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. 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. 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. It was written as a Vietnam war protest song. She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Norman Whitfield. 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. 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. 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 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. He told later interviewers that his family had settled in Detroit after their car broke down there. He was a longtime Motown producer and founded his own record label, Whitfield Records, in 1973. Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has died at 67. 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. Whitfield received positive reviews from critics for her performance. He was survived by his daughter and four sons from who he had eight grandchildren. Survived by his daughter, Irasha; sons, Norman; Michael; Johnnie; and Roland; a brother, Bill; eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. 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. He is a celebrity Record producer, Songwriter, Film Score Composer. 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. 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. Cloud Nine - The Temptations. On January 18, 2005, Whitfield pleaded guilty for failing to report royalty income he earned from 1995 to 1999 to the Internal Revenue Service. His daughter, CNN Anchor Fredricka Whitfield, recalls the lessons he taught his . I'll be doing something similar tonight. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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 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. 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). Whitfield and lyrical collaborator Barrett Strong were inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004. From 2016 to 2020, she starred as Lady Mae Greenleaf in the Oprah Winfrey Network dramatic series Greenleaf, for which she won critical acclaim and garnered two NAACP Image Awards and a Gracie Award. He was 67. The HBO biopic required her to age from 18 to 68. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her breakout performance as Josephine Baker in the HBO biographical film The Josephine Baker Story (1991). Is she dead? Whitfield's big chance came when Holland-Dozier-Holland stormed out of Motown in early 1968 in a row over profit-sharing. Nova Whitfield is best known for being the daughter of DcYoungFly, a rapper, comedian, and performer who has starred on MTV's Wild N Out. When Motown moved to. A native of Harlem, New York, Whitfield spent most of his teen years in local pool halls. [17], In 2015, Whitfield was cast as the main villain in Greenleaf, the Oprah Winfrey Network original scripted drama series about the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis megachurch. Whitfield was born and raised in Harlem, New York, and spent much of his teen years in local pool halls. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below. We will remember him forever. 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. 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 . United States. Norman Whitfield passed away on September 16, 2008 at 68 years old. High School Dropout Berry Gordy Turned An $800 Loan Into Motown Records And A $400 Million Fortune. Law', 'Cheers' Win Again", "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996)", "How to Get Away with Murder Postmortem: Boss Breaks Down Annalise's Motives and Killer Theories", "TV Casting News Roundup: New Roles for Rutina Wesley, Lyn - Shadow and Act", "Lynn Whitfield, Merle Dandridge & Desiree Ross Join 'Greenleaf' - Deadline", "Lynn Whitfield, Merle Dandridge and Desiree Ross Cast in - Shadow and Act", "5 Reasons to Watch Oprah Winfrey's New Series 'Greenleaf', "Lynn Whitfield Joins Sanaa Lathan In 'Nappily Ever After', The Retirement Plan: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Ashley Greene, Grace Byers, Rick Fox Among Cast For Action Pic, "Lynn Whitfield's Daughter, Grace Gibson, Covers Adeles' "Rumor Has It/Set Fire To The Rain", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lynn_Whitfield&oldid=1138033912, Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2, Episode: "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf", Episode: "Who Says It's Fair: Part 1 & 2", Episode: "All This and the Old School Tie", Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2 & 4, Episode: "The Mother's-in-Law Episode" & "The Thanksgiving Episode", Episode: "Model Behavior" & "No News Is Bad News", Guest: Season 3, Recurring Cast: Season 4, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series, Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie/Miniseries/Dramatic Special, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries, Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama Series, This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 17:45. 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 . 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 recruited new members, most notably Taka Boom (aka Yvonne Stevens, the sister of Chaka Khan), later with the Glass Family, to work with Joe Harris, and saw hits from this version of the group with "You + Me = Love" and "Let's Go Down to the Disco." The song was first sung by the Temptations and then reproduced for Motown featuring Edwin Starr as the vocalist. The single's instrumental B-side earned Whitfield and arranger Paul Riser a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance. Whitfield enjoyed some success as a composer with "Too Many Fish in the Sea" by the Marvelettes, and "Needle in a Haystack" by the Velvettes, but it was his drive and his vision as a producer that allowed him to take over the helm of the Temptations' records. It is certain that these achievements helped Whitfield to further increase his wealth. 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. Structural Info Facts Pictures Filmography Awards Known for movies 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. At 19, Whitfield began frequenting Motown's Hitsville USA offices for a chance to work for the growing label. She began her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film. Undeterred,Whitfield gave the song to Gladys Knight and the Pips, who made it Motown's best-selling single to date. He is credited as being one of the creators of the "Motown Sound," and instrumental in the development of psychedelic soul. Childhood. Norman Whitfield Popularity Most Popular #126320 First Name Norman #23 May 12 Singer #27 Last Name Whitfield #15 Norman Whitfield Is A Member Of Born In 1940 R&B Singers Their separation was brief, however, as Shirley passed away on August 14, 2021. [1] Twitter. "[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. She was preceded in death by her father; grandparents, Julius and Annie Graham, William and Gertrude Whitfield; and 3 aunts. He also helped usher in the era of psychedelic soul, producing the work of artists like Edwin Starr and the Undisputed Truth. [1] He found a songwriting collaborator in lyricist Barrett Strong, the performer on Motown's first hit record, "Money (That's What I Want)", and wrote material for the Temptations and other Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips, both of whom recorded Whitfield-produced hit versions of the Whitfield/Strong composition "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". He was born in Harlem in 1943. 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. Legendary songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield, the anchor of Motown 's early 70s movement toward funk, has died. Lisa Wright always knew she was adopted, but had no idea her biological mother was a star on one of her favorite television shows. Gordy then agreed to have Gaye record it, and Gaye's version remains Motown's biggest hit single. 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.