Motown singer Barrett Strong has died at the age of 81.
The star, who sang the label’s first major hit, ‘Money (That’s What I Want),’ passed away on Sunday in Detroit.
Barrett was credited with writing some of the Motown empire’s more enduring hits, including a number of collaborations with the late Norman Whitfield.
His writing credits included ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’ for Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Undisputed Truth’s ‘Smiling Faces Sometimes’, ‘War’ for Edwin Starr.
He also wrote a huge wealth of tunes for the Temptations, including ‘I Wish It Would Rain’, ‘Just My Imagination’, ‘Cloud Nine’, ‘Psychedelic Shack’ and ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’, for which he won a Grammy Award.
His evolution from performing artist to behind-the-scenes songwriter was befitting for the father-of-six and grandfather-of-13 as he “never felt comfortable with [him]self as a recording artist”.
Barrett, who was born in West Point, Mississippi on February 5, 1941 and was raised in Detroit, told Billboard in 2016: “I had to work to support my family. I’m not looking for the spotlight and all the glamour and stuff like that. I just like to work in my studio and see what we can come up with.”
On Sunday, Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr, 93, issued a statement confirming the songwriter’s death.
Motown Museum published the statement on Twitter where Berry wrote: “I am saddened to hear of the passing of Barrett Strong, one of my earliest artists, and the man who sang my first big hit “Money (That’s What I Want)” in 1959.
“Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work, primarily with the Temptations.
“Their hit songs were revolutionary in sound and captured the spirit of the times like ‘Cloud Nine’ and the still relevant, ‘Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World is Today).’
“My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends. Barrett is an original member of the Motown Family and will be missed by all of us.”
