St. Broadway Berry gives back to Detroit … worthless renderings of Motown

[mirage]

St. Broadway Berry gives back to Detroit… worthless renderings of Motown connected to a cache of missing millions andthe jobs that were never created.
Beautiful renderings of a fictional place … Motown Center. Gordy Foundation; grant funds; corporatedonors were supposed to fund it. Show Detroit the “Money”.
There are nocredible excuses for the misplaced or missing millions including the grantmonies provided for the Motown project. In fact, it is inexcusable for the Motown Historical Museum to somehow sufferfrom the same accounting practices as the Motown Town Center Project albeit fora longer period of time. The Museum needsall new trustees as well as government intervention and investigation. How does a Museum where its founder rakes inmillions and receives accolades and honors a man of integrity when he givesnothing back to his hometown or the real Motown entertainers and back-roomfamily members.
And thefactual history of Motown is not reflected in some far-fetched Broadway musicalfairytale. Allegedly written by BB, this romantic talecreates a Romeo Berry and Juliet Diana theme. There is no truth in this Shakespearean imaginative plot unless youinclude all of Romeo Berry’smany naïve and passed around female conquests. [[The stage would collapse if all the ladies showed up to be recognized.) And who would ever characterize reading andwriting as two of BB’s strengths?
BB is simplya former factory guy that got lucky; followed a dream with the help of many nowforgotten individuals; made millions; but also got into bed with some ratherdifficult and unsavory business associates. Detroit’s manufacturing dust simply didn’tfit in with the Motown personnel changes that were made. One should never leave paperwork behind. Maybe it should have been removed and buriedwith Jimmy Hoffa.
Berry and his LA MoWester groupies seem to have long-term memoryloss when it comes to Detroitand the real Motowners who gave BB the opportunity to make Motown an integratedsound. How many MoWesters actually arefrom the big “D”? [[No, Suzanne de Passe …you are not an Original Motownfamily member; you are just another “Berrygirl”.)
For any oneto assert that BB built Motown alone is ludicrous and hurtful to those Motownfamily members that are actually the history behind Motown. They are the real story behind Gordy’s Motown.BB has yet to learn as old as he is that you can get up on stage to receivehonors or accolades but the truth is you would not be on that stage without theDetroit Motowners that put you there. A roundof applause for those now deceased Motowners; those still with us; and for theCity of Detroitfor their historical and significant contributions to making Berry Gordy a starand Motown music a global sound.
Reading someof the Berryfied-posts that are filled with gushing BB praise are a bitoverkill especially when connected to their sources. Where are my manners … Congrats to BB and to allthose selected to attend his “Evening” in Chicago. PBS will insure that BB’s Motown storyremains historically without its core Motown family as they are back in Detroit.

[Roberta75]

St. Broadway Berry gives back to Detroit… worthless renderings of Motown connected to a cache of missing millions andthe jobs that were never created.
Beautiful renderings of a fictional place … Motown Center. Gordy Foundation; grant funds; corporatedonors were supposed to fund it. Show Detroit the “Money”.
There are nocredible excuses for the misplaced or missing millions including the grantmonies provided for the Motown project. In fact, it is inexcusable for the Motown Historical Museum to somehow sufferfrom the same accounting practices as the Motown Town Center Project albeit fora longer period of time. The Museum needsall new trustees as well as government intervention and investigation. How does a Museum where its founder rakes inmillions and receives accolades and honors a man of integrity when he givesnothing back to his hometown or the real Motown entertainers and back-roomfamily members.
And thefactual history of Motown is not reflected in some far-fetched Broadway musicalfairytale. Allegedly written by BB, this romantic talecreates a Romeo Berry and Juliet Diana theme. There is no truth in this Shakespearean imaginative plot unless youinclude all of Romeo Berry’smany naïve and passed around female conquests. [[The stage would collapse if all the ladies showed up to be recognized.) And who would ever characterize reading andwriting as two of BB’s strengths?
BB is simplya former factory guy that got lucky; followed a dream with the help of many nowforgotten individuals; made millions; but also got into bed with some ratherdifficult and unsavory business associates. Detroit’s manufacturing dust simply didn’tfit in with the Motown personnel changes that were made. One should never leave paperwork behind. Maybe it should have been removed and buriedwith Jimmy Hoffa.
Berry and his LA MoWester groupies seem to have long-term memoryloss when it comes to Detroitand the real Motowners who gave BB the opportunity to make Motown an integratedsound. How many MoWesters actually arefrom the big “D”? [[No, Suzanne de Passe …you are not an Original Motownfamily member; you are just another “Berrygirl”.)
For any oneto assert that BB built Motown alone is ludicrous and hurtful to those Motownfamily members that are actually the history behind Motown. They are the real story behind Gordy’s Motown.BB has yet to learn as old as he is that you can get up on stage to receivehonors or accolades but the truth is you would not be on that stage without theDetroit Motowners that put you there. A roundof applause for those now deceased Motowners; those still with us; and for theCity of Detroitfor their historical and significant contributions to making Berry Gordy a starand Motown music a global sound.
Reading someof the Berryfied-posts that are filled with gushing BB praise are a bitoverkill especially when connected to their sources. Where are my manners … Congrats to BB and to allthose selected to attend his “Evening” in Chicago. PBS will insure that BB’s Motown storyremains historically without its core Motown family as they are back in Detroit.

