Following the lead of Hendrix in rock, psychedelia began to have an impact on African American musicians, particularly the stars of the Motown label.

Among other attractions, the Railroad Festival includes southern foods — such as fried catfish, barbecue, and apple fritters — rides, arts and crafts, and live music, most notably the local band The Gents who have brought fans out for years with their Motown, Blues Brothers and classic oldies show.

* June 6 – The Supremes have their fifth consecutive number one single ," Back In My Arms Again, written by H-D-H, from Motown Records.

* November 14 – The Supremes have their sixth number one record, " I Hear A Symphony ", for Motown Records.

Like their Motown contemporaries the Funk Brothers in Detroit, as a backing band to numerous hits, they are thought to have defined soul music — especially southern soul — where “ the groove ” was most important.

In 1983, Reeves successfully sued for royalties from her Motown hits and the label agreed to have the songs credited as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas from then on.

Their smash 1963 hit, "( Love Is Like a ) Heat Wave ", has been said to have been the first song to signify the Motown sound or " Sound of Young America " with its doo-wop call and response vocals, gospel backbeat and jazz overtones.

In 1991, Motown sued MCA to have its distribution deal with the company terminated, and began releasing its product through PolyGram.

Artists from Universal Motown have been transferred to the newly revitalized Motown label.

The label's numbering system was combined with those of Tamla and Gordy in 1982, and the label ( and company ) was purchased by MCA in 1988. Notable Motown artists have included Mary Wells, The Supremes, Four Tops, The Jackson 5, Boyz II Men, Commodores, Lionel Richie, Dazz Band, Brian McKnight, 98 Degrees, and Erykah Badu.

Skaaren also introduced the leitmotif of music accompanying Barbara and Adam's ghostly hijinks, although his script specified Motown tunes instead of Harry Belafonte, and was to have concluded with Lydia dancing to " When a Man Loves a Woman ".

And age 69 feels real good .” She also recently expressed dismay at the state of current pop music, saying, " We didn't have to send our children out of the room when we were with Motown.

James continued to score hits with Motown into 1985 but by the end of that year he had begun to have struggles with the label.

Wells became the first Motown female artist to have a Top 40 pop single after the Mickey Stevenson-penned doo-wop song, " I Don't Want to Take a Chance ", hit No. 33 in June, 1961.

Rumors have hinted Motown may have threatened to sue radio stations for playing Wells ' post-Motown music during this time.

In 1991, Wells brought a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Motown for royalties she felt she had not received upon leaving Motown Records in 1964 and for loss of royalties for not promoting her songs as the company should have.

Despite rumors, she never dated fellow Motown singer Marvin Gaye, who would go on to have successful duet partnerships with Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell and Diana Ross after Wells left Motown.

Blue-eyed soul singer, Chris Clark became the first white singer to have an R & B hit with Motown Records in 1966.

Most of the leading UK pop groups of the period – including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Who – regularly covered Stax and Motown tracks on record or in concert, and all of them have acknowledged the influence of Motown and Stax artists on their music.

There have been many articles written which identify the actual members of the Funk Brothers, some of which claim that virtually every musician who ever played on a Motown track was a " Funk Brother ".

Their acceptance by both white and black audiences, predating that of the Motown acts, has been noted as reflecting the early success of the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

Ironically, while the Jackson 5 were noted instrumentalists, none of the members played any of their own instruments on the albums, as Motown had a hired team of West Coast and Detroit musicians playing on their recordings.

All singles on Motown, unless noted.

Williams is noted for being one of the founding members and original lead singer of the Motown group The Temptations.

" Time critic Richard Corliss described the songs in her album A Place in the World as " reminiscent of early Beatles or rollicking Motown ," and one reviewer of Time * Sex * Love * noted the " wash of Beach Boys-style harmonies ... backwards guitar loops " and use of a sitar on one track, all elements not commonly found on a country or folk album.

His work includes Motown hits such as, among hundreds of others, " Shotgun " by Jr. Walker & the All Stars, " For Once in My Life ", " I Was Made To Love Her " by Stevie Wonder ( sometimes noted as being claimed by Carol Kaye, Ms Kaye actually claims the track on the late 60s Beach Boys version of the same song ), " Going to a Go-Go " by The Miracles, " My Girl " by The Temptations, " Dancing in the Street " by Martha and the Vandellas, " I Heard It Through the Grapevine " by Gladys Knight and the Pips, and later by Marvin Gaye, and most of the album What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, " Reach Out I'll Be There " and " Bernadette " by the Four Tops, and " You Can't Hurry Love " by The Supremes.

Dennis Edwards ( born February 3, 1943 ) is an American soul and R & B singer, most noted for being one of Motown act The Temptations ' lead singers replacing David Ruffin.

Motown founder Berry Gordy gave Claudette the official title of the " First Lady of Motown ", as noted in his autobiography, because, as a member of the Miracles, ( Motown's first group and first recording act ), she was the first female artist ever signed to a Motown-affiliated record label ( Tamla ).

Motown 25, an anniversary special for the Motown Records label, was most noted for featuring Michael Jackson's famous performance of his non-Motown hit song " Billie Jean ".

Ronnie Rancifer is an African American musician and songwriter, noted for being the original keyboardist for The Jackson 5 from their early Gary, Indiana days until the end of their famed career at Motown.

Johnny Porter Jackson ( March 3, 1951 – March 1, 2006 ) was a musician, noted for being the drummer for The Jackson 5 from their early Gary, Indiana days until the end of their famed career at Motown.

He is noted for later having been one of the key figures in the development of the Motown label in Detroit, Michigan: his group gave Marvin Gaye's musical career a start, and Fuqua and his wife at the time, Gwen Gordy, distributed the very first Motown hit single, Barrett Strong's " Money ( That's What I Want )", on their record label, Anna Records.

Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr. noted in his biography, To Be Loved, that the Revue was used to showcase Stevie Wonder in the days before he had his first hit.

He is also noted for doing co-lead vocals on The Miracles ' 1962 Top 10 smash, " You've Really Got a Hold on Me ", and singing lead on the group's 1964 song, " You're So Fine And Sweet ". Bobby was also reputed to be the group's best dancer, and was responsible for many of the Miracles ' onstage routines, until the arrival of famed Motown choreographer Cholly Atkins.

Charles “ Cholly ” Atkins ( September 30, 1913 – April 19, 2003 ) was an American dancer and vaudeville performer, who later became noