November 10, 20169 yr Author Berry Gordy MJ Diana Ross David Ruffin Great list. Let's say we limit it to everyone other than Gordy. Who is your 4th?
November 10, 20169 yr Great list. Let's say we limit it to everyone other than Gordy. Who is your 4th? Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder. I lean Marvin. Joe Jackson also receives consideration.
November 10, 20169 yr Assuming there is no Berry Gordy on the list, as was mentioned earlier in the thread... Washington - Marvin Gaye. Essentially there from the beginning with Motown. Was even married to sister of the founder. His musical writing and abilities as a male vocal performers make him the absolute gold standard and the measuring stick for all who have come after him. Jefferson - Stevie Wonder. Musical genius...pure musical genius. He can perform too. His product has shown the ability to last and to adapt. Some elements of his product has been not so great (I wouldn't be too terribly upset for "That's What Friends Are For" never to have existed)...but all in all, he's without a doubt a founding father. Roosevelt - Barrett Strong. May not be the most prominent on the mountainside, he may not actually belong there if he's compared to the other faces up there, but man oh man, he was sure notable - I mean who doesn't know the song "Money"? (Money was THE first hit for Motown, by the way.) Strong also wrote a number of big songs for The Temptations. Lincoln - Diana Ross. Shaking up the norm. A woman making a name for herself. Her name was big enough that they couldn't just stay "The Supremes"...they needed to be "Diana Ross & The Supremes". She also stepped out of the box early on and married a white man. She put out hits for years, and she inspired many other women to do the same.
November 10, 20169 yr Assuming there is no Berry Gordy on the list, as was mentioned earlier in the thread... Washington - Marvin Gaye. Essentially there from the beginning with Motown. Was even married to sister of the founder. His musical writing and abilities as a male vocal performers make him the absolute gold standard and the measuring stick for all who have come after him. Jefferson - Stevie Wonder. Musical genius...pure musical genius. He can perform too. His product has shown the ability to last and to adapt. Some elements of his product has been not so great (I wouldn't be too terribly upset for "That's What Friends Are For" never to have existed)...but all in all, he's without a doubt a founding father. Roosevelt - Barrett Strong. May not be the most prominent on the mountainside, he may not actually belong there if he's compared to the other faces up there, but man oh man, he was sure notable - I mean who doesn't know the song "Money"? (Money was THE first hit for Motown, by the way.) Strong also wrote a number of big songs for The Temptations. Lincoln - Diana Ross. Shaking up the norm. A woman making a name for herself. Her name was big enough that they couldn't just stay "The Supremes"...they needed to be "Diana Ross & The Supremes". She also stepped out of the box early on and married a white man. She put out hits for years, and she inspired many other women to do the same. Not sure how you can leave Smokey off. He only wrote about half of all the Motown hits.
November 10, 20169 yr Not sure how you can leave Smokey off. He only wrote about half of all the Motown hits. Well, if I'm honest, I'm not too huge on Smokey. Plus, hey...John Adams and James Madison didn't make the cut for Mount Rushmore while Roosevelt did.
November 10, 20169 yr Well, if I'm honest, I'm not too huge on Smokey. Plus, hey...John Adams and James Madison didn't make the cut for Mount Rushmore while Roosevelt did. Not taking anything away from TR, but he was not an ideal 4th choice. I would've had Madison there.
November 10, 20169 yr Not taking anything away from TR, but he was not an ideal 4th choice. I would've had Madison there. Oh, you're absolutely right that he wasn't an ideal 4th choice. That's why I was sticking to the Mount Rushmore "formula" by putting Barrett Strong in there with Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross.
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