When You Think "Motown", Do You Think "Lionel Richie"?

[marv2]

This question is not meant as a diss or anything. I am just curious as to what others on the forum think of Lionel Richie's music and contributions to Motown. I notice that he or his music is never discussed here, so please share your thoughts.

[jboy88]

The Motown family and legacy, yes! The Motown sound, no!

[jobeterob]

The Motown family and legacy, yes! The Motown sound, no!

Agree......

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Yes, 1980's Motown, for sure. Lionel's solo albums sold like hotcakes during that era. In fact, if memory serves, he was Motown's biggest hitmaker at that time. Not only that, in 1981, Diana's & Lionel's "Endless Love" gave Motown it's biggest duet single EVER! When it comes to '80s Motown and Lionel, it's hard to think of one without the other.

[Optimal Saint]

Not at first. Motown comes up almost like an afterthought when I think of Lionel

He’s not the only one either

Isley Brothers
Rick James
Debarge

Motown isn’t first to mind with any of them either

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Also, can't forget Lionel's 1970s work with The Commodores. His contributions to Motown's success in the '70s and '80s was of vast importance.

[midnightman]

Motown label, yep. But not of the sound.

[mysterysinger]

Motown - absolutely

[TomatoTom123]

I agree with what's been said. Not at first, and not the Motown sound, but Lionel is definitely Motown.

Maybe the question should be, when you think of Lionel, do you think of Motown? :rolleyes:

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I agree with what's been said. Not at first, and not the Motown sound, but Lionel is definitely Motown.

Maybe the question should be, when you think of Lionel, do you think of Motown? :rolleyes:

I agree, Tom. People seem to be comparing Lionel's music with the classic '60s Motown Sound which had changed by the 70s when The Commodores came along. And by the time of Lionel's '80s solo success with Motown, yet another decade had come and gone. Other than Motown's ongoing magic in the music, there's no way Lionel's music could be reminiscent of "The Motown Sound". Even as the question was posed, I don't understand the confusion.

[midnightman]

I agree with what's been said. Not at first, and not the Motown sound, but Lionel is definitely Motown.

Maybe the question should be, when you think of Lionel, do you think of Motown? :rolleyes:

Okay when you ask it like that, yeah I think of Motown when I think of Lionel lol

[rovereab]

I don't think of the Motown with Lionel Richie any more than I think Motown with say Diana Ross singing Love Hangover. What I think is that after the golden Motown sound era the label still had masses of top quality talent.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

I don't think of the Motown with Lionel Richie any more than I think Motown with say Diana Ross singing Love Hangover. What I think is that after the golden Motown sound era the label still had masses of top quality talent.

Once you get past the 60's I don't think anyone linked up certain artists with Motown anymore like they did in the 60's. That Motown Sound of the 60's gave its artist a definitive and immediately identifiable identity. It's like the Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis era; when you heard those artists they produced, BAM! you KNEW and talked about it as a Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis affair. Motown in the 70's and beyond? Good music, but no longer could you say an artists' name and immediately think MOTOWN. I always thought of Lionel Ritchie as artist first, Motown..."oh yeah, he was there too."

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Once you get past the 60's I don't think anyone linked up certain artists with Motown anymore like they did in the 60's.

Au contraire, WaitingWatching -- mysterysinger and I both did....and still do. Once the classic Motown Sound of the '60s was over, we remained true to Motown and continued buying ALL of their product whenever possible -- especially '70s Motown. In the '80s, perhaps, to a lesser degree. But Motown's carry-over artists from the '60s and '70s [[Diana, Smokey, Stevie, Lionel) were still Motown to us, as were Motown's newly-signed '70s artists.. If you no longer linked them to Berry Gordy's Motown, that's cool, but some of us did and always will.

[Boogiedown]

there's not that one artist that makes me think of Motown, it's a collective powerhouse of acts. perhaps part of the problem is that Lionel doesn't have that Detroit association, isn't of the core membership born there. but I would put him on equal footing as any other stand-out Motown name that comes to mind in importance to the brand .

[Fourtopsbiggestfan]

Not at all. The real Motown is IVY JO HUNTER, THE FOUR TOPS, CHUCK JACKSON, DAVID RUFFIN, THE ANDANTES, FRANCIS NERO, THE SUPREMES, THE TEMPTATIONS, etc.

