Where Are They Now? Motown Artists

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William “Smokey” Robinson and the Miracles

Smokey was one of the first motown artists under the Motown umbrella when it was first named Tamla Records.  Along with his group, The Miracles, he hit success with singles like “Shop Around,” “I Second that Emotion,” and “The Tears of a Clown.”

When Smokey left the group, he continued with a successful music career, and so did The Miracles with singer Billy Griffin.  Things got sticky in 1987 when Smokey, while in his solo career was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but not the members of The Miracles.

After petitioning to get his former group members inducted, they finally were in 2012, though members Ronnie White and Bobby Rogers passed and weren’t able to enjoy this moment.  The group has gone on to receive multiple accolades regardless.

Smokey Robinson continues to tour, create music and is celebrated and The Miracles are heralded as a groundbreaking group that helped to shape the entire scope of Rock and Roll music. 

Source: WENN

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Mable John

Talent definitely ran in the John family, and with her brother Little Willie John making marks in music, Mable went on to work for Berry Gordy’s mother, Bertha Gordy as her secretary for her insurance company.  But, when Berry needed a female singer, Bertha brought Mable to his attention.

Mable became the first female singer under the Tamala umbrella, and released the album “Stay Out of the Kitchen.”  As her time as a successful singer, she worked with many greats like Ray Charles, B.B. King, Billie Holiday, and many more.

According to her website, in addition to volunteering:

At home, Mable has four sons, of whom three are deceased within the past two years. Two of her sons, Joel and Limuel, had launched their own show business careers, also serving as Executive Vice Presidents of her publishing companies.

 

http://joyinjesus.org/mablejohn/comm_pic1a.htm

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Eddie Holland

Some people get discouraged when they’re going after their dreams, thinking that there’s only one path to success.  Eddie Holland is proof that alternate paths can still issue great rewards.

Eddie Holland was an early signee to Motown’s record label.  As a singer, he had some success, but due to his alleged stage fright, he went on to become a success behind the scenes.  Teaming up with Lamont Dozier and his brother Brian Holland, the trio went on to become known as “Holland-Dozier-Holland,” and they were the premiere writing and producing team that helped to shape Motown’s signature and hit songs.  Songs like:  “How Sweet it is:  To be Loved by You,” “Baby Love,” “Stop in the Name of Love,” and so many others.

Though they severed ties with Motown in 1967 due to royalties disputes, the H-D-H crew created their own record label Hot Wax Label, and continued to write hits for multiple artists.  The writing team has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Soul Music Hall of Fame, and has been honored by prestigious magazines like Rolling Stone and BMI as one of the greatest writing teams of all time.

In 2009, after a few years of doing their own thing, the trio came back and created the score for the musical version of the book and movie First Wives Club, which was a hit.

In 2011, an Eddie Holland’s solo music album was released through an UK recording label, as:  “It Moves Me:  The Complete Recordings of Eddie Holland, 1958-1964.”

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The Marvelettes

If you ever gathered a few talented friends in school, sang, and decided to form a group, well, you weren’t the only ones.  The members of The Marvelettes (Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Wanda Rogers, Ann Bogan, Juanita Cowart, and Georgia Dobbins) were formed in a high school glee club in Inkster, Michigan.  A year later, they were signed to Motown.

They went on to release great hits like “Please Mr. Postman,” and “Don’t Mess with my Bill,” and had many years of success.

During their run, Georgia Dobbins left due to her growing family, and Georgeanna Tillman left due to illness.  The group still persisted, until the growing power of the Supremes surpassed them, and the group disbanded in the 1970s.

Though most of the women left the business all together, Katherine Anderson became a staff writer for Motown for a short period of time, before moving back to her hometown and starting a family.  Georgeanna Tillman died from Lupus, and the other women have decided to continue their lives outside of the Hollywood life to start families and worked on music venues on smaller levels (church choirs and such).

But, the group as a whole has continued to be honored by multiple award committees.  They’ve been honored as pioneers from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, inducted into the Official R&B Hall of Fame, and were eligible for induction to the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

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The Four Tops

To help define Motown’s signature sound was the quartet, that included the vocal stylings of:  Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Lawrence Payton, Duke Fakir, and the later addition of Theo Peoples.  The quartet went on to perform hit singles like “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),” “Baby I Need Your Loving,” and “Reach Out, I’ll be There.”

The group paired with a Diana Ross-less Supremes to form the “Magnificent Seven,” but when Motown moved to California, The Four Tops stayed in Detroit, and moved on to another label to continue making music, only to return back to Motown in the 80s.

The group had success and a ton of luck. They missed the Pan Am 103 flight that crashed after a terrorist bomb was detonated.  Levi Stubb went on to do some voice acting particularly in my favorite movie/musical Little Shop of Horrors.

Sadly, Lawrence Payton died in 1997, and Levi Stubbs passed in 2005.

However, the group has been rewarded and inducted by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, received The Grammy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the R&B Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and was named #79 in Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

The newly formed Four Tops continue to perform, singing the National Anthem in 2011 for a Detroit Lion’s game.

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The Contours

There’s certain criteria that some people have to gain for love, and in their smash hit, “Do You Love Me,” the Contours asked the question in the famed hit song.  Through out the years, the group had a large number of members leave, either to do solo projects, replace singers, or do other entertainment avenues.

But the group in itself keeps on working strong.  After being inducted into the “Doo-Wop Hall of Fame,” the group continues to tour to this day.  With founding member Joe Billingslea, the group did a Motown tribute concert in 2012 with Mary Wilson and the Vandellas, and the group continues to work hard and prove why they were so successful in the 60s.

thecontours.com

Martha and the Vandellas

Girl groups are plagued with rumors of inner turmoil being the reason for their downfall, and this was allegedly true for the group The Vandellas.

