Dixon and Gordy, they probably wouldn't rib each other as gleefully as they do in public.
But when Mr. Gordy heard the demo, he wanted Mr. Robinson to record it instead.
WSJ: Smokey Robinson: A Most Enduring Miracle | Cultural Conversation by Marc Myers
To be fair, Gordy's story is a remarkable one and should be told onstage, warts and all.
And when Gordy called him "the greatest entertainer who ever lived, " they rose for a standing ovation.
He said Mr. Gordy wanted to tell his version of Motown story and that of his history with Diana Ross.
No one from the Georgia State Patrol leaked the video before its official release on Friday, agency spokesman Gordy Wright said.
Berry Gordy's Motown label took over Tri-Phi in 1965, but the group struggled to make a big impact on the charts.
And given the marketing potential of being associated with Berry Gordy Jr.
FORBES: Gordy-Francois Connection Led Chrysler To 'Motown' Musical
Mr. Gordy rewrote the scene to emphasize the pressures on their relationship.
They asked the obvious question: Say, Gordy, when does it run out?
Mr. Robinson's Motown career and Mr. Gordy's life have long been intertwined.
WSJ: Smokey Robinson: A Most Enduring Miracle | Cultural Conversation by Marc Myers
Motown legend Berry Gordy recalled recruiting the young singer and his brothers.
Mr. Gordy, whom people in his circle refer to as "chairman, " says his approach on the musical mirrored the method at his label.
Richards was leader of "The Corporation, " Motown's songwriting and producing team that was also made up of Berry Gordy, Alphonzo Mizell and Freddie Perren.
He will play under his real name Stefan Gordy in both singles and mixed doubles with 17-year-old Ayaka Okuno, whom he is currently coaching.
The irony is that despite having a war chest of songs, Gordy has co-written (with Michael Lovesmith) four new ones to drive home plot points.
The musical portrays Motown's first 25 years through the eyes of Gordy and is punctuated with a stunning collection of vintage hits and energetic dance numbers.
Based on that glamorous imp Diana Ross, she allows the Berry Gordy figure (Jamie Foxx) to dress her up as a swank mannequin but finally breaks free.
The hit-stuffed "Motown: The Musical, " about Motown Records under founder Berry Gordy, earned four nominations, including Valisia LeKae as Diana Ross and Charl Brown as Smokey Robinson.
Both are due to one man: Gordy, who clearly knows what makes an indelible hit song, but also has an inability to write objectively about that skill.
Redfoo, the son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, is a keen tennis player himself and has entered in regional qualifying playoffs for this year's U.S. Open.
"That was Berry Gordy's strategy, too -- taking his black singing groups and getting them to a white audience, " Covach says, referring to the Motown Records founder.
The 37-year-old rapper, dancer and DJ, whose father Berry Gordy founded the Motown record label, played tennis as a junior and has attended some of the Grand Slam tournaments.
The story touches on some of Mr. Gordy's missteps, such as moving Motown to Los Angeles, and there's a less-than-flattering moment in bed with Diana (based on fact, he says).
The actor says he pushed for more emotional details about the romantic relationship Mr. Gordy had with the Supremes star (played by Valisia LeKae), especially the reason why she ended it.
The following year Mr. Gordy insisted on a change.
WSJ: Smokey Robinson: A Most Enduring Miracle | Cultural Conversation by Marc Myers
The Corporation, which comprised of Motown label head Berry Gordy, Alphonzo Mizell, Freddie Perren and Richards, was assembled in 1969 to create hit records for the label's new act, The Jackson 5.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Tarplin first came to Berry Gordy Jr's Motown label in the late 1950s as a guitar player for the Primettes, a teenage girl group that later became the Supremes.
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