Both parents were instrumental in developing Whitfield's initial interest in acting, as they were actively involved in the Baton Rouge art scene. Norman Whitfield Born 12 May 1940, New York, NY, United States Died 16 September 2008, Los Angeles, CA, United States Member of Popcorn and The Mohawks The Temptations, , Marvin Gaye, The Undisputed Truth, Rose Royce Also Known As Norman Jesse Whitfield [birth name] Genres Motown Sound Share Tweet Follow 7 followers ADVERTISEMENT Discography 3 Norman Whitfield. Norman Whitfield Whitfield was a native of Brooklyn, New York, and spent much of his teen years in local pool halls. His first professional engagement came at his age of 19, when he began serving in Motown headquarters Hitsville U.S.A. in its quality control department. Norman passed away in 2008. A lot more than that, nevertheless, Whitfield and his personal travel became a significant area of the mental dynamic . Following the death of Isaac Hayes last month, it's been a bad year for fans of heavily orchestrated, epic soul. After wood-shedding on local . A NORMAN WHITFIELD SONGBOOK 2,527 views Aug 29, 2019 One of the great composer of MOTOWN. He is survived by his Daughters: Linda Dean, Ann-Marie Major, Sherry Beneby, Hilly Harper, and Lerlene Moss-Walcott; Sons: Eugene and Andrew Beckford; Adopted Daughter: Judy Deleveaux; and a host of other relatives . Read Full Biography. She began her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film. United States. Norman Whitfield: 16: Daughter: Sedonia Whitfield. Ball Of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today) - The Temptations. Norman Jesse Whitfield (May 12, 1940 September 16, 2008) was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy's Motown labels during the 1960s. In the mid-1970s, Mr. Whitfield left Motown to start his own label, Whitfield Records. Motown producer/songwriter who helped define the label's sound. [25] She guest-starred as Shaunette Rene Wilson's mother, a famous Nigerian surgeon, on the Fox medical drama The Resident in 2019. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In 1975, Whitfield left Motown, following its move from Detroit, to form his own label, Whitfield Records. Whitfield's big success with his own label, however, and his last big commercial hit, came in 1976 with the group Rose Royce, which he had discovered during their time as Edwin Starr's backup band (known then as Magic Wand). She leaves to cherish her memory, her mother, of Hubbard; 4 brothers; 1 uncle, Bill Whitfield of Calif.; many cousins and host of other family members and friends. THE WORKS OF WHITFIELD, AND THE PROMISE OF A DOCUMENTARY. Whitfield enjoyed a professional triumph with the Temptations' All Directions (1972), and followed it up with his greatest effort, the appropriately named Masterpiece (1973); and it was a two-fold personal and professional triumph, for both albums featured a lineup of the group -- Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Damon Harris, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams -- which, though well-regarded, lacked the presence of acknowledged stars Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. She was a former member of McGuffey Road Church of Christ and was fond of music. Nova Whitfield is a lovely young lady with an angelic appearance. The title track on the Temptations' album Masterpiece (1973) was the quintessential effort in this direction, an epic-length production propelled by a driving beat and lush instrumentation (in several layers) and filled with lyrics steeped in the urban landscape of the time -- ironically, as impressive as the latter was as a production, five people who were not entirely pleased with the track or the album were the Temptations themselves, who felt that they'd taken something of a back seat to the instrumentation and the overall production on what was supposed to be their album. Norman Jesse Whitfield was born on the 12th May 1940, in Harlem, New York City, USA, and was a songwriter, music producer and arranger, and is best known for his collaboration with Berry Gordys record label Motown for which he wrote numerous hit singles such as I Heard it Through the Grapevine, War, Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) and Papa Was a Rollin Stone among plenty of others. Date (s): Feb 09. He took over Smokey Robinson's role as the main producer for the Temptations in 1966, after his "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"[2] performed better than Robinson's "Get Ready" on the pop charts. Born in West Point, Mississippi in 1941, singer/composer Barrett Strong was a pivotal figure in Motown's formative years, and is perhaps best known for his collaborations during the late '60s and early '70s with fellow Motown . February 27, 2023 (74 years old) View obituary. His father, Friendly Womack, spotted Bobby's talent on the guitar at an early age, and Bobby was only Have you ever wondered how much wealth he accumulated for life? Norman Whitfield, who died on Tuesday aged 67, was a songwriter and producer and one of the principal architects of the Motown sound; he was responsible for many of the label's greatest hits . And