mirage, you seem to harbor great resentment towards Mr Berry Gordy. Did you have a love afair with Mr Gordy that ended badly or did you work for Mr Gordy and leave on bad terms resulting in this grudge or vendetta?

Roberta

[smark21]

So why the deep seated and deeply felt grudge against Berry Gordy? All your posts here are rants against Berry Gordy and Motown the Musical.

[StuBass1]

If there had been no Berry Gordy Jr, there would have been no Motown. Certainly, many many individuals, artists, musicians, business associates, etc played a huge part in the success of Motown, but only ONE individual can claim that vwithout them, there would have been no Motown. While an $800.00 family startup loan may not seem like much in todays dollars or business climate, but back in the 50's, it was a significant risk for Berry Gordy Jr to assume, and he built a economic powerhouse and an organization which became the envy of much of the music industry.

[jobeterob]

This is just another example of a disgruntled bitter person with a victim complex; someone who didn't get off their butt and succeed at something else. The other examples on SD generally can't spell and have a bad "Diane " fixation.

[ejluther]

I'm always struck by the repeated missing spaces between words in these posts...

[snakepit]

I'm always struck by the repeated missing spaces between words in these posts...

If there is any 'problem' with Mirages's posts.....it's Berry's fault!

[marybrewster]

Yours with every good wish.....

[Roberta75]

Yours with every good wish.....

Are you mocking me my dear marybrewster. My "yours, with every good wish" is genuine.

Fondly,

Roberta

[jobeterob]

Are you mocking me my dear marybrewster. My "yours, with every good wish" is genuine.

Fondly,

Roberta

I would think it is more directed at Mirage.....in sarcasm and irony.

[mirage]

Grudges are for amateurs. Revenge is a more suitable term. It is exacting when done for the right cause through the use of legalrecourse and resources. And posting onblogs always brings out the best in all of us.

“BB” and his LA Cocktail crowd are ignorant, oblivious,heartless and callous or simply stupid as to the cause and effect of anymalicious and destructive actions they may have caused. What have any of these former Detroit “celebrities”given back to their beloved hometown and where it all began … and to thoseoriginal M-towners who helped build and brand “Motown”.

Claim is that there would not be a “Motown” if BB wasn’t avisionary. Fact is that Motown became successfulthrough the dedicated M-towners that spent their own youths helping BB toachieve something good in the music world amidst the complexities of a racialdivide.

Gordy envisioned and created a crossover record label. It was a wonderful achievement. However, with great achievement also comesaltruistic responsibility to “pay it forward”. BB is not a humanitarian; nor should he be viewed as one.

When BB and his hand-selected entourage hurriedly left Detroit for the Westcoast, garbage was not the only thing they left behind. Some authentic Motown “family” members losttheir self-worth and dignity. Theseindividuals were there for BB when he founded Motown. They were needed then; but considered “trash”now. They were left with nothing; noteven a face-to-face personal goodbye. Question: Why is that?

Romney stated while in his quest for the presidency thatAmerica’s poor were at fault for the give me a hand-out American syndrome. BB and his all too familiar surround-soundgroupies, Vegas gamblers, and music industry honchos also revert to a similarview. The other “percentage” ofMotowners are always being “branded” as disgruntled former Motownunderachievers who blew themselves into drug induced homelessness, health-relatedillnesses, suicides and pauper burials.

Motown the Musical… is the music; not BB’s version of his story. And he certainly has the rightto tell his story his way. BUT, everyonehas that same right. Generally embellishmentsand lies always become part of stories. Motownhistory will always be rehashed and repackaged; but it can never be relived. The sordid M-history is found in the faces of the originalMotown family after they were abandoned. Many of them could have been helped; should have been helped. Perhaps, the MotownMuseumcould become a Motown homeless shelter and rehabilitation center. It does have a restored piano worth millionsthey could play.

