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Gordy wasn't always tolerant of the young man's presence at Motown's studios, and occasionally chased him off the premises, but not so often that Whitfield didn't pick up what he needed to know: watching recordings being made and songs being fine-tuned. In the mid-1970s, Mr. Whitfield left Motown to start his own label, Whitfield Records. Childhood. Advertisement February 28, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. Whitfield has won a total of seven NAACP Image Awards. 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. Mr. Whitfield won a Grammy for the album, recorded by the band Rose Royce. Your email address will not be published. [18][19] The series also starred Keith David, Merle Dandridge, Kim Hawthorne, and Oprah Winfrey. That year he left Motown to set up Whitfield Records but his only subsequent major success was Rose Royce, who released the likes of Car Wash and Wishing on a Star, and he retired from music in the early 80s. She was a former member of McGuffey Road Church of Christ and was fond of music. 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. : Lynn Whitfield became Josephine Baker, Budapest became Paris and Harlem as HBO raced to complete the first movie about the storied entertainer's life", "HBO's 'Josephine Baker': The Naked Truth", "Lynn Whitfield Shimmies into the Skin of Sultry Josephine Baker", "TV Weekend; With Josephine Baker Through a Long Life", "2 Emmys For James Earl Jones; 'L.A. In 2021, she co-starred in the comedy film Vacation Friends. "His will to live was so. Norman Whitfield was born in 1940s. He caught the psychedelic thing. SecondHandSongs is building the most comprehensive source of cover song information. "[6] The New York Times added that Whitfield "powerfully captures her [Baker's] passionate determination. Norman Whitfield was born in Harlem on May 12, 1940. Miss Whitfield was born September 5, 1975 in Hollywood, a daughter of Norman Whitfield and Asari Graham. Norman Whitfield, a Grammy-winning songwriter, producer and arranger for Motown Records whose many hits, including the signature song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," helped solidify the. Cloud Nine - The Temptations. After 1968, Whitfield turned towards darker and harder sound, blending funk and psychedelic rock. Beginning with the single "I Wish It Would Rain," written in collaboration with lyricist Eddie Holland, he moved both the group and Motown into a new era, which opened up the subject matter as well as the sound of their songs. In 1975 he started Whitfield Records which produced the hit single "Car Wash" by Rose Royce. From 1966 to 1974, Whitfield produced virtually all of the Temptations' music, experimenting with sound effects and other production techniques. Legendary songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield, the anchor of Motown 's early 70s movement toward funk, has died. Many, including I Heard It Through the Grapevine, memorably recorded both by Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips, were written with his frequent collaborator Barrett Strong. his father's car broke down there. War was recorded by the Temptations before Edwin Starr, and Papa Was a Rollin' Stone was tried out on Whitfield's pet group the Undisputed Truth prior to the Temptations. But Berry did not want to damage Temptations' image by blatant political statement. The song itself may have said more than it meant to about the time in which it was written, recorded, and released, with a slow tempo and an ominous mood. 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. Rather than content himself -- as most of his contemporaries did -- with producing one hit version of a song done a certain way and aimed at a particular audiences, he would treat the same song differently with a variety of artists, looking for new permutations of its appeal to put before the public. William Warren Lange. [28] From 1990 to 1992, she was married to director Brian Gibson, with whom she had a daughter, Grace. DC Young Fly Daughter's Nova Whitfield: Age, Mom, Bio, Parents, Net Worth! 14240 Visits. [4] In the movie, she appeared nude on-screen. Access is free so discover Norman Whitfield's story today. It soon became clear to Gordy that Whitfield's talents extended to arranging and production, and it was in the latter capacity that he came to prominence at the label. THE WORKS OF WHITFIELD, AND THE PROMISE OF A DOCUMENTARY. "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972) was done first by the Undisputed Truth, before Whitfield rerecorded the song with the Temptations for a longer, more definitive (and massively successful) version. Robert Dwayne Womack was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the third of five brothers. Whitfield often recorded notably different versions of songs with different artists in search of a hit, and did so successfully in the cases of Edwin Starr, with "War" (1970; originally recorded by the Temptations), and the Undisputed Truth, with "Smiling Faces Sometimes" (1971; also originally by the Temptations). While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. Suddenly, topical comment and audacious psychedelic arrangements were on the agenda, and Whitfield-Strong were on a roll: Ball of Confusion, Papa Was a Rollin' Stone, War and Smilin' Faces Sometimes all smouldered with tension and paranoia befitting the era of Vietnam, Nixon and the Black Panthers. secondhandsongs.com. Miss Whitfield was born September 5, 1975 in Hollywood, a daughter of Norman Whitfield and Asari Graham. He co-wrote "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone", "Ball of Confusion", "War", "Smilin' Faces", and "Just My Imagination (Runnin' Away with Me)". She was a former member of McGuffey Road Church of Christ and was fond of music. [1] He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul. His father, Friendly Womack, spotted Bobby's talent on the guitar at an early age, and Bobby was only 1 on the R&B charts in 1966. Whitfield made her professional screen debut in 1981 as Jill Thomas in the critically acclaimed NBC serial drama Hill Street Blues. "Where words leave off, music begins!". Mastered At - Sound Mastering Ltd Designed At - the-unknown.co.uk Marketed By - Ace Distributed By - Ace Credits In the meantime, he became an admirer of Berry Gordy as the latter emerged as the most promising new music entrepreneur in Detroit. On the cover of their last album together, 1973's Masterpiece, his own picture loomed larger than the band's. In his late teens his family moved to Detroit, Michigan so that his father could join his sister and work in her husband's chain of drug stores, and Norman began attending Northwestern High School. 