Following the death of Isaac Hayes last month, it's been a bad year for fans of heavily orchestrated, epic soul. When he was a teenager, he and his family settled in Detroit after their car broke down there. Whitfield and lyrical collaborator Barrett Strong were inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004. 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. 14240 Visits. The group hit right out of the box with another Whitfield song that managed to capture its time and place, "Smiling Faces Sometimes," which became a number three hit in 1971. He was a longtime Motown producer and founded his own record label, Whitfield Records, in 1973. He turned around and annoyed Gordy intensely, finally cajoling him into okaying another attempt at the song by Gladys Knight & the Pips. Norman Whitfield Beckford, aged 97, of Hill Street, Seven Hills Estates and formerly of Matthew Town, Inagua, died at his daughter's residence on Sunday, December 12 th, 2021.. 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. CONTENT. In 2004, Norman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Miss Whitfield was born September 5, 1975 in Hollywood, a daughter of Norman Whitfield and Asari Graham. A NORMAN WHITFIELD SONGBOOK 2,527 views Aug 29, 2019 One of the great composer of MOTOWN. 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. She began her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film. Her mother is a founding member of the Baton Rouge chapter of The Links Incorporated and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. 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. 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 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]. The critic Greil Marcus remembers friends who pulled their cars over the first time they heard Papa Was a Rollin' Stone and sat "waiting, shivering, as the song crept out of the box and filled up the night". Sly was definitely sly, and his sound was new, his grooves were incredible, he borrowed a lot from rock. 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. When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. Norman Whitfield was born in Harlem, New York in May 1940 and passed away in September 2008. Levi was born on January 10, 1932, to Allen Edgar Whitfield and Hattie Ellen Adams Whitfield in Old Joe,. Whitfield is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. With Wynk Music, you will not only enjoy your favourite MP3 songs online, but you will also have access to our hottest playlists such as English Songs, Hindi Songs, Malayalam Songs, Punjabi Songs, Tamil Songs . 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. 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). Robert Dwayne Womack was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the third of five brothers. He was known especially for his work with the Temptations; he produced many of their recordings for Motown, including the album Cloud Nine, whose title track earned the group a Grammy in 1969. 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. Anyone can read what you share. [20][21] One critic stated: "Whitfield has the imperious aura of a grand soap opera diva in the tradition of Joan Collins. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In his late teens, he and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan so that his father could join his sister and work in her . 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. [18][19] The series also starred Keith David, Merle Dandridge, Kim Hawthorne, and Oprah Winfrey. 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. Jacob Lewis Fuller. But success corrupted the once-shy outsider. [9][10] At the time of filming, Lawrence was 12 years younger than Whitfield, who was then 42. "[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. Mastered At - Sound Mastering Ltd Designed At - the-unknown.co.uk Marketed By - Ace Distributed By - Ace Credits Mr. Whitfield joined Motown in the early 1960s, when he was not much more than 20. 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. Norman Whitfield: 16: Daughter: Sedonia Whitfield. Norman Whitfield was born in Harlem, New York in May 1940 and passed away . "He and Norman Whitfield were the only songwriters who successfully produced political/social protest songs against Gordy's standing order not to do so," Mr. Posner said. Even amid all of this activity with the Temptations, he found other important outlets for his compositions, most notably in the person of Edwin Starr. Structural Info Facts Pictures Filmography Awards Known for movies Associated With He wrote and produced songs for several legendary artists, including Marvin Gaye and The Temptations. Gordy then agreed to have Gaye record it, and Gaye's version remains Motown's biggest hit single. 04:13. Norman Jesse Whitfield Birth 12 May 1941 Harlem, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA Death 16 Sep 2008 (aged 67) Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA Burial Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA Show Map Plot . Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. Gordy also soon learned to trust Whitfield's bouts of seemingly reckless enthusiasm. Though largely invisible professionally in his later years, he did re-emerge in the news in 2005 when he pleaded guilty to settle a tax evasion case from the late '90s. Norman studied briefly at a technical school in Detroit before joining Thelma Records, a local label, when he was about 19. A native of Harlem, Whitfield spent his early teen years hanging out in local pool halls. However, his real breakthrough came in 1966 when Whitfield became the main producer for The Temptations music group. DC Young Fly Daughter's Nova Whitfield: Age, Mom, Bio, Parents, Net Worth! She was a 1993 graduate of Hubbard High School and obtained a Bachelors Degree from Ohio State University and a Masters Degree from UCLA. Share Your Memories and Sympathies and Join the Bereaved! 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. 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]. 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. The following year, Gordy finally succumbed and Gaye's version was even bigger. Psychedelic Soul - Produced By Norman Whitfield Various Artists (Producer Series) 13.12 Buy Now Free delivery in the UK Save item Genre: Modern Soul Label: Kent Format: CD Catalogue Id: CDTOP 504 Here is the first-ever compilation dedicated to the distinctive and influential productions of Norman Whitfield. A lot more than that, nevertheless, Whitfield and his personal travel became a significant area of the mental dynamic . He wound up in Detroit when his father's car broke down on the way back from his grandmother's funeral in California and the family settled in. 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. Funeral Home website by. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Motown producer and songwriter Norman Whitfield, who helped create some of the legendary label's most important anthems, including Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the. A native of Harlem, Whitfield spent his early teen years hanging out in local pool halls. On December 22, 1945 she was married to Norman L. Britten who preceded her in death on November 1, 1995. A junior figure at Hitsville, hungry for his big break, he hung around the studio watching more established producers such as Holland-Dozier-Holland at work. - Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. He was survived by his daughter and four sons from who he had eight grandchildren. Lisa Wright always knew she was adopted, but had no idea her biological mother was a star on one of her favorite television shows. 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. Norman Whitfield's Life Path Number is 22 as per numerology. Thanks to him, songs could pass the 10-minute mark, use every studio trick available and speak to the concerns of a tougher, angrier black America. He also changed the main subjects of his lyrics, from love to social issues such as politics, war and poverty. Norman Whitfield had an international smash hit in 1976 with Rose Royce's "Car Wash", issued on MCA Records. He was survived by his daughter and four sons from who he had eight grandchildren. Norman Whitfield was born on May 12, 1940 (age 67) in New York City, New York, United States. "His will to live was so. February 28, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. Royalty-free Creative Video Editorial Archive Custom Content Creative Collections. Survived by his daughter, Irasha; sons, Norman; Michael; Johnnie; and Roland; a brother, Bill; eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. 2023 L.E. In 1975 he split with Motown and founded his own record label Whitfield Records. 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. 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 . Until yesterday I was still holding out the slenderest hope of somehow securing an interview with Norman Whitfield, the reclusive . This engagement provided the basis for Norman Whitfields net worth and also helped him to set his foot in the world of songwriting. 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 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. She also had a regular role on the short-lived NBC detective series The Cosby Mysteries from 1994 to 1995 and later guest-starred on Martin and Touched by an Angel. [1] The Undisputed Truth scored their second biggest hit in 1976 with the disco song "You + Me = Love", their first single on Whitfield Records. It absolutely called upon everything I thought I could do at that point. By age five, Whitfield decided she wanted to be in them. Whitfield gave the song to Gladys Knight and the Pips, who made it Motown's bestselling single at the time. Miss Whitfield was born September 5, 1975 in Hollywood, a daughter of Norman Whitfield and Asari Graham. She also starred as Dorothea Garibaldi in the Disney Channel films The Cheetah Girls and The Cheetah Girls 2. New York-born music legend Norman Whitfield came to Detroit by chance. 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. [1] Longer songs, distorted guitars, multitracked drums, and inventive vocal arrangements became trademarks of Whitfield's productions, and later of records produced by Motown staffers he coached, including Frank Wilson. 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. After 1968, Whitfield turned towards darker and harder sound, blending funk and psychedelic rock. Born in New York in 1943, Whitfield wasn't yet in his teens when R&B began exerting itself as a major musical force. It is certain that these achievements helped Whitfield to further increase his wealth. Copyright - Ace Records Ltd. Besides his daughter, Irasha, of Los Angeles, Mr. Whitfield is survived by four sons, Norman, of Los Angeles; Michael, of Toluca Lake; Johnnie, of Atlanta; and Roland, of Murrieta, Calif.; a brother, Bill, of Los Angeles; eight grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. 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 . Songs written by Norman Whitfield. Levi was born on January 10, 1932, to Allen Edgar Whitfield and Hattie Ellen Adams Whitfield in Old Joe,. He was born in Harlem in 1943. Norman Whitfield. In late 1962, Whitfield became part of the early boom era at Motown Records, joining the ranks of Harvey Fuqua, Mickey Stevenson, and the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team. 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. 