Martha Reeves, who originally was a background vocalist for people like Marvin Gaye, was given a chance to sing on her own and brought along the group, the Vandellas.

After having a number of hits that were written by the Holland-Dozier-Holland writing team, they charted 24 top R&B hits for Motown, before Diana Ross left the Supremes and began to shine in her solo career.

Martha left to do a solo career, and there were a number of singer changes within the group, until they left Motown in the 70s.  Reeves, after indulging in various vices, gave up the life of Rock and Roll and became a Christian.

Sally Tilley sadly died before the group was honored and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, and Gloria Williams sadly died in 2000.  They were also inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and were named one of the 100 Greatest artists of All Time by Rolling Stone Magazine.

In 2012 the group did a Motown tribute concert with the Contours.

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Lionel Richie and the Commodores

Are you mighty-mighty?  Letting it all hang out?  If you said yes to these questions then you might just be a  “Brick House,” according to the definition in the song by the Commodores.

The legendary band was created on the Tuskegee campus, with group members James Ingram, William King, Lionel Richie, and Thomas McClary.  After James Ingram left to fight in Vietnam and Walter Orange and Lionel Richie joined, the group went on to have multiple platinum singles and win Grammys.  Lionel Richie left to go on an extremely successful solo career, and so did Thomas McClary to have a Christian recording label.

Now, Lionel Richie continues to perform sold out shows around the world and be rewarded for his accomplishments.  Thomas McClary released the Christian album “A Revolution Not a Revival” in 2008, while the other Commodore members, “Walter Orange, J.D. Nicholas, and King “WAK” with their five piece band continue to tour and perform.”

Source: WENN

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The Dazz Band

When “American Funk” music first began to emerge, Bobby Harris, Kenny Pettus, Isaac “Ike” Wiley Jr., and Mike Wiley joined forces to create the “Dazz Band.”  Under the Motown label, the group released eight albums and won a Grammy for the popular song “Let it Whip.”

The left Motown in the 80s, and continued to make music and release albums up until 2001.  The group has had a number of member changes, but haven’t had the same success they did in the 80s and 90s.

Bob, Jerry, Bo – http://www.myspace.com/dazzband

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DeBarge

The Jackson Five wasn’t the only family recording act on the Motown label.  The 1980s brought the emergence of the DeBarge group, that released successful songs in the genres of R&B, funk, Gospel, and Soul.  After years of success, singers El, and Bunny decided to go off to have solo careers, each with success.  But after that the group stopped making music in ’89.

Within the time of their success, a few of them had their struggles with drugs and alcohol.  While Bunny and James, and Randy DeBarge appeared on Dr. Drew’s rehab Lifechangers in 2011 to help deal with their drug addictions, Bobby DeBarge died of complications from contracting AIDS.

Despite the ups and downs, Motown released a collection of all of their top acts in 2011, feature the DeBarge group’s greatest hits.

El DeBarge WENN

Erykah Badu

For some, Erykah Badu is the full personification of Neo-Soul music.  When Erykah first came on the scene in 1997 with her debut album, Baduizm, she entranced many critics and listeners with her profound lyrics and mystifying music videos.

To this day, Erykah Badu is still making music and moves on the scene.  To celebrate her 43rd birthday, Veronica Wells penned a must read article for all of the Badu-heads, highlighting the ways that Ms. Badu has changed the game, with her lyrics, insight, and creative vision.

erykah-badu.com

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Boys II Men

In the 90s, we were taught that Motown Philly was, indeed, back again, by the lyrical styles of Boys II Men.  The four men R&B group broke ground by being a premiere talent in the music scene and breaking records that were previously set by greats like Elvis Presley.

Though original member Michael Mccary, left the group, due to health issues, Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman, have continued to make music.  They were awarded a star on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame,” in 2012, toured with New Kids on the Block, and 98 Degrees in 2013, and had cameos on the hit show “How I Met Your Mother” in 2014.   They now perform sold out shows in Vegas, so obviously, they haven’t hit the “End of the Road” yet. See what I did there?

http://www.boyziimen.com/media/photos/19401/549961

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Brian McKnight

Brian McKnight was already an established artist when he came under the Motown umbrella.  Prior to joining Motown in 1998, he was successful with hit album Anytime.  However, it was the Back at One album that was released through Motown that has been his most successful venture to date.  Though with the success, Mr. McKnight moved on to Warner Bros in 2004.

Since leaving Motown, Brian McKnight continues to have a very successful music career, and acting career.

In 2012, Brian McKnight raised eyebrows with his very adult oriented music.  In his song “If You’re Ready to Learn,” Mr. McKnight is prepared to teach women about their anatomy.  However, when his music wasn’t as well received and it sparked a small Twitter beef with Chris Brown.

Just as things seem like they might be back on track, TMZ ran a story about his involvement with a fraud accountant and an abundance of back taxes that had the royalties from his previous hits frozen.  Here’s hoping that this has all been just a dirty-dirty rumor.

mcknight360.com

Michael McDonald

Michael McDonald has had an extremely successful career that has withstood the test of time.  From singing background vocals with Steely Dan, to replacing lead singer Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers, and a very successful solo career, this singer songwriter has made strides.  Known for his soulful music, Michael was signed to the Motown/Universal umbrella and released the “Motown” album which went platinum.

Mr. McDonald continues to make music, and has also lent his vocal talents to creative outlets like “South Park” and “Family Guy.”