Norman Whitfield: 16: Daughter: Sedonia Whitfield. Tallahassee, Florida. In 1975 he started Whitfield Records which produced the hit single "Car Wash" by Rose Royce. NormanIs That You? Adam White - Fell in love with jazz guitarist, Slim Gaillard's young daughter, Janis Hunter. Advertisement [4] In the movie, she appeared nude on-screen. This engagement provided the basis for Norman Whitfields net worth and also helped him to set his foot in the world of songwriting. One is hard-pressed to find anything less than 100 percent enthusiasm from the Temptations, especially on "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," but while their performance of "Masterpiece" is energetic (and the song receives a rousing roar at start and finish from the crowd), it's also abbreviated and pushes the vocalists to the fore, and doesn't even attempt to emulate Whitfield's elaborate studio approach. One of Whitfield's last major hits at Motown was Yvonne Fair's "It Should Have Been Me" (1975), a song he had written in 1963 and recorded originally with Kim Weston. A spokeswoman at Cedars-Sinai Medical Cent Among Mr. Whitfields other hits were Papa Was a Rollin Stone, written with Mr. Strong. On January 18, 2005, Whitfield pleaded guilty for failing to report royalty income he earned from 1995 to 1999 to the Internal Revenue Service. Until yesterday I was still holding out the slenderest hope of somehow securing an interview with Norman Whitfield, the reclusive genius of psychedelic soul. The HBO biopic required her to age from 18 to 68. Norman Whitfield Whitfield was a native of Brooklyn, New York, and spent much of his teen years in local pool halls. He was a fast learner, too -- at 18, he'd written and produced at Detroit's Thelma Records, including sides by Richard Street (future member of the Temptations), and played as a member of the Distants, the precursors to the latter group; he'd also played tambourine with the band Popcorn and the Mohawks on some Thelma sides backing the Distants. Award-winning actress Lynn Whitfield and her movie director ex-husband Brian Gibson share a beautiful daughter named Grace Gibson who fell in love with her parents' career and followed in their footsteps. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below. He was born in Harlem in 1943. She began her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. [1] He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul. He also changed the main subjects of his lyrics, from love to social issues such as politics, war and poverty. His father, Friendly Womack, spotted Bobby's talent on the guitar at an early age, and Bobby was only I Can't Get Next To You - The Temptations. 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 main interest as a youth was centered on the pool hall, not the dance hall -- according to Nelson George in his book Where Did Our Love Go?, Whitfield not only developed a steady hand with a pool cue, but a good eye for observing and sizing up those around him. After her breakthrough as Josephine Baker, Whitfield had the recurring role in the ABC legal drama Equal Justice, appearing opposite Joe Morton. Norman Whitfield: death of a soul icon | Music | The Guardian Lynn Whitfield - Wikipedia Miss Whitfield was born September 5, 1975 in Hollywood, a daughter of Norman Whitfield and Asari Graham. 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. The song was first sung by the Temptations and then reproduced for Motown featuring Edwin Starr as the vocalist. 1976 Grammy winner for Best Original TV or Motion Picture score for. His enthusiasm was infectious, and Gordy marveled at the moments when Whitfield was hooked on an idea. She eventually moved to New York and appeared off-Broadway in such shows as The Great Macdaddy and Showdown Time before earning international acclaim touring the United States, Australia and London's West End in the 1977 production of the landmark play "for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf" alongside Alfre Woodard.[2]. Beginning with their soundtrack to the movie Car Wash, the group enjoyed a series of three hit albums and accompanying hit singles for Whitfield's label. Woman learned birth mother was star on 'That's My Mama' - CNN 1 on the R&B charts in 1966. Sly was definitely sly, and his sound was new, his grooves were incredible, he borrowed a lot from rock. Songs written by Norman Whitfield. NORMAN WHITFIELD - Michigan Rock and Roll Legends In 2004, Mr. Whitfield was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The first Temptations single to feature this new psychedelic soul style was "Cloud Nine" in late 1968, which earned Motown its first Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental). 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. Both parents were instrumental in developing Whitfield's initial interest in acting, as they were actively involved in the Baton Rouge art scene. . All these accomplishments provided a significant boost to Norman Whitfields wealth. Share Your Memories and Sympathies and Join the Bereaved! [1], During his 25-year career, Whitfield co-wrote and produced many enduring hits for Motown artists, including "Ain't Too Proud to Beg",[2] "(I Know) I'm Losing You", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Cloud Nine", "I Can't Get Next to You", "War", "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)", "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". Mini Bio (1) Music producer, arranger, and songwriter Norman Jessie Whitfield was born on May 12, 1941 in New York City. 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. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has died. Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Rolling Stones. 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. 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). Motown producer/songwriter who helped define the label's sound. Motown Final Flashcards | Quizlet On television, Whitfield had recurring roles on Boston Public and Without a Trace in the 2000s. [23] The series ended in 2020 after five seasons and 60 episodes. 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. For the next few years, Whitfield or his protg, Frank Wilson, produced virtually all of the Temptations' recordings, although as Gordy recalled in his autobiography, Whitfield was ambitious enough to extend his influence as a producer far and wide; he still wrote songs as well, and he was always looking for different ways of presenting the same composition. 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. "[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. After 1968, Whitfield turned towards darker and harder sound, blending funk and psychedelic rock. Following graduation, she first garnered attention on the stage by performing with the Black Repertory Company in Washington, D.C. She married playwright/director/actor Vantile Whitfield, one of the company's co-founders and a pioneer of black theatre, in 1974. The next year, he was in the news again after he pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. 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. Constance Britten Obituary 2021 - Richard A Henry Funeral Home A native of Harlem, New York, Whitfield spent most of his teen years in local pool halls. 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. 