist	—	47	<ref name="Stronghold on US R&B chart" />
Live & Love	Template:Plainlist	—	—	<ref name="Bogdanov & Woodstra & Erlewine 2002" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Love Is You	Template:Plainlist	—	—	<ref name="Italie 2023" />
Stronghold II	Template:Plainlist	—	—	<ref name="Genzlinger 2023" />

Singles

Year	Title	Peak chart positions					Template:Tooltip
		US	US R&B	CAN	FRA	UK
1959	"Let's Rock" / "Do the Very Best You Can"	—	—	—	—	—	<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
1959	"Money (That's What I Want)" / "Oh I Apologize"	23	2	—	—	—	<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Sfn
1960	"Yes, No, Maybe So" / "You Knows What to Do"	—	—	—	—	—	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:Sfn
1960	"Whirlwind" (with the Rayber Voices) / "I'm Gonna Cry (If You Quit Me)"	—	—	—	—	—	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1961	"Money and Me" / "You Got What It Takes"	—	—	—	—	—	<ref name="Waller 1985">Template:Cite book</ref>
1961	"Misery" / "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right"	—	—	—	—	—	<ref name="Waller 1985" />
1962	"Seven Sins" / "What Went Wrong"	—	—	—	—	—	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1964	"Make Up Your Mind" / "I Better Run"	—	—	—	—	—	<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
1967	"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips Co-written with Norman Whitfield	2	—	—	—	47	<ref name="Whitburn">Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – Template:ISBN</ref>
1967	"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Recorded by Marvin Gaye Co-written with Whitfield	—	—	8	88	1	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} You have to use the index at the top of the page and search "Marvin Gaye"</ref><ref name="UK">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1971	"Just My Imagination" Recorded by the Temptations Co-written with Whitfield	1	1	72	—	8	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1972	"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" Recorded by the Undisputed Truth Co-written with Whitfield	63	24	—	—	—	<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
1972	"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" Recorded by the Temptations Co-written with Whitfield	1	—	12	42	8	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} You have to use the index at the top of the page and search for "Temptations"</ref>
1973	"Stand Up and Cheer for the Preacher" / (Instrumental version)	—	82	—	—	—	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1975	"Surrender" / "There's Something About You"	—	—	—	—	—	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1975	"Is It True" / "Anywhere"	—	45	—	—	—	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1976	"Man Up in the Sky" / "Gonna Make It Right"	—	—	—	—	—	<ref name="Bogdanov & Woodstra & Erlewine 2002" />
1980	"Love Is You" / "You Make Me Feel the Way I Do"	—	—	—	—	—	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1981	"Rock It Easy" / "Love Will Make It Alright"	—	—	—	—	—	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• List of 1960s one-hit wonders in the United States

References

General and cited references

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Allmusic
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