- Hitsville U.S.A.
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The Hitsville U.S.A. building in Detroit, Michigan.
"Hitsville U.S.A." is the nickname given to Motown's first headquarters. A former photographers' studio located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan, it was purchased by Motown founder Berry Gordy in 1959 and converted into both the record label's administrative building and recording studio, which was open 22 hours a day (closing from 8 to 10 AM for maintenance). Following mainstream success in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Gordy moved the label to Los Angeles and established the Hitsville West studio there, as a part of his main focus on film production.
Contents
History
In 1967, Berry Gordy purchased what is now known as Motown Mansion in Detroit's Boston-Edison Historic District as his home.[1]
Gordy located Motown Records company in Los Angeles in 1972. The original Hitsville studios, which had produced a long string of worldwide hits, is now the Motown Historical Museum. The following year, he reorganized the company into Motown Industries, an entertainment conglomerate that would include record, movie, television and publishing divisions. Many Motown fans believed the company's heart and soul were lost following the move and that its golden age of creativity ended after its 13 years in Detroit.[2] Because Berry Gordy's sister Esther Gordy Edwards refused to move to California, she was put in charge of what was left of Motown's Detroit office in the Hitsville building.
Motown Historical Museum
Edwards received several requests for the Hitsville building to receive visitors. She and her secretary put up posters and gold records. She also carefully preserved Studio A.[3] Since 1985, The Hitsville U.S.A. building has been the site of the Motown Historical Museum, dedicated to the legacy of the record label, its artists, and its music.[4] Now headed by Edwards' granddaughter Robin Terry,[5] the Motown Museum contains exhibits featuring costumes, photos, and records from Motown's success era. Also featured are Motown's "Studio A" and Berry Gordy's upstairs apartment, decorated to appear as they did during the 1960s. The museum is one of Detroit's most popular tourist destinations.[4]
Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971
There is a four-CD, 103-song boxed set called Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959–1971.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b http://motownmansion.com/
- ^ detnews.com | Michigan History - The Golden Age of the Motown Sound. The Detroit News. Retrieved on 2008-08-17.
- ^ http://metrotimes.com/news/story.asp?id=13056
- ^ a b Motown Historical Museum - Detroit. Wonder Dog, Inc. Retrieved on 2008-08-17.
- ^ http://www.detnews.com/article/20110825/OBITUARIES/108250447/Motown-leader--museum-founder-Esther-Gordy-Edwards-dies-at-91
- ^ Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 review at allmusic.com
External links
- Motown Historical Museum - official website
- "Come and Get These Memories" (article on the Motown Museum by Gary Flinn)
Coordinates: 42°21′51″N 83°5′18.4″W / 42.36417°N 83.088444°W
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Categories:- Audio engineering
- African-American culture
- Culture of Detroit, Michigan
- Motown
- Recording studios in the United States
- Museums in Detroit, Michigan
- Albums recorded at Hitsville U.S.A.
- 1959 establishments
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