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. A spokeswoman at Cedars-Sinai Medical Cent And the Temptations, whose singing had taken on a darker sound in 1968 when original lead singer David Ruffin was succeeded by Dennis Edwards, effectively became his "instrument," Whitfield conceiving ever more ambitious songs and productions in which to employ them; their singles and albums were his canvas, which he filled up with his songs, creating ever more involved and ambitious works in the process. . We will remember him forever. When Whitfield wasn't producing the albums himself, Frank Wilson, using techniques and approaches he'd learned from Whitfield, was in charge. [1] He also composed the theme song for the 1977 motion picture Which Way Is Up?, performed by Stargard. Norman Whitfield. Until yesterday I was still holding out the slenderest hope of somehow securing an interview with Norman Whitfield, the reclusive genius of psychedelic soul. 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. High School Dropout Berry Gordy Turned An $800 Loan Into Motown Records And A $400 Million Fortune. That success was complicated by the growing antipathy of the Temptations themselves, who sometimes felt like backup participants on their own records amid Whitfield's production efforts -- and Whitfield's prominent visual presence on Masterpiece's artwork -- a rare level of prominence for a producer -- couldn't have helped matters with the group. Norman was raised in Harlem where he spent the majority of his spare time in pool halls. Facebook. He was 68 and lived in Toluca Lake, Calif. his father's car broke down there. 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. 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. 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 . Its emblem, a W, was virtually an inverted Motown M with a different color scheme, and he took the Undisputed Truth with him and kept tinkering with their sound. Whitfield played the leading role of Lady Mae Greenleaf, the imperious minister's wife and the power- and money-hungry matriarch of the family. 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. Black, Phillips & Holden Funeral Home Inc.. All Rights Reserved. Cloud Nine - The Temptations. View Norman Whitfield's 1940 US census record to find family members, occupation details & more. - Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. 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]. He then started his own label, Whitfield Records, in 1975, which yielded the Rose Royce hit "Car Wash". Had he worked for a label like Columbia or RCA Victor in the middle/late '50's, with a roster of artists spanning the musical spectrum, Whitfield might well have been cutting R&B, country, pop, and rock & roll (and vocal and instrumental) versions of his songs. 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 . 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. Car Wash - Rose Royce. [11] In 1997, she co-starred opposite Danny Glover and Rosanna Arquette in the comedy film Gone Fishin', appeared in the supporting role in the Canadian drama The Planet of Junior Brown, and played the mother of Jurnee Smollett's title character in the critically acclaimed independent drama Eve's Bayou. Alongside his Motown lyrical collaborator Barrett Strong, he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004. In an interview with David Ritz for Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye (Da Capo, 1991), Mr. Whitfield recalled the deep influence of the new, hard-driving funk of Sly Stone, and how he tried to bring something of Mr. Stones sound to his work at Motown. 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. 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. He was well known for working with Berry Gordy's Motown labels in the 1960s. Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has died at 67. This was after Gordy had rejected the idea of recording it with Gaye, the Miracles, or the Isley Brothers. In 1983, she appeared in the comedy film Doctor Detroit (1983), playing the supporting role of Thelma Cleland. Whitfield became the company's spark plug as music entered the psychedelic era, taking to the new sound, and especially the use of sound effects, more easily than most of the label's production personnel. "[6] The New York Times added that Whitfield "powerfully captures her [Baker's] passionate determination. Motown producer/songwriter who helped define the label's sound. Selected singles production/songwriting credits, Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today), Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me), Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental, Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance, Grammy Award for Best Album of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special, Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Category:Albums produced by Norman Whitfield, List of songs written by Norman Whitfield, I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You), Ain't Too Proud to Beg - The Temptations | AllMusic, "The Associated Press: Motown writer, producer Norman Whitfield dies", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Norman_Whitfield&oldid=1136555329, 1969: "Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down" The Temptations (US #20, US R&B #2), 1970: "You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)" Gladys Knight & the Pips (US #35, US R&B #3), also recorded by the Temptations, 1974: "Help Yourself" The Undisputed Truth (US #63, US R&B #19), This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 22:49. Age, Height, Husband, Net Wor What is Jo Anne Worley doing now? Is she dead? She is the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University. Norman Whitfield was born in 1940s. In the mid-1970s, Mr. Whitfield left Motown to start his own label, Whitfield Records. / music: "Which Way Is Up? July 15, 2022 11:34 AM EDT. She continued her career, starring in the made-for-television movies A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story (1991); Stompin' at the Savoy (1992) with Vanessa L. Williams, Jasmine Guy, and Vanessa Bell Calloway; Taking the Heat (1993) with Tony Goldwyn; State of Emergency (1994) with Joe Mantegna; Sophie and the Moonhanger (1996); The Wedding (1998), as Halle Berry's mother; The Color of Courage (1998) alongside Linda Hamilton; and Deep in My Heart (1999) opposite Anne Bancroft.