[TomatoTom123]

I agree, Tom. People seem to be comparing Lionel's music with the classic '60s Motown Sound which had changed by the 70s when The Commodores came along. And by the time of Lionel's '80s solo success with Motown, yet another decade had come and gone. Other than Motown's ongoing magic in the music, there's no way Lionel's music could be reminiscent of "The Motown Sound". Even as the question was posed, I don't understand the confusion.

Thanks Gary. I think you have to distinguish between the different Motowns! It's not accurate to say that Lionel had anything to do with detroit era Motown and its classic sound. But it's also not fair to deny Lionel the credit for the classic music he made for the label in the 70s and 80s, and the Motown legacy he helped to forge. :)

[midnightman]

For many in Detroit, Lionel may not represent Motown but to this NC boy, he does. Mainly what he contributed to being in the label.

[milven]

When I think of Motown, I don't think of Lionel Ritchie. But when I think of Lionel Ritchie, I do think of Motown

[mr_june]

Very good replies on the question. I'll go with not thinking of the Motown sound in general when thinking of Mr. Ritchie. My thought link is with the individuals, solo singers, musicians and groups that worked, and recorded there in the 60's.

[arr&bee]

There are two motown artist that i never think about and lionel richie is the other one!

[Optimal Saint]

There are two motown artist that i never think about and lionel richie is the other one!

Is the other one a secret?

[arr&bee]

is the other one a secret?not at all..boyz to men!

[Optimal Saint]

not at all..boyz to men!

I agree

Once I get past the early to mid 80s I don’t really think of anyone as a “Motown” artist

[marv2]

not at all..boyz to men!

They tried very hard to make them a part of the continuity of Motown by having them do tributes to the Temptations and Four Tops on television programs. I also don't think of Motown when I think of them.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Au contraire, WaitingWatching -- mysterysinger and I both did....and still do. Once the classic Motown Sound of the '60s was over, we remained true to Motown and continued buying ALL of their product whenever possible -- especially '70s Motown. In the '80s, perhaps, to a lesser degree. But Motown's carry-over artists from the '60s and '70s [[Diana, Smokey, Stevie, Lionel) were still Motown to us, as were Motown's newly-signed '70s artists.. If you no longer linked them to Berry Gordy's Motown, that's cool, but some of us did and always will.

I TOTALLY get that and think it's fantastic that you and others continued thinking in terms of linking artists with Motown well past the 60's. Are you both located in the U.K.? [[I always feel like I'm blowing that- U.K./England, even though it's been very well explained before!)
I probably should have qualified those comments by applying them in general to people in the U.S. I think the U.K. has always been much stronger in having that devotion to Motown than people in the States. Just from my own experience with my friends, none of them automatically link anyone to any kind of a label. Nobody here says that's a Motown artist or that's an Arista artist, or that's an Epic artist. When Lionel was really hot, I never heard any of the people around me speak of him in terms of being a Motown artist.

But then again, nobody else around here was as diehard a fan of Motown as I was.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I TOTALLY get that and think it's fantastic that you and others continued thinking in terms of linking artists with Motown well past the 60's. Are you both located in the U.K.? [[I always feel like I'm blowing that- U.K./England, even though it's been very well explained before!)
I probably should have qualified those comments by applying them in general to people in the U.S. I think the U.K. has always been much stronger in having that devotion to Motown than people in the States. Just from my own experience with my friends, none of them automatically link anyone to any kind of a label. Nobody here says that's a Motown artist or that's an Arista artist, or that's an Epic artist. When Lionel was really hot, I never heard any of the people around me speak of him in terms of being a Motown artist.

But then again, nobody else around here was as diehard a fan of Motown as I was.

I'm in the U.S., WaitingWatching. I have to agree that Americans in general are at times fickle when it comes to recording artists, but not America's true Motown fans. When it comes to Motown, we're a faithful and loyal bunch. In fact, some of us are Motown completists who proudly own nearly every note of music Motown ever recorded -- both released and previously-unreleased. We owe it all to the magic of Motown's incredible '60s "Motown Sound". We were hooked early and it stuck with us until Berry sold Motown in 1988. After that, the only current-day Motown product I bought at the time was Diana and Stevie.

The reason some people don't mention Epic or Arista artists is because those were merely record labels that released all genres of music. Motown, however, was a "sound" -- a category unto its own which, during its 10-year heyday, took the world by storm and never stopped. Today, 60 years later, it has even spread to Broadway! Who would have ever guessed!