even as the label's fortunes were starting to turn downward, Whitfield and the Temptations generated a triple-decker award-winning single in "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," which won two Grammys plus a songwriter's award. She also starred in the television films The George McKenna Story opposite Denzel Washington and Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI as the title character and in the ABC miniseries The Women of Brewster Place alongside Oprah Winfrey and Cicely Tyson). When it comes to his personal life, Norman Whitfield managed to keep it private he had five children but details of their mother(s) is lacking. Norman Whitfield, renowned BMI songwriter, producer and arranger of many Motown Records hits, including "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone," died September 16. 2023 L.E. Norman Jesse Whitfield Profile: American songwriter and producer (born May 12, 1940, in Harlem, New York - died September 16, 2008, in Los Angeles) best known for his work with Berry Gordy 's Motown label during the 1960s. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has died. Skip Ancestry main menu Main Menu. Who is Teesha Renee? [20][21] One critic stated: "Whitfield has the imperious aura of a grand soap opera diva in the tradition of Joan Collins. [6] He added contemporary song topics, moving from love songs to the social issues of the time, such as war, poverty and politics. In 1975, faced with reduced options at the recording company that had been his professional home for more than a decade, Whitfield left Motown to start his own label, Whitfield Records. Gordy also soon learned to trust Whitfield's bouts of seemingly reckless enthusiasm. She was preceded in death by her father; grandparents, Julius and Annie Graham, William and Gertrude Whitfield; and 3 aunts. Anyone can read what you share. Later that year his Cloud Nine, performed by The Temptations was honored with a prestigious Grammy Award which was followed by another Grammy for Papa Was a Rollin Stone which was released in 1973. It's possible to glimpse the fine line the quintet and its producer were walking on the live recordings from the tour for Masterpiece, on In Japan. The trio never hit again as big as they did with that song, as Whitfield concentrated most of his efforts on the Temptations, but he used the Undisputed Truth to try out funk and psychedelic experiments, both with his own songs (including the first version of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone") and covers of other writers' songs. She was a member of the Burlington Seventh Day Adventist Church serving as treasurer for eight years and was a Life Member of Athens V.F.W. He was 68. Norman Whitfield was born in Harlem on May 12, 1940. She also starred as Dorothea Garibaldi in the Disney Channel films The Cheetah Girls and The Cheetah Girls 2. Norman Whitfield was born in Harlem, New York in May 1940 and passed away . Norman Whitfield was one of the architects of the Motown sound, from its early peak as a national label through its waning days of major chart success. Required fields are marked *. In this regard, Whitfield's approach to music resembled that of the record producers of what was, by then, a bygone era. In 1975 he split with Motown and founded his own record label Whitfield Records. - Anti-Vietnam War song recorded by Temptations, on album Psychedelic Shack. Miss Whitfield was born September 5, 1975 in Hollywood, a daughter of Norman Whitfield and Asari Graham. A spokeswoman at Cedars-Sinai Medical Cent Norman Whitfield. Your email address will not be published. "[8] She also received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Miniseries or Television Film nomination and won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. In 1976, Whitfield wrote and produced Rose Royces hit single Car Wash which in 1977 served as the main theme for Michael Schultzs eponymous comedy movie Car Wash, and earned him another Grammy Award. In this Digital Exclusive, Lynn Whitfield's daughter Grace asks the group how they manage to support each other and stay connected during these times.Find OW. [1] The Undisputed Truth scored their second biggest hit in 1976 with the disco song "You + Me = Love", their first single on Whitfield Records. secondhandsongs.com. [1] He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul. The dawn of the '70s and the success of albums such as Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Stevie Wonder's Innervisions saw the company enter a last, great flowering in its recordings. I Can't Get Next To You - The Temptations. He told later interviewers that his family had settled in Detroit after their car broke down there. Some of his first projects included releasing The Undisputed Truths hit single You + Me = Love. Norman studied briefly at a technical school in Detroit before joining Thelma Records, a local label, when he was about 19. Their separation was brief, however, as Shirley passed away on August 14, 2021. After a long bout with diabetes and subsequent health issues, Whitfield died in Los Angeles, CA, on September 16, 2008, at age 65. In 1975 he started Whitfield Records which produced the hit single "Car Wash" by Rose Royce. New York-born music legend Norman Whitfield came to Detroit by chance. She was a former member of McGuffey Road Church of Christ and was fond of music. 