Rayber Corporation

[nsoule]

I own a piece of "Rayber Corporation" stationery that was saved from the Donovan building however many years ago. I'm well aware of the Rayber record label and production company that Berry Gordy and Raynoma Liles-Gordy started in 1959 that evolved into Motown, but the stationery curiously has the address listed as 4237 Woodward Avenue, which is the address of Graystone Ballroom that is long gone and is now a McDonald's. As far as I can tell, Berry didn't purchase the Graystone until June 1963. So my question is: why/how was Rayber still around in 1963 and what was it responsible for at Motown or elsewhere?
19554

[robb_k]

I own a piece of "Rayber Corporation" stationery that was saved from the Donovan building however many years ago. I'm well aware of the Rayber record label and production company that Berry Gordy and Raynoma Liles-Gordy started in 1959 that evolved into Motown, but the stationery curiously has the address listed as 4237 Woodward Avenue, which is the address of Graystone Ballroom that is long gone and is now a McDonald's. As far as I can tell, Berry didn't purchase the Graystone until June 1963. So my question is: why/how was Rayber still around in 1963 and what was it responsible for at Motown or elsewhere?
19554
Very surprising! I've never seen, nor heard of RayBer Production Co. being incorporated, nor continuing any functions after Berry incorporated Motown Record Corp. It must have still had assets, as they were mentioned in Berry and Raynoma's 1964 divorce's asset allocation.

[DWSheffer]

Neat letterhead....of the 10 pounds of paperwork I bought from an "urban explorer" that saved it from the Donovan I didn't get one of these! I still can't bear the thoughts of what was lost in that building.....what a waste.

[Graham Jarvis]

The Rayber Voices still existed in 1963 before the Andantes became the stable backing group and before Raynoma left for New York. Its well known that Raynoma was part of Rayber [[Ray & Berry). Can only think that until the Andantes took over [[1963) and Ray left Detroit & Berry, there was no need any longer for Rayber & closed it down. As Rob mentions there are several references to Rayber & The Rayber voices in her Bio "Berry Me, & Motown".
We may never know, but love the "Rayber Stationery" a great piece of Motown History.

[nsoule]

Aha! There's a brief mention of the Rayber Corporation in chapter 13 of David Maraniss' book 'Once In A Great City: A Detroit Strory':


Gordy set up the Rayber Corporation to handle the Graystone and installed his big sister, Esther Edwards, as the treasurer, and her husband to help handle the books and ticket sales.


Curious still that he recycled the "Rayber" name for the Graystone's entertainment management company.