Edwin StarrCharles Edwin Hatcher (January 21, 1942 – April 2, 2003), known by his stage nameEdwin Starr, was an American singer and songwriter. He is best remembered for his Norman Whitfield-produced Motown singles of the 1970s, most notably the number-one hit "War". Born in Nashville and raised in Cleveland, he later lived in Detroit while singing for Ric-Tic and Motown Records. He was backed by the band that became known as "Black Merda".Just We Two (Blinky and Edwin Starr album)Just We Two is a 1969 album pairing soul music singers Blinky and Edwin Star, released on Gordy Records.Harry BalkHarry Balk (October 1, 1925 – December 3, 2016) was an American A&R man, record producer and record label executive. He discovered Little Willie John, Johnny and the Hurricanes, and Rodriguez; co-produced Del Shannon's 1961 hit "Runaway"; established several record labels; and became head of A&R at Motown where he was particularly influential on the career of Marvin Gaye.
Herb McQuayHerb McQuay (died June 29, 2005) was a popular jazz and soul singer from New York who lived and worked in New Zealand during the late 1970s to the mid 1980s. He is remembered for his cover of the Edwin Starr song, "Oh How Happy", which was a minor hit for him. BackgroundFor a period of time, McQuay and his family resided in Auckland. While in New Zealand, he recorded an album and had a number of singles released. McQuay had also recorded radio jingles.
The Shades of BlueThe Shades of Blue were an Americanblue-eyed soulvocal group from Livonia, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The band started in high school as the Domingos. Original group members included Nick Marinelli, Ernie Dernai, Linda Allen and Bob Kerr. By 1965, The Domingos signed a recording contract for the Detroit-based Golden World label. John Rhys, a sound engineer, suggested a name change and the Shades of Blue was the result.Ode RecordsOde Records (also known as Ode Sounds and Visuals) was an American record label, started by Lou Adler in 1967 after he sold Dunhill Records to ABC Records. It was distributed by CBS's Epic Records except between 1970 and 1976, when the label was distributed by A&M Records. The original incarnation was closed in 1978 and CBS took over most of catalog, often with Epic logos replacing Ode logos on reissues.
Percy SledgePercy Tyrone Sledge (November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015) was an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. He is best known for the song "When a Man Loves a Woman", a No. 1 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 1966. It was awarded a million-selling, gold-certified disc from the RIAA. After working as a hospital orderly in the early 1960s, Sledge achieved his greatest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a series of emotional soul songs.
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It comprises two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country by area and lies east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga.Blinky (singer)Sondra "Blinky" Williams (born May 21, 1944) is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, probably best known for singing the female lead on the theme for the 1970s TV series, Good Times.
The Jackson 5The Jackson 5, currently known as The Jacksons, is an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana, in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael. They were managed by their father Joe Jackson. The group were among the first African American performers to attain a following across multiple genres.
New York CityNew York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island—each being coextensive with its respective county.
MotownAmerican record label Record label MotownParent companyUniversal Music Group (UMG)FoundedJanuary 12, 1959; 67 years ago (1959-01-12)FounderBerry GordyDistributorsRepublic (US)Motown UK/EMI (UK)UMe (reissues)GenreVariousCountry of originUnited StatesLocationDetroit, Michigan, U.S.Official websitemotownrecords.comPart of a series on ethnicAfrican Americans History Periods Timeline Atlantic slave trade Abolitionism in the United States Slavery in the colonial history of the US Revolutionary War Antebellum period Slavery and military history during the Civil War Reconstruction era Politicians Juneteenth Civil rights movement (1865–1896) Jim Crow era (1896–1954) Civil rights movement (1954–1968) Black power movement Post–civil rights era Aspects Agriculture history Black Belt in the American South Business history Military history Treatment of the enslaved Migrations Great Migration Second Great Migration New Great Migration CultureLifeways Dance Family structure Film Folktales Music Musical theater Names Neighborhoods Newspapers Soul food Schools Education during the slave period in the US Education of freed people during the Civil War History of African-American education, after the Civil War Historically black colleges and universities Fraternities Academic study Studies Art Literature Celebrations Martin Luther King Jr. Day Black History Month Juneteenth Kwanzaa Economic class African-American businesses Middle class Upper class Billionaires Symbols and ideas African-American beauty Black is beautiful Black pride African-American hair Good hair Stepping "Lift Every Voice and Sing" Self-determination ReligionInstitutions Black church Black Catholicism Black Catholic Movement Theologies Black theology Womanist theology Non-Christian groups Hoodoo Black Hebrew Israelites African-American Jews African-American Muslims Nation of Islam Louisiana Voodoo African Diaspora Religions PoliticsOrganizations Congressional Black Caucus Joint Center National Black Caucus of State Legislators Ideologies Afrocentrism Anarchism Back-to-Africa movement Black power Capitalism Conservatism Garveyism Leftism Liberalism Nationalism Pan-Africanism Patriotism Populism Radicalism Socialism Civic/economic groupsOrganizations Association for the Study of AfricanAmerican Life and History Black conductors NAACP National Black Chamber of Commerce National Council of Negro Women National Pan-Hellenic Council National Urban League TransAfrica UNCF Sports Negro league baseball Athletic associations and conferences Central (CIAA) HBCU (HBCUAC) Mid-Eastern (MEAC) Southern (SIAC) Southwestern (SWAC) Sub-communities African-American Southerners Affrilachians Black Ozarkers Carmel Melungeons Chestnut Ridge Melungeon Atlantic Creoles Tidewater Brass Ankles Delaware Moors Dominickers Alabama Cajans Exodusters Gullah Louisiana Mina Maroons Great Dismal Swamp Redbones Creoles of color Akransas Alabama Ark-La-Tex Cane River Louisiana Mississippi Black Indians Cherokee Chickasaw Choctaw Creek Freedmen Mascogos Seminole Multiethnic African-American Jews Afro-Romani Black Mennonites Blaxicans Diasphoric Americo-Liberians Merikins Nova Scotians Samaná Americans Sierra Leone Creole Sexual orientation LGBTQ community Down-low Dialects and languagesEnglish dialects African-American English African-American Vernacular English Liberian English Samaná English Tutnese Languages and other dialects Gullah Afro-Seminole Creole Louisiana Creole Nuwaubian Negro Dutch Black American Sign Language PopulationUS states Alabama Arkansas California Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maryland Mississippi Nebraska New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia US cities Black mecca List of neighborhoods Atlanta Baltimore Boston Chicago Dallas-Fort Worth Davenport Detroit Houston Jacksonville Kentucky Lexington Los Angeles New York City Omaha Philadelphia San Antonio San Francisco Historic places District of Columbia Florida Georgia Mississippi Missouri Omaha, Nebraska North Carolina South Carolina Texas West Virginia Population count US states and territories US metropolitan areas US cities US communities Places by plurality of population Diaspora Africa Canada France Ghana Israel Liberia Nova Scotia Sierra Leone PrejudiceRacism Black genocide Race and ethnicity in the US census Racism against Black Americans Reparations for slavery School segregation in the US Unarmed African Americans killed by police officers Stereotypes and media depictions Blackface Criminal stereotypes Hollywood Magical Negro Minstrel show United States portal Category Indexvte Motown is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.