[midnightman]

Motown was a revolution, a movement, a sound. That's why Stax, Atlantic, Chess, Epic or Arista are not looked on like that, those were simply labels. Motown was different. That's why of all the labels, Motown and the artists that shaped that sound and were the faces of that revolution [[Diana/Supremes, Marvin, Smokey Robinson, Temptations, Stevie Wonder, etc.) still gets big press to this day. You saw all the press Diana and Marvin got for their birthdays/stamp reveals/new albums. Once you're associated with Motown, you know you're part of something special.

[Jimi LaLumia]

there aren't many '80's kids' on here I don't think.. for those kids, they were all about Lionel, DeBarge, Rick James etc and they knew they were on Motown/Gordy because the MTV videos info at the lower corner of the screen told them so

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

The reason some people don't mention Epic or Arista artists is because those were merely record labels that released all genres of music. Motown, however, was a "sound" -- a category unto its own which, during its 10-year heyday, took the world by storm and never stopped. Today, 60 years later, it has even spread to Broadway! Who would have ever guesed!

Very good points. It never ceases to amaze me how singular Motown was in having that specific sound that to this day is so iconic. I'm not sure even the Philly Sound is as iconic with the general public. You're right in saying it's a category unto itself. I have loved Motown since I was 4 and still, it sometimes blows my mind.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Motown was a revolution, a movement, a sound. That's why Stax, Atlantic, Chess, Epic or Arista are not looked on like that, those were simply labels. Motown was different. That's why of all the labels, Motown and the artists that shaped that sound and were the faces of that revolution [[Diana/Supremes, Marvin, Smokey Robinson, Temptations, Stevie Wonder, etc.) still gets big press to this day. You saw all the press Diana and Marvin got for their birthdays/stamp reveals/new albums. Once you're associated with Motown, you know you're part of something special.

Very true. Motown is the very reason I learned to play bass and a host of other instruments. I often think, how many artists would we be talking about so fervently to this day had then not been with Motown. I read once in a book a comment from an record exec back in the day something about how a lot of records were happening on Motown that wouldn't have made it elsewhere [[or something like that.) His point was that Motown just had everything covered so astonishingly well that if a record came out on a Motown label, it was almost automatically a hit.

[144man]

There most definitely was an identifiable Stax sound.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

There most definitely was an identifiable Stax sound.

Absolutely! As soon as you heard the horn section, you KNEW it was Stax! And not only that, Stax's Memphis Sound was Motown's biggest competitor. Also, certain Atlantic R&B artists [[especially Aretha & Wilson Pickett) recorded at Rick Hall's Fame studio, thus giving them the Muscle Shoals sound.

[Motown Eddie]

When I think of Motown, I think of the artists that recorded the defining hits for the company during what I call The Hitsville Era [[1959-1971). Since Lionel Ritchie's work at the label comes after that period, I don't think of him when I think Motown [[however, I do acknowledge his work both as a member of The Commodores & solo act).

[StuBass1]

It's kinda like saying when you think of the Detroit Pistons, do you think of Ben Wallace???...If you're a Bad Boys fan, some diehard fans from that earlier era might say not... They won a championship with Ben...but his legend is likely not on par with Isiah, Dumars, Laimbeer, et al...Same with The Tigers and Miguel Cabrera...Most of us go back to the 68 team with Kaline, Horton, Lolich, and McLain...The classics...

[marv2]

It's kinda like saying when you think of the Detroit Pistons, do you think of Ben Wallace???...If you're a Bad Boys fan, some diehard fans from that earlier era might say not... They won a championship with Ben...but his legend is likely not on par with Isiah, Dumars, Laimbeer, et al...Same with The Tigers and Miguel Cabrera...Most of us go back to the 68 team with Kaline, Horton, Lolich, and McLain...The classics...

Heck, I go back before that with Bob Lanier, Dave Bing etc, etc. LOL@

[StuBass1]

Heck, I go back before that with Bob Lanier, Dave Bing etc, etc. LOL@
Exactly...And some [[still alive) go back to George Yardley and Walter Dukes when they think of The Pistons...

[marv2]

Exactly...And some [[still alive) go back to George Yardley and Walter Dukes when they think of The Pistons...