For any person posting on this site to imply or suggest thatall M-family individuals are worthless and homeless beggars looking to BB forone of his insincere photo hugs and his money is despicable. Many of these individuals were left withdebilitating alcohol and drug addictions; penniless from being paid less thantheir worth; pressured to sign contracts that gave away their futures; andgiven no compensation or health benefits for the Motown that they helped BBachieve. What an “honorable” guy? Round of applause.

The real families of many indigent Motowners have had to begfor pennies to bury their loved ones; go on public assistance to stay off thestreets; and have had to reason with the fact that their father or mother---oncea proud Motowner was used and discarded.
BB gives Detroit media-frenziedfundraisers so that Detroit can benefit from hisauspices presence; see bigger-than-life star-studded galas [[$1,000+ plate); andprovide his name so it can allegedly benefit the MotownHistoricalMuseum. Let’s look at the decades of red-ink pouringout the cracked windows at the MotownHistoricalMuseum… mishandled, misappropriated and missing funds. [[Trustees?) This not-so-nonprofit is devouredby its inability to be held fiscally responsible and accountable.

The City of Detroithas faired the same as many “fallen” on hard-time Motowners. Q. What has BB and his chosen family givenback to Detroitother than past due “pay it forward” notes.

If you visit Berry Gordy Avenue, you can see a hole-in-the-wallMuseum held together with peelingpaint and rusty nails with a second-place piano restored with non-Gordy dollarscelebrated with a major underwritten NYC event that raised “undisclosed”nonprofit dollars for the MotownHistoricalMuseum.
[[$1.2 M plus)

Then there are the beautiful Motown interactive museumrenderings BUILT with the City ofDetroit’s own millions; supplemented with major corporate funding; othergrants; parking lot dollars; culminating in an abandoned project neatlyrepackaged and returned back to the City of Detroit and former disgraced felon,Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, to sell-off.

These Motown million dollar paper renderings of a Museum thatnever materialized took needed funds from Detroiton the false pretext of revitalization and job creation. Q: Where are all those millions? [[Gordy Foundation gave $0 dollars.)

These postings are not about BB or his pathetic entourage. It’s about hometown economics, people andfamily. It is about what BB and hisfollowers have verifiably given back. The answer is absolutely … nothing of value. A lawsuit coupled with a media blitz expose’ andIRS investigations would certainly uncover answers.

Actually, Motown and its record suits love to file convenientlawsuits. Matter of fact, they could goon remote and file themselves. They are over-abused power plays to squeeze “money”or people. Most Motown lawsuits reach settlement with a flask of Scotch on thehole of any golf course. Image iseverything. Depositions … where you canask anything … might not be a comfortable position; and media bleeds havebecome social media viral operations.

Motown the Musical –NYC Broadway - great music. It’s a hit! Hey, BB can you spare Detroita penny? Congrats to PBS on honoring BBand his LA pals by sending regrets to Detroitand the real Motown Family. You did yourjob for BB and his adoring LA groupies.

Sorry I could not attend to pay tribute. Scheduling conflict.

[dvus7]

@ mirage.....I don't agree with "all" that you posted...but i appreciate IT!!! Cause there is always two-sides to a story!!!!!Thank you!!!

[franjoy56]

This is heavy, seems like he has a lot of angry feelings about his Detroiter who were left behind. It is sad but in honesty a lot of what he is saying is true. Look at all the lawsuits that were filed because the artists weren't paid their rightful royalty and how many left Motown because their records no longer paid decent royalties. but more importantly the artists that suffered and got zelch after the ball was over.

[dvus7]

@franjoy56...I think that "mirage" should be able to express himself/herself with ANYBODY saying anything negative to HIM/HER!!! I WANT TO HEAR IT!!! Please don't hi-jack this post!!!!!!

[franjoy56]

what do you mean hijacking this post part of what he is saying is because of what has happened to many of the artists that were dissatisfied with Motown, need I say more.

[smark21]

While I can understand the resentment and anger of Motown performers and employees who were left behind when the company pulled up stakes and moved to LA, I hope you’re not making the claim that the departure of Motown was the main reason why the city of Detroit has declined so much in the last 40 years. The reasons for Detroit’s decline are much larger and Berry Gordy alone could not have saved Detroit.