Motown and Berry Gordy Jr.'s Children

[marv2]

Does anyone know why Berry Gordy Jr.'s children did not take over the operations of Motown?

[Circa 1824]

Does anyone know why Berry Gordy Jr.'s children did not take over the operations of Motown?

Listen to Evan Ross sing, and you will see the apple often falls VERY far from the tree.

[jobeterob]

Listen to Evan Ross sing, and you will see the apple often falls VERY far from the tree.

Not really - Berry couldn’t sing either

[mysterysinger]

Because Berry sold it. I think he felt that was the best way to keep it going as he could no longer compete with the much larger, non-independent companies. That was for $61m in 1988 and later on, in 1997, he sold a part share of Jobete to EMI.

[Circa 1824]

Not really - Berry couldn’t sing either

you missed my point .... children often do not have the talent nor abilities of their successful parent.

[marv2]

Because Berry sold it. I think he felt that was the best way to keep it going as he could no longer compete with the much larger, non-independent companies. That was for $61m in 1988 and later on, in 1997, he sold a part share of Jobete to EMI.

I know he sold it in 1988 at what turned out to be a third of its real value. I am talking about back in the 70s, it seemed that he was grooming Berry IV and Terry to move into management at Motown. It was a family-owned [[and at one time, operated business). I just wondered why he did not turn things over to them once he got "tired". Kerry, went on to become a music business executive.

[dvus7]

I know he sold it in 1988 at what turned out to be a third of its real value. I am talking about back in the 70s, it seemed that he was grooming Berry IV and Terry to move into management at Motown. It was a family-owned [[and at one time, operated business). I just wondered why he did not turn things over to them once he got "tired". Kerry, went on to become a music business executive.

Berry Gordy IV ran Jobete!!

[nativeNY63]

BG had a son in that quirky group that had the one hit wonder, "Party Rock."

[midnightman]

^ Rockwell was another son who was also a one-hit wonder. Which some of the Gordys had in common [[Berry's brother Robert also scored a hit as Bob Kayli around '58).

[midnightman]

Listen to Evan Ross sing, and you will see the apple often falls VERY far from the tree.

Rhonda Ross Kendrick, not Evan, is Berry's child with Diana.

[marv2]

I did not care for any of the Gordy's performing. What I was most interested in is why none stepped up to run/manage Motown before Berry Gordy Jr. decided to sell it.

[nativeNY63]

Rhonda Ross Kendrick, not Evan, is Berry's child with Diana.

Rhonda was also in the Temps movie! And she sings.

[midnightman]

Rhonda was also in the Temps movie! And she sings.

She played Paul Williams' wife. She can sing AND act... a chip off the old block as they say. :)

[midnightman]

I did not care for any of the Gordy's performing. What I was most interested in is why none stepped up to run/manage Motown before Berry Gordy Jr. decided to sell it.

Maybe because BG didn't trust any of them to do it? Maybe he would've picked Hazel [[she seems to know business or did, I don't know what she does now) but she was going through a very messy divorce with Tarhead Jackson [[Jermaine) lol

But he also thought Kerry Gordy [[founder of the Apollo group) knew business. He actually wrote in "To Be Loved" that he felt Kenny Gordy, aka Rockwell, would be a record executive [[but Rockwell is what you call the "invisible one"). So maybe he felt "nah that's too much responsibility and I don't trust 'em with it" so he sold it.

[marv2]

Maybe because BG didn't trust any of them to do it? Maybe he would've picked Hazel [[she seems to know business or did, I don't know what she does now) but she was going through a very messy divorce with Tarhead Jackson [[Jermaine) lol

But he also thought Kerry Gordy [[founder of the Apollo group) knew business. He actually wrote in "To Be Loved" that he felt Kenny Gordy, aka Rockwell, would be a record executive [[but Rockwell is what you call the "invisible one"). So maybe he felt "nah that's too much responsibility and I don't trust 'em with it" so he sold it.

Thank you Midnightman for at least addressing the subject of this thread. You may be right. I do recall a few times in the 70s reading and seeing pics of Mr. Gordy's older sons, Berry !V and Terry Gordy working in the offices of Motown in LA. His niece Iris Gordy also played a key role at Motown starting back in the Detroit days. He had a large, extended family that grew up around the business and it just struck me as odd that the family firm was not passed down to the younger generation.

[nativeNY63]

Thank you Midnightman for at least addressing the subject of this thread. You may be right. I do recall a few times in the 70s reading and seeing pics of Mr. Gordy's older songs, Berry !V and Terry Gordy working in the offices of Motown in LA. His niece Iris Gordy also played a key role at Motown starting back in the Detroit days. He had a large, extended family that grew up around the business and it just struck me as odd that the family firm was not passed down to the younger generation.

Sadly, sometimes apples DO fall far from the tree!

[marv2]

Sadly, sometimes apples DO fall far from the tree!

I mean their grandparents, Pops and Bertha Gordy were entrepreneurs, along with most of their uncles and aunts.

[detmotownguy]

I mean their grandparents, Pops and Bertha Gordy were entrepreneurs, along with most of their uncles and aunts.

Maybe none of his brood were hungry enough money wise to do take on that responsibility. Would Berry keep getting dragged into business matters if was kept in the family? Did he just think that they did not possess the business skills and dedication necessary to run a large company?

[marv2]

Maybe none of his brood were hungry enough money wise to do take on that responsibility. Would Berry keep getting dragged into business matters if was kept in the family? Did he just think that they did not possess the business skills and dedication necessary to run a large company?

Those are good questions.

[detmotownguy]

[QUOTE=marv2;572094]Those are good questions.[/QUOTE
Do we know if any of his offspring were college educated in Business, Management, Marketing or some other degree to successfully run Motown?

[marv2]

[QUOTE=marv2;572094]Those are good questions.[/QUOTE
Do we know if any of his offspring were college educated in Business, Management, Marketing or some other degree to successfully run Motown?

I am almost certain that all of them were college graduates. I do know Hazel graduated from Pepperdine University. Their father, Berry Gordy was not college educated.

[detmotownguy]

[QUOTE=detmotownguy;572349]

I am almost certain that all of them were college graduates. I do know Hazel graduated from Pepperdine University. Their father, Berry Gordy was not college educated.

Maybe they were simply "Motowned" out lol!

[marv2]

[QUOTE=marv2;572360]

Maybe they were simply "Motowned" out lol!

We just don't know. I know if I were in their shoes, I would MADE my dad let me work there. LOL

[gman]

Maybe having grown up in/around it, they just didn't really have the interest in it as a career commitment....on a much much micro-smaller scale, we probably all know of family owned businesses we would have viewed as a "golden egg" if passed down to us, and our friends who were in the "gifted" position just did not want the opportunity.

[detmotownguy]

Maybe having grown up in/around it, they just didn't really have the interest in it as a career commitment....on a much much micro-smaller scale, we probably all know of family owned businesses we would have viewed as a "golden egg" if passed down to us, and our friends who were in the "gifted" position just did not want the opportunity.
Good analogy-makes sense. A friend's parents owned an insurance company whose kids wanted nothing to do with it as they wanted to pave their own road.