Believe it or not, my mother is the most die-hard Detroit Pistons fan on Earth! She even knows their personal details going back beyond the "Bad Boys" years.LOL

[marv2]

It's kinda like saying when you think of the Detroit Pistons, do you think of Ben Wallace???...If you're a Bad Boys fan, some diehard fans from that earlier era might say not... They won a championship with Ben...but his legend is likely not on par with Isiah, Dumars, Laimbeer, et al...Same with The Tigers and Miguel Cabrera...Most of us go back to the 68 team with Kaline, Horton, Lolich, and McLain...The classics...

The '68 Detroit Tigers World Series Champions team was my dream team when I was a kid. Al Kaline, Willie Horton, Mickey Lolich, Denny Mclain and don't forget Ernie Harwell!!!! DETROIT TIGERS!!!!

[midnightman]

Lol I just meant that Motown was so heavily promoted over the other labels. Stax definitely had an identifiable sound and was a revolution in its own right but it was never the powerhouse Motown was in the '60s.

[marv2]

Lol I just meant that Motown was so heavily promoted over the other labels. Stax definitely had an identifiable sound and was a revolution in its own right but it was never the powerhouse Motown was in the '60s.

Stax Records were pretty strong though back in that era with many nationally known artists.

[glencro]

No, not at all. Didn't realize that he was on Motown artist as a solo artist until I just read this post.

[copley]

No!!!!!!!!!!!!

[marv2]

No, not at all. Didn't realize that he was on Motown artist as a solo artist until I just read this post.

Glen, really? His music never sounded Motown related. I think the Commodores may be more recognizable as a Motown act than Lionel solo.

[midnightman]

No, not at all. Didn't realize that he was on Motown artist as a solo artist until I just read this post.

You serious???

https://media.giphy.com/media/u9qBQQTjI8vQc/giphy.gif

[midnightman]

Stax Records were pretty strong though back in that era with many nationally known artists.

I don't know about "many" at least not compared to Motown but Isaac, Sam & Dave, Otis, Rufus, Johnnie Taylor and Booker T & the M.G.'s definitely laid the groundwork for soul music's global dominance... like I said, I give it up to Stax and they were just as much in the fight for civil rights and black excellence as Motown but Motown was ALWAYS on a wider scale...

[marv2]

I don't know about "many" at least not compared to Motown but Isaac, Sam & Dave, Otis, Rufus, Johnnie Taylor and Booker T & the M.G.'s definitely laid the groundwork for soul music's global dominance... like I said, I give it up to Stax and they were just as much in the fight for civil rights and black excellence as Motown but Motown was ALWAYS on a wider scale...

Here is a list of some of the Stax Records artists:

https://staxrecords.com/artists/

[marv2]

Here is a more comprehensive list of Stax Artists:

Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Gus Cannon
The Astors
Rufus Thomas
Wendy Rene
Otis Redding [[Volt)
Carla Thomas [[Satellite, Atlantic, then Stax)
The Mar-Keys [[Satellite, then Stax)
The Mad Lads [[Volt)
Ruby Johnson [[Volt)
Mable John
Sam & Dave [[signed to Atlantic, recorded at Stax, recordings issued by Stax by arrangement with Atlantic until 1968)
Eddie Floyd [[Safice, Atlantic, then Stax)
The Charmels [[Volt)
Johnnie Taylor
William Bell
The Bar-Kays [[Volt)
Albert King
Ollie & the Nightingales [[Chalice, then Stax)
Wilson Pickett [[signed to Atlantic, recorded at Stax)
Don Covay [[signed to Atlantic, recorded at Stax)
Isaac Hayes [[Enterprise)
The Goodees [[Hip)
Christian Harmonizers [[Chalice)
Johnny Daye
Judy Clay
Arthur Conley [[Jotis, signed to Fame/Atco, recorded at Stax)
Veltones [[Satellite)
The Chips [[Satellite)