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". 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. 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. In his late teens, he and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan, so that his father could join his sister and work in her husband's chain of drug stores, Barthwell Drugs. Norman Whitfield net worth: Norman Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer who had a net worth of $10 million. Lisa Wright always knew she was adopted, but had no idea her biological mother was a star on one of her favorite television shows. 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. . In his memoir To Be Loved, Motown founder Berry Gordy remembers the young Whitfield as a tall, shy man who earned a living in his teens as a hotshot pool player. 1972 Grammy winner for Best R&B Song for "Papa Was a Rolling Stone.". Family Life He fathered four sons and one daughter. 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. She was a 1993 graduate of Hubbard High School and obtained a Bachelors Degree from Ohio State University and a Masters Degree from UCLA. He caught the psychedelic thing. Shere Whitfield Shares New Photo of Daughter Kaleigh Whitfield | Style Thu 18 Sep 2008 09.15 EDT. Either way, he changed the landscape of soul. Additionally, the 1968 single "Cloud Nine" became the first Motown record to win a Grammy Award, for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group. Norman Whitfield - Trivia, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. Whitfield also starred in a number of movies in the 2000s and 2010s. Norman moved with his family to Detroit, Michigan when he was in his late teens. 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? Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it! His songwriting career began in the early 1960s when he was included in co-writing The Marvelettes hit single Too Many Fish in the Sea, Marvin Gayes Pride & Joy and later Needle in a Haystack written for The Velvelettes. His interest in R&B dates from his mid-teens, and it was not long after that the New York-born Whitfield found himself stranded in Detroit, when his father's car broke down while on the way back from a relative's funeral in California. Using his keen eye for observation, Whitfield found a mentor in Motown founder Berry Gordy. 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. Some of his first projects included releasing The Undisputed Truths hit single You + Me = Love. A native of Harlem, Whitfield spent his early teen years hanging out in local pool halls. Barrett Strong, Motown Icon And 'Money' Singer, Dies At 81 "Even as his body began to fail him, his mind was so strong," she said. his father's car broke down there. 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]. He then started his own label, Whitfield Records, in 1975, which yielded the Rose Royce hit "Car Wash". When the record label chief vetoed a single release of Whitfield's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" that had been cut by Marvin Gaye, opting instead for a more romantic song, Whitfield refused to let the matter drop. CNN . 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. She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Norman Whitfield. Whitfield has won a total of seven NAACP Image Awards. [15] She also had a recurring role on Hit the Floor[16] and appeared as the abusive mother of April (Rochelle Aytes) on Mistresses. After moving to Detroit, Michigan, with his family in his late teens, he matriculated from Northwestern High School. Norman Whitfield: Songwriter and producer who added a political edge Whitfield created a new group around this time out of the ruins of a failed Motown act called the Delicates and one ex-member of a group called the Preps -- he put Billie Rae Calvin, Brenda Joyce Evans, and Joe Harris together as the Undisputed Truth and, calling all of the shots for the group as far as songs and recordings, they became one of his two principal vehicles for his musical ideas. Strong eventually went behind the scenes as a songwriter, teaming with producer Norman Whitfield in the mid-1960s to cowrite smashes for Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Edwin Starr and the . [1] Anyone can read what you share. 2023 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved. All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. Norman studied briefly at a technical school in Detroit before joining Thelma Records, a local label, when he was about 19. 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. He told later interviewers that his family had settled in Detroit after their car broke down there. Net Jung Seung Hwan - Age, Height, Net Worth, Parents, Morena Baccarin's Wiki, Husband, Net Worth, Measur Harlem, New York City, New York, United States, Songwriter, Record producer, Film Score Composer, Johnnie Whitfield, Norman Whitfield, Irasha Whitfield, Roland Whitfield, Michael Whitfield, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Whitfield achieved wide recognition in the title role of The Josephine Baker Story (1991), portraying the American who became a Folies Bergre star, a French Resistance fighter during World War II, and a civil rights activist. How rich would Norman Whitefield be today? When he was a teenager, he and his family settled in Detroit after their car broke down there. Norman Whitfield - Bio, Age, net worth, Wiki, Facts and Family - in4fp.com Despite Gordy's reservations over its perceived pro-drug message, it changed Motown overnight. 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. On the cover of their last album together, 1973's Masterpiece, his own picture loomed larger than the band's. Whitfield was born in Harlem, where his main achievement was to become a skilled pool player. 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. Facebook. Their version, almost a gospel rendition, was a huge hit, by some accounts the biggest-selling single in the history of the label up to that time; in its wake, the Marvin Gaye rendition, much more raw sounding (and also produced by Whitfield), was issued, and it chalked up even bigger sales than its predecessor. 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. Structural Info Facts Pictures Filmography Awards Known for movies Mr. Whitfields songs were recorded by a string of Motown luminaries, who besides Mr. Gaye included the Temptations and the Jackson Five. 14240 Visits. Norman Whitfield. Award-Winning Songwriter/Producer Norman Whitfield Dead at 68 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." Buy Meta Added by Bastien Works 87 Discussions 1 All Your email address will not be published. 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. Robert M Whitfield (1926-2005) *78, Grave #59173735 - Sysoon He was survived by his daughter and four sons from who he had eight grandchildren. Norman Whitfield was among the architects from the Motown audio, from its early top being a country wide label through its waning times of major graph achievement. He paved the way for classics such as What Going On and Innervisions within Motown, plus hard-hitting political statements by the likes of the O'Jays and the Isley Brothers outside of it. 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. 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.