Barrett Strong has died aged 81. Born in Mississippi and growing up in Detroit, he wrote and sang Motown’s first major hit back in 1959, the classic ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’. He went on to co-write cornetstone songs like ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’, ‘War’ and ‘Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone’.
“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,” Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement. “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).’”
After scoring Motown’s first major hit, Strong retreated behind the scenes to the studio, working with producer Norman Whitfield, to wrote some of the label’s most iconic singles, including ‘Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)’, ‘I Wish It Would Rain’ and ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)’.
Without the success of Strong’s first single, Motown founder Berry Gordy would not have had the financial capital to expand and use the label to break down racial barriers as it did.
