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Not long after the
Tamla release, Berry
and Raynoma knew they would need to move again, but this time to
their own premises which could also double as a studio with
a proper control room. Anyway, the
cost of leasing studio time was not insignificant and it
made a lot of sense.
In July 1959, Raynoma came
across a photographer's building on West Grand Boulevard
which was owned by Gene LeVett. On 2nd August the building
changed hands. What
would follow, would be one of the greatest success stories
in the history of popular music. In
the company's hey day the
staff would use the right hand door of the Hitsville
building, and the owners, Berry and Ray, the left hand door. The latter,
was to access
the upstairs living quarters. Behind the
large ground floor window was
the main reception area. To it's left was the telephone exchange. The
control room was towards the centre of the building and the
studio on the lower ground floor, at the rear.
In 1985, the building became
a museum under the directorship of Berry's sister, Esther
Gordy Edwards.
Today's museum entrance is
number 2644/6 (on the right of this picture). This was once the offices of the Jobete Music
Publishing Company.
To enter Hitsville is to
achieve a lifetime ambition. Soul
heaven!
Notes thanks to David Meikle
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