Surpassing his creative and personal boundaries, Richie comes full circle with the innovative and personal Tuskegee, performing 13 of his most revered “anthems of our day” with some of the biggest names in country music, including Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington, Little Big Town and Jason Aldean.

On this worldwide, multi-genre album, Richie is also joined by the likes of such superstars as Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett.

Tuskegee is an exciting and transcendent arc in a career that has seen album sales of more than 100 million, 22 Top 10s, five Grammys, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe, and a host of other awards from virtually every major entertainment organization.

While defying boundaries and breaking barriers throughout his storied career, Richie reveals once again that Tuskegee will join the ranks of his timeless body of work that touches people of all faiths, ages and demographics across the world.

“As my songwriting progressed, I realized that my songs perfectly translated to the country genre,” says the living legend as he taps on the keys of the piano in his state-of-the-art recording studio.

It was when Conway Twitty sang “Three Times a Lady” along with songs such as “Lady” and “Deep River Women” that Richie knew country music was clearly omnipresent in the lyrics he wrote.

“I was born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama. I am a country boy and proud of it. To do this project just felt natural,” says Richie.

“Growing up with country, R&B, gospel, and classical music from my grandmother and pop, Tuskegee was the perfect melting pot for my influences as a writer,” he says, “and the title, Tuskegee, is a validation of my growing up there—the place I call home.”
 
Envisioning and bringing Tuskegee to lifewith such grace and p

Today our family mourns the loss of our beloved Esther Gordy Edwards.

Esther Gordy Edwards was a top Motown executive, businesswoman, civil and political leader, who received numerous awards, commendations and accolades. She was the most educated in our family and was the go-to person for wisdom in business.

Whatever she did, it was with the highest standards, professionalism and an attention to detail that was legendary. She always came out a hero. Esther wasn’t concerned with being popular. She was dedicated to making us all better—the Gordy family and the Motown family.

Esther turned the so-called trash left behind after I sold the company in 1988 into a phenomenal world-class monument where Hitsville started—The Motown Museum.
She preserved Motown memorabilia before it was memorabilia, collecting our history long before we knew we were making it. She nurtured and held it together through the years, protecting the Motown legacy for generations to come—which is only one of the reasons people all over the world will remember and celebrate Esther Gordy Edwards.
Despite my sorrow, I will proudly continue to honor and celebrate her. She will always be my big sister and she will forever live in my heart. 

Berry Gordy, Jr. and the entire Gordy Family
Founder of Motown
August 24, 2011

On May 21, 1971, Motown Records released an album unique to its vast, already classic catalog: a suite of protest songs, railing, albeit softly and with an undeniable groove, about the planet’s woes and the pain of war.  With What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye forever changed the sound and subject matter of popular music, influencing and inspiring every generation since.  Formerly Motown’s reigning smooth-faced, smiling, mass-appeal artist, this album was Gaye’s departure for the bearded, brooding, reflective, angry artist he would become.  His first self-production, the album was written, sung and solely produced by Gaye.

Forty years on, the album remains a timeless classic.  Speaking boldly and passionately about social issues on the street unlike any other album before, What’s Going On provided a soundtrack to life in America—and still does.  It was a smash from the start and it’s still one of Rolling Stone magazine’s top ten Greatest Albums of All Time. Two songs from this album are in the Grammy® Hall of Fame, which honors the most important recordings in history.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary, Motown/UMe proudly announces the release of What’s Going On – Super Deluxe Edition, on May 17, 2011.  This new Super Deluxe Edition includes two CDs and one vinyl LP, 14 unreleased tracks, copious rarities, all  complemented by an oversized booklet with two essays and rare photos from the original cover shoot.  Inside as well is a reproduction of the album graphics, which showcased, for the first time at Motown, the song’s lyrics—and identified the musicians.

Leading off this lovingly produced, double-gatefold 12x12 package is a newly remastered version of the original album, which delivers a deeper, warmer sound than in previous reissues.  Added to the album on Disc 1 are several outtakes from sessions that led up to the recording of the LP—the original mix of the title song Marvin presente

President Obama and First Lady will invite music legends and contemporary major artists to the White House for “The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House,” a concert celebrating Black History Month and the legacy of Motown Records.
 
The program will include tributes to Motown’s distinctive soul-infused pop music sound that solidified its popularity in American culture, and showcase Motown’s impact on all music. The event will include legends from Motown’s golden age and performances by artists from today, all in tribute to Motown's 50-year legacy. Performers include Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, Jamie Foxx, Nick Jonas, Ledisi, John Legend, Seal and more!

“The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House,” will be broadcast on PBS stations nationwide on Tuesday, March 1 at 8 p.m. (ET). The program will also be broadcast via the American Forces Network on March 11 to American service men and women and civilians at U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world. Check your local listings here http://www.pbs.org/inperformanceatthewhitehouse/airdates.php

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