14240 Visits. Levi and Shirley Whitfield enjoyed more than 66 years together until death parted them when Levi passed away on June 4, 2021. Artist Norman Whitfield Real name Norman Jesse Whitfield Born May 12, 1940 Died September 16, 2008 Country United States IPI 00032841992 45 works 00063704487 74 works Affiliation BMI Comments Songwriter and producer credited as one of the creators of the Motown sound. Cloud Nine - The Temptations. Black, Phillips & Holden Funeral Home Inc.. All Rights Reserved. The psychedelic soul records Whitfield produced for the Temptations and other artists such as Edwin Starr and the Undisputed Truth experimented with and updated the Motown sound for the late-1960s. The family eventually relocated there, and Whitfield hustled pool and performed other marginal pursuits to survive, and also began watching and learning what was needed to work in music. She co-starred in the Chris Rock comedy film Head of State (2003) and Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006). His first act was the Undisputed Truth, whom he had convinced to leave Motown, followed by Rose Royce, Willie Hutch, Yvonne Fair, Nytro, Mammatapee and Junior Walker. Lynn Whitfield (ne Smith; born February 15, 1953) is an American actress. [3] Whitfield died on September 16, 2008. The next year, he was in the news again after he pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. He started there as a tambourine player; known for his keen ear, he was eventually put in charge of quality control by the labels founder, Berry Gordy Jr. Until yesterday I was still holding out the slenderest hope of somehow securing an interview with Norman Whitfield, the reclusive genius of psychedelic soul. Associated With He wrote and produced songs for several legendary artists, including Marvin Gaye and The Temptations. View Norman Whitfield's 1940 US census record to find family members, occupation details & more. Whitfield was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the daughter of Jean (ne Butler), a former president of the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, and Dr. Valerian Smith, who was also a composer who wrote the musicals, The Supper and The Wake. Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get it On" (1973) - Written . Your email address will not be published. Whitfield later was cast in a leading role in Greenleaf's planned spinoff. Mr. Whitfield, who had been charged with failing to report more than $4 million in income, was fined $25,000 and sentenced to six months home detention. Age, Height, Husband, Net Wor What is Jo Anne Worley doing now? High School Dropout Berry Gordy Turned An $800 Loan Into Motown Records And A $400 Million Fortune. A native of Harlem, Whitfield spent his early teen years hanging out in local pool halls. He was survived by his daughter and four sons from who he had eight grandchildren. More than that, however, Whitfield and his personal drive became an important part of the psychological dynamic of the label, often pushing Motown founder Berry Gordy to try out songs and sounds that he didn't fully appreciate himself, to their mutual benefit. Whitfield's rise was down to a cocktail of talent, ego, luck and, most of all, persistence. If he thought something was a hit, he would keep pushing until it was. During his last months alive, Whitfield was bed-ridden at Los Angeles's Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he underwent treatment for diabetes and other ailments. Whitfield joined Motown's in-house songwriting staff, co-writing the Marvin Gaye hit "Pride & Joy", the Marvelettes's "Too Many Fish in the Sea" and the Velvelettes's "Needle in a Haystack". Following the end of the war, it was the start of the Baby Boomer years and technology advancements such as the jet engine, nuclear fusion, radar, rocket technology and others later became the starting points for Space Exploration and Improved Air Travel. 1 on the R&B charts in 1966. But friction and antagonism grew between Whitfield and the Temptations; the group hated how Whitfield put more emphasis on the instrumentation instead of their vocals, and that he was writing fewer romantic ballads for them. . Norman Whitfield was born on May 12, 1940 (age 67) in New York City, New York, United States. Auxiliary Post 5319. Home; Trees; . Thu., Sept. 18, 2008 After several years fighting diabetes, Norman Whitfield passed away at the age of 68, on the 16th September 2008 in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. She was a 1993 graduate of Hubbard High School and obtained a Bachelors Degree from Ohio State University and a Masters Degree from UCLA. She was a 1993 graduate of Hubbard High School and obtained a Bachelor's Degree from. Whitfield's motives are still unclear - was he truly passionate about social change or just a canny hitmaker who sensed the mood of the times and catered to it? Even when one of his songs was a hit, he would try the song in a different way, placing it with an artist who would take it in a distinctly different direction. Birth name. In 1969, Whitfield won three BMI Awards for the songs "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "I Wish It Would Rain," and "You're My Everything."