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? In 2004, Norman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. New York-born music legend Norman Whitfield came to Detroit by chance. The following year, Gordy finally succumbed and Gaye's version was even bigger. 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. "[22] She won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019 and 2020 as well as the Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama Series in 2017. Norman Whitfield net worth: Norman Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer who had a net worth of $10 million. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills). TV Mini-Series documentary writer - 1 episode, writer: "Just My Imagination Running Away With Me", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", writer: "Just My Imagination Running Away With Me", writer: "Just my imagination running away with me" - as Norman I. Whitfield, writer: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "I Wanna Get Next to You", writer: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", as N. Whitfield, "Holler If Ya Hear Me" / writer: "Holler If Ya Hear Me" - as N. Whitfield, writer: "Ball of Confusion That's What the World Is Today", Madonna: The Girlie Show - Live Down Under, TV Movie documentary writer: "Rain" - as N. Whitfield, TV Movie writer: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", Raisins Sold Out: The California Raisins II, TV Movie writer: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", producer: "War" / writer: "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", "War", writer: "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", TV Movie writer: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" - uncredited, Documentary "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" / producer: "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", writer: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", writer: "Wherever I Lay My Hat That's My Home", TV Special documentary writer: "That's the way Love is", producer: "The Last Dragon", "Stand Your Ground", "The Final Test" / writer: "The Last Dragon", "Stand Your Ground", "The Final Test", TV Series writer - 1 episode, 1985 lyrics - 1 episode, 1982 music - 1 episode, 1982, Video writer: "Friendship Train", "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", writer: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", TV Movie documentary writer: "Needle in a Haystack", Documentary "Just My Imagination Running Away With Me", lyrics: "WAR" - as N. Whitfield / music: "WAR" - as N. Whitfield, Bassie en Adriaan en het geheim van de sleutel, lyrics: "Which Way Is Up?" Your email address will not be published. Whitfield did return to Motown briefly in the early '80s to produce the Temptations' "Sail Away," and also the soundtrack album to the movie The Last Dragon. Survived by his daughter, Irasha; sons, Norman; Michael; Johnnie; and Roland; a brother, Bill; eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. In 1996, Whitfield was cast as the female lead opposite Martin Lawrence in the dark romantic comedy film A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. [5] In his review, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly said: "Whitfield is exceptionally good as the legendary singer-dancer who came to prominence in the 20s for her throaty singing and her notorious "banana dance"a wiggly little number executed while wearing nothing except a skirt of real bananas. He produced soul group Masterpiece in 1980. Hayes and Whitfield were two of my heroes for the way they redrew the boundaries of soul, letting songs thunder and swirl far beyond the traditional pop song format. From 1963 onward, Whitfield had produced most of their recordings of his own songs, and by 1966, he'd completely taken over producing the Temptations in the wake of their huge hit "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," as well as "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" and "I Know I'm Losing You." Her daughter has opted to pursue a career in music, and Lynn has been very supportive of her endeavors. Mr. Whitfield, who often wrote both lyrics and music, had more than 450 songs released in his lifetime, his daughter said. He is credited as being one of the creators of the "Motown Sound," and instrumental in the development of psychedelic soul. Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has died at 67. In this regard, Whitfield's approach to music resembled that of the record producers of what was, by then, a bygone era. 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. General Info Family A demanding egotist in the studio, he worked the Temptations into the ground. He was to see sides and potential in that group's sound that would enhance both of their careers in the decade to follow. - Fell in love with jazz guitarist, Slim Gaillard's young daughter, Janis Hunter. Structural Info Facts Pictures Filmography Awards Known for movies By Matt Wesley. In the 1990s, Whitfield played leading roles in a number of made-for-television movies and had several starring roles in theatrical films, including A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996), Gone Fishin' (1997), Eve's Bayou (1997), Stepmom (1998), Head of State (2003), Madea's Family Reunion (2006), and The Women (2008). I could match him though, rhythm for rhythm, horn for horn., Norman Whitfield, Motown Songwriter and Producer, Dies at 68, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/arts/music/18whitfield.html. His work was also recorded over the years by artists as varied as Creedence Clearwater Revival and Bruce Springsteen. 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. 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. Levi and Shirley Whitfield enjoyed more than 66 years together until death parted them when Levi passed away on June 4, 2021. 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Doubtlessly, all these ventures made positive impact on Whitfields net worth. After writing hits for Marvin Gaye, the Marvelettes and the Velvelettes, he wrested creative control of the Temptations from Smokey Robinson in 1966 with the success of Ain't Too Proud to Beg. 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 Temptations' version earned a second Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for Whitfield and the Temptations, and Whitfield and Strong shared the songwriters' award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Required fields are marked *. Like Isaac Hayes, Norman Whitfield, who died earlier this week, was one of the Motown pioneers of epic soul, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, The reclusive genius of psychedelic soul Norman Whitfield. 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. SOLUTIONS. CNN . Her mother is a founding member of the Baton Rouge chapter of The Links Incorporated and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.