1968–1975: Post-Atlantic years

Isaac Hayes [[Enterprise)
Albert King
O. B. McClinton
Johnnie Taylor
Eddie Floyd
William Bell
The Soul Children
Little Milton
The Emotions [[Volt)
Booker T. & the M.G.'s
The Bar-Kays [[Volt)
David Porter
The Epsilons featuring Lloyd Parks -McFadden & Whitehead
Richard Pryor [[Partee)
Bill Cosby [[Partee)
The Staple Singers
The Ross Singers
The Rance Allen Group
Kim Weston
The Leaders [[Volt)
The Dramatics [[Volt)
The Temprees [[We Produce)
Jean Knight
Rev. Jesse Jackson [[Respect)
Mel and Tim
Moms Mabley [[Partee)
Luther Ingram [[Koko)
Terry Manning [[Enterprise)
Tommy Tate [[Koko)
The Nightingales
Frederick Knight
Shirley Brown
Calvin Scott
Inez Foxx
The Sweet Inspirations
Ernie Hines [[We Produce)
Roy Lee Johnson
Jimmy McCracklin
Lena Zavaroni[42]
Linda Lyndell [[Volt)
Round Robin Monopoly [[Truth)
Joyce Cobb [[Truth)
Larry Raspberry & the High Steppers [[Enterprise)
Eric Mercury [[Enterprise)
Ken Matthews
Lou Bond [[We Produce)
Glenn Yarbrough


2006–present: Concord years

Angie Stone
Ben Harper
Lalah Hathaway
Leela James
Leon Ware
N'dambi
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
Nikka Costa
Soulive
Southern Avenue[43]
Teena Marie
William Bell

[midnightman]

Here is a list of some of the Stax Records artists:

https://staxrecords.com/artists/

Oh yeah. I'm quite aware of the number. A lot of them are very influential. I just meant the ones that became superstars, ya dig?

[marv2]

Oh yeah. I'm quite aware of the number. A lot of them are very influential. I just meant the ones that became superstars, ya dig?

Ok give me your definition of "superstar", because I can pick out at least a dozen of them from the Stax roster.

[StuBass1]

Ok give me your definition of "superstar", because I can pick out at least a dozen of them from the Stax roster.
While Stax artists were huge from a music fans [[particularly R&B and Soul music fans) point of view...the entire Stax operation lacked the type of promotional expertise Motown developed which was able to elevate it's artists on the broader national and international stage... Stax as a business model was ultimately a failure, despite the success of several of it's artists individually. The business was so screwed up that nobody even knew who owned what, and artists signing with Stax in the later years didnlt even realize that Stax did not even own the material... Berry Gordy studied the business from several angles which is what contributed to the reason we are celebrating Motown and it's artists 60 years later...

[midnightman]

Thank you Stu! That's all I was saying. I wasn't trying to hate Stax but to act it was huge as Motown is taking things too far. Jesus...

http://66.media.tumblr.com/d72acd52ceaa7d8fcd535d138b696fb8/tumblr_mxtolfPtNP1t6nn9lo4_400.gif

[Optimal Saint]

I agree that Motown was king above all but I do think that Stax was a junior version of Motown

A bunch of young artists making great music in an unusual location [[neighborhood house and converted local movie theater)

I do believe that those locations are a big part of the appeal/mystique of the labels

If stax made the same music in a studio in downtown Memphis and Motown never had the west grand house but was always in their later downtown building [[Woodward?) I’m not sure that their stories play out the same way

[Optimal Saint]

A big part of the Lionel Ritchie Question is what do you think of when you think Motown?

I think of a bunch of young 20 somethings in the Detroit house that changed the world

That is 90% of Motown to me

Most of 70s Motown is Stevie, Marvin and J5

80s Motown to me frankly is mostly just Motown 25

And after that I don’t think of anyone as “Motown”

It’s much the same to me with Stax, I think the movie theater in Memphis even a lot of their hits that were recorded elsewhere I think of the theater

I know that Stax is an active label now and until the above post I had no idea who was on it

Motown and Stax are two label where a lions share of their legacy and impact were made in a very specific time and place

[StuBass1]

I agree that Motown was king above all but I do think that Stax was a junior version of Motown

A bunch of young artists making great music in an unusual location [[neighborhood house and converted local movie theater)

I do believe that those locations are a big part of the appeal/mystique of the labels

If stax made the same music in a studio in downtown Memphis and Motown never had the west grand house but was always in their later downtown building [[Woodward?) I’m not sure that their stories play out the same way

Creatively, perhaps up to a point...albeit for a relatively shorter period of time...but from an entrepreneur, promotional, and legacy standpoint...not even close...

[Optimal Saint]

Oh I agree

For me the only labels that really qualify for having “The [[blank) Story” in the public’s consciousness is Motown, Stax and PIR

The Motown Story, the Stax Story the Philadelphia international story [[and Motown is miles ahead of both Stax and Philly)

No one else comes close to me

The Hi Records Story?

