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Celebrity Berry Gordy
I’m Motown Offspring Trick!
LMFAO is a Grammy-nominated electro hop group from Los Angeles, California that consists of DJ/rappers Redfoo (Stefan Gordy) and Sky Blu (Skyler Gordy). Both artists are related to Berry Gordy—Redfoo is the son of the Motown Records founder and Sky Blu is his nephew. Stefan Kendal Gordy, born September 3, 1975, is Gordy’s son with Nancy Leiviska. 
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Rockwell is the son of Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr. The singer had himself signed to Motown without his father’s knowledge. The elder Gordy did not find out that Rockwell was his son Kennedy until after the single and the accompanying “Somebody’s Watching Me“ album were released.
Produced by Curtis Anthony Nolen, “Somebody’s Watching Me” peaked at number two on the “Billboard” Hot 100 in 1984, and reached the top of the Billboard R&B singles chart, as well as reaching number six on the UK Singles Chart. Some of the song’s success was derived from the presence of Michael Jackson’s recognizable voice on the chorus. The Jacksons were one of the last elements added to the recording.
- Curtis Anthony Nolen
Producer Curtis Anthony Nolen with Rockwell in the passenger seat drove his Mercedes 380 SL to pick Michael up at his parent’s compound in Encino, California. Michael brought no security and rode in the back seat doing his best to stay out of view of passing cars. Michael was a complete professional and completed his vocals in a little under an hour. “Out of all the artists I’ve worked with over the years, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder:(who Nolen asked to sing back round vocals on Rockwell’s song “Cobra”) are the most prolific. “They’d tell the engineer to stop the tape and ask for another take if they made a mistake”. Michael was very kind and gracious, he stayed until the end of the recording process and along with Randy and Jermaine posed for pictures with Curtis Nolen’s wife and Rockwell’s girlfriend at the time. [Hamilton, Andrew.
His follow-up single, “Obscene Phone Caller”, was Rockwell’s only other Top 40 single, reaching #35 on the “Billboard” Hot 100.
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Rockwell (born Kennedy William Gordy on March 15, 1964 in Detroit, Michigan) is a former R&B performer who was signed to the Motown label.
Rockwell is the son of Motown founder and CEO Berry Gordy and Margaret Norton. To avoid seeming nepotistic, Rockwell secured his record deal without his father’s knowledge. Motown came up with the name Rockwell.
In 1984, Rockwell released his biggest hit single, “Somebody’s Watching Me”, featuring childhood friends Michael Jackson on guest vocals (notably in the chorus lyrics), and Jermaine Jackson singing back-up.
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Look what we found on www.soulwalking.co.uk. Berry never struck me as the boxing type.
His parents had migrated to Detroit from Milledgeville, Georgia in 1922. His father ran a plastering contracting business and his mother sold insurance and real estate; they also ran a grocery store and print shop. Berry Gordy, Jr. dropped out of school after his junior year to become a professional boxer; he decided to get out of the fight game at about the time the Army drafted him in 1951.
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The Mizell Brothers comprised of:
Larry Mizell
Born on the 17th February 1944, Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Songwriter, percussion & keyboards
&
Alphonso ‘Fonce’ Mizell
Born on the 15th January 1943, Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Producer, percussion & keyboards
How did Alphonso ‘Fonce’ Mizell make it to Motown?
As teenagers both Fonce and Larry Mizell were given trumpets and joined their school band.
In time, the Mizells and classmate Freddie Perren formed a doo-wop group dubbed the Nikons recording a handful of demo sides before graduating high school.
The brothers and Perren later attended Howard University (a Black college located in Washington D.C.), in late 1961 forming the jazz harmony quartet the Vanlords with friend John Butler.
The group won a number of campus talent contests, and for a time featured a young Donny Hathaway on piano.
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Production and songwriting on Jackson 5 hits such as “I Want You Back” and “ABC” was credited to a generic-sounding group called The Corporation. But The Corporation was made up of four people, and one of them was Englewood native Frederick “Freddie” Perren.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the ’70s wouldn’t have been the same without him, as he contributed to some of the decade’s signature songs, particularly in the dance field. “He was an up-tempo guy,” said his widow, Christine. “He thought all the up-tempo songs should have the heartbeat of somebody who was dancing, and he always checked his rhythms to that.”
Perren lived in California from 1968 until his death, but grew up in Englewood, New Jersey. He graduated from Englewood’s Dwight Morrow High School in 1961. He played in the school’s marching band and orchestra, and sang in its choral ensemble, the Chansoneers. “I asked him one time, ‘How do you know what music to write?’” said his sister, Florence Perren Diaz. “He said, ‘I have tunes running in my head all the time.’ That was so typical of him. He was interested in all kinds of music: He turned me on to opera.”
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The four members of The Corporation – Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Deke Richards, and Alphonzo Mizell – were responsible for the writing, production and arranging of the Jackson 5 number-one hit singles “I Want You Back” (1969), “ABC”, “The Love You Save” (both in 1970); as well as for other Jackson 5 singles such as “Mama’s Pearl” and “Maybe Tomorrow” (both in 1971).
Back Row: Deke Richards, Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren and Alphonzo Mizell
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Holmes vs. Shavers Boxing Match
September 28, 1979 – Caesar’s Palace
Las Vegas, Nevada United States
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The first glimpse of the Colgate smile and Adonis physique of Taimak as Bruce Leroy Green in “The Last Dragon” caused an epidemic of lovesickness among young impressionable girls and grown-behind women alike that has spanned for nearly 30 years. Throughout the years, Taimak (pronounced tie-mok) has been pretty low key, starring in off-Broadway plays, teaching martial arts and traveling the world. As he gears up to share his story on TV One’s “Life After,” ESSENCE.com caught up with the heartthrob to talk about the role that changed his life, surviving dark moments, and what really happened between him and his former leading ladies Vanity and Janet Jackson.
ESSENCE.COM: Taimak “Will you show me some moves?” Guarriello, where the heck have you been?
TAIMAK:(Laughs.) I’ve been embracing everything that’s good and bad. Doing theatre, teaching, and growing as a human being.
ESSENCE.COM: Why haven’t we seen much of you on the big screen since that film?
TAIMAK: Hollywood just wasn’t giving me a break. I used to ask myself, “What energy am I putting out that might be preventing me from getting work?”, I know I’m not perfect by any margin, but I do think I’m talented and can contribute as an actor.I even thought, do I have to be dark-skinned, play basketball, football, rap talk “Black”?Back in the day I believe that Black men were more worldly and open to different things other then just that. It was okay for them to have many different perspectives and interest; I think “Hollywood” was looking for one kind of brother. It’s a kind of club, and until you know how to play the game you’re not going to be let in. So I decided I wasn’t going to pursue Hollywood anymore and that’s when I began to enjoy acting and life in general.
ESSENCE.COM: So what did you discover since that happened?
TAIMAK: I’ve been in conversation with Kerry Gordy, Berry Gordy’s son, about the Sony Pictures remake of “The Last Dragon” and my role in it, Samuel L. Jackson is signed to play Sho’nuff. This time around they didn’t include so much comedy, and they’re still looking for a director and Bruce Leroy and more. Although I can’t speak on my role, it will be something completely different, but they’ve been really great about consulting with me and asking for my input.
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Premiere of the new Berry Gordy and Motown Film, “The Last Dragon”
March 21, 1985 – Plitt Theater
Los Angeles, California United States
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