Quote Originally Posted by Roberta75 View Post
What did I confuse? Now I'm confused. LOL

Roberta
The accomplishment of what Gordy achieved through hisembarking on a difficult quest that created his Motown record label shouldnever be diminished by anyone. It was anextraordinary achievement during an extraordinary time in American history byan African-American man. Gordyenvisioned music as a way to unify rather than divide people. Motown music broke through the water fountainline.

Making money is certainly not a crime. Money is a great motivator.

Those who are bitter toward Gordy or someone in his innercircle, about having been slighted by them in some way, whether real orperceived, need to get over it and redirect that animosity toward positivechange in the music scene and Detroit.

Once upon a time, Gordy may have been a good man with goodintentions. A once well-intentioned mansometimes replaces those good intentions with indifference, ego and the needfor adulation.

The difference between a good man and a great man is theability to grow-up and grow-into a man that not only wants To Be Loved, but can return love.

If a man can graciously take credit for what heaccomplishes, but is also capable of taking criticism for past indiscretions;he may become a great man.

If a man is able to reunite both his real and extendedfamilies after leaving them behind for whatever reason; he may yet become agreat man.

A great man redeems himself when he owns what he did; makesamends for what he did and to whom he did it. Gordy might start by taking out his old musty Motown rolodex. It doesn’t have to be public; it only has tobe personal.

What Gordy left behind in the rubble of the Donovan building[[other than a very long paper trail &
a future Best Seller) was his personal integrity and moral,if not ethical, obligations. To Gordy’scredit, maybe the way he moved up and out of Detroit to LA, was not actually his decisionto make alone. Maybe he was shoved inthat direction.

Motown family members and the City of Detroit didn’t care that Gordy wanted to moveup; they cared about how he made his move up without ever saying a polite andgracious good-bye.

Gordy is Detroitborn and bred. Most of the originalMotowners are Detroit. The people and the City shared Gordy’spassion and dream. Gordy, Motown and theMotor City grew up together.

Detroitcontinues to pay its respect to Broadway Gordy every time he enters the City tothrow a party. Whether that party evermakes money for anything other than the party is questionable.

Detroithas been left with nothing but an old Museum in disrepair [[never updated,expanded or modernized for the future).

It even took a former Beatle to provide his money to restorea second hand throw-away Steinway. McCartney is the Motown hero; Gordy, only a press release forMcCartney’s random act of kindness.

The NYC Steinway event raised a few dollars. Maybe the Museum can build a bust of BB ormaybe it can hire an outside independent accountant to do a “review” of itsnonprofit books. It was a nice NYC dayfor the event.

Motown the Musical is not a legacy. It’s a musical based upon a soundtrack thatdefines it. Motown music is thelegacy. The physical legacy that definesGordy in Detroit is the Motown Historical Museum.Gordy must be very proud.

President Reagan’s signature phrase was, “Trust, but verify”. A museum is a legacy built upon trust butthat trust needs to be verifiable.

Good men are many; great men are few. Nothing really more to say.

Touché’ on the raffle for preview tickets to BB’s MotownMusical starring tribute artists. It’s apoor man’s dream. [[not included transportation, NYC Hotel, meals, cabs) Quite a bargain.

Pass on it. Back to someweekend reading.