The Brunswick Story?

The Backbeat Story?

The Curtom Story?

The Atlantic Story? [[Possibly, I know the artists but I never think of them as a collective, I don’t think of Aretha, Wilson Pickett and Solomon as “Atlantic” not the same way Marvin Stevie and Smokey are Motown, Otis Isaac and johnnie are Stax, O’Jays, blue notes and MFSB are PIR)

[StuBass1]

If you are going to tell those worthy stories...why forget SOLAR...The Dick Griffey and Don Cornelius label? Shalimar, Midnight Star, The Whispers, The Sylvers, Lakeside, Klymaxx, Babyface, O'Bryan, and more... A bit later era, but some significant recording projects, with Don Cornelius there to promote the artists...

[marv2]

Thank you Stu! That's all I was saying. I wasn't trying to hate Stax but to act it was huge as Motown is taking things too far. Jesus...

http://66.media.tumblr.com/d72acd52ceaa7d8fcd535d138b696fb8/tumblr_mxtolfPtNP1t6nn9lo4_400.gif

You are being disingenuous here. I don't see where anyone was acting as if Stax was a big as Motown. Go find where that was said. I know all I said was that Stax was pretty strong during that era too. That is a fact! Why did try to turn that simple, truthful statement into a competition, an argument?

[midnightman]

Creatively, perhaps up to a point...albeit for a relatively shorter period of time...but from an entrepreneur, promotional, and legacy standpoint...not even close...

Stax was pretty influential but I never got the Motown comparisons. The impact with Stax was massive but not enough where the entire world was shook. That's why Motown's classic years still get mainstream headlines today.

[midnightman]

If you are going to tell those worthy stories...why forget SOLAR...The Dick Griffey and Don Cornelius label? Shalimar, Midnight Star, The Whispers, The Sylvers, Lakeside, Klymaxx, Babyface, O'Bryan, and more... A bit later era, but some significant recording projects, with Don Cornelius there to promote the artists...

No one hardly talks about SOLAR. And why? I don't know!

[midnightman]

You are being disingenuous here. I don't see where anyone was acting as if Stax was a big as Motown. Go find where that was said. I know all I said was that Stax was pretty strong during that era too. That is a fact! Why did try to turn that simple, truthful statement into a competition, an argument?

And I was agreeing with you but some of your posts seem to indicate that Stax was as big as Motown as far as impact and that was simply not true. Nothing personal lol

[midnightman]

A big part of the Lionel Ritchie Question is what do you think of when you think Motown?

I think of a bunch of young 20 somethings in the Detroit house that changed the world

That is 90% of Motown to me

Most of 70s Motown is Stevie, Marvin and J5

80s Motown to me frankly is mostly just Motown 25

And after that I don’t think of anyone as “Motown”

It’s much the same to me with Stax, I think the movie theater in Memphis even a lot of their hits that were recorded elsewhere I think of the theater

I know that Stax is an active label now and until the above post I had no idea who was on it

Motown and Stax are two label where a lions share of their legacy and impact were made in a very specific time and place

I think where Stax falls short is by the time they established their sound, Otis was dead and the death of King there definitely made things tense so by the time Isaac Hayes blew up as a solo artist, the label was already at a crossroads. Motown built up their sound for a decade and a half and crossed over to the mainstream in ways other R&B labels hadn't before. Stax was pretty damn great for what they did but I wouldn't call it "Motown Jr." though the label obviously was inspired by Motown no doubt.

[Boogiedown]

Does Lionel think "Motown" when he thinks of himself??

He seems to have distanced himself from the association. Or do I have that wrong ? Can't picture him participating at recent Motown functions...
Didn't he end his tenure at Motown abruptly and when he was still hot? When he came back years later he was on Mercury.

[midnightman]

I don't know. Don't seem like it. It seems so odd to call him a Motown legend even though technically that's what he is. But I've heard people call him a "soul legend" too so IDK... I don't think he distances himself but more so he really doesn't belong in "the association" as much as the other artists who were there years earlier. The Jackson family, for example, don't seem to be part of the association as much either despite the '60s history because, like Lionel, they were out-of-state. Marvin Gaye was looked on differently because he came to the label when it was in its infancy so therefore he would be as connected to the Motown Sound as well as Detroit. Can't say the same for the Tuskegee, Alabama-born Lionel.