[5]. Whitfield worked extensively with the Temptations as a producer and songwriter, producing eight of their albums between 1969 and 1973. He was to see sides and potential in that group's sound that would enhance both of their careers in the decade to follow. Norman Jesse Whitfield (May 12, 1940 - September 16, 2008) was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy 's Motown labels during the 1960s. He wanted Berry Gordy (head of Motown Records) to have Marvin Gaye record "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". . His "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" one of the most played songs of the 20th century on American radio and TV. [4] In the movie, she appeared nude on-screen. Whitfield gave the song to Gladys Knight and the Pips, who made it Motown's bestselling single at the time. Read Full Biography Overview Biography Songs Credits Awards Related Share on facebook twitter tumblr Related Artists Associated with Barrett Strong Associated with The Temptations Followed by Terence Trent D'Arby Influenced by The Coasters Jason, Scott, Shelly, Wanda,Taylor & Brad Stone. - Anti-Vietnam War song recorded by Temptations, on album Psychedelic Shack. Norman Jesse Whitfield (May 12, 1940 - September 16, 2008) was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy 's Motown labels during the 1960s. Legendary songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield, the anchor of Motown 's early 70s movement toward funk, has died. February 28, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. With Eddie Holland, Mr. Whitfield wrote Aint Too Proud to Beg for the Temptations, which reached No. His genres are R&B,soul,pop,psychedelic soul,funk,disco. He caught the psychedelic thing. The song was so well-known that 22 years later, its lyrics ("War, what is it good for") figured in a key joke (involving Tolstoy's War and Peace) at the center of an episode of Seinfeld. The cause was heart and kidney failure resulting from diabetes, his daughter, Irasha Whitfield, said. [1] He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul. Norman Whitfield passed away on September 16, 2008 at 68 years old. But Masterpiece's critical notices were better than its sales, and Whitfield soon found himself, like most of the label's other producers, being discouraged from further recordings as ambitious as that, particularly as Motown's fortunes declined. After Temptations lead singer David Ruffin was replaced by Dennis Edwards in 1968, Whitfield moved the group into a harder, darker sound that featured a blend of psychedelic rock and funk heavily inspired by the work of Sly & the Family Stone and Funkadelic. Funeral Home website by. SOLUTIONS. But Berry did not want to damage Temptations' image by blatant political statement. Mr. Whitfield joined Motown in the early 1960s, when he was not much more than 20. Private services were held at the L. E. Black, Phillips & Holden Funeral Home for Miss Irasha Graham Whitfield, 40, of Beverly Hills, Calif. who departed this life Sunday, July 3. Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations. The company had started the '70s in exceptional financial health, the world at its feet and the sky seemingly the limit, but by the middle of the decade it had taken huge losses, not only on some recordings, but more tellingly on several dubious film-related projects that truly crippled their bottom line. After moving to Detroit, Michigan, with his family in his late teens, he matriculated from Northwestern High School. Her love of movies was shared by her maternal grandmother, Estelle Devall Butler, who exposed her to them. Whitfield also appeared in The Women (2008), The Rebound (2009), and Mama, I Want to Sing (2011) and had many roles in low-profile B-movies. Among Mr. Whitfields other hits were Papa Was a Rollin Stone, written with Mr. Strong. WHITFIELD Alan Victor of Darlington aged 77 years on 18th February, peacefully at home with his loving wife Joan and daughter Dawn by his side. All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. Survived by his daughter, Irasha; sons, Norman; Michael; Johnnie; and Roland; a brother, Bill; eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. In his late teens, he and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan so that his father could join his sister and work in her . [2] She also was a regular cast member in the short-lived 1988 ABC female-driven medical drama series HeartBeat alongside Kate Mulgrew, Laura Johnson, and Gail Strickland. In the early 1980s, Whitfield began working as a producer for Motown again, helming the Temptations' 1983 hit single "Sail Away" and the soundtrack to The Last Dragon.[1]. Her daughter has opted to pursue a career in music, and Lynn has been very supportive of her endeavors. Norman was raised in Harlem where he spent the majority of his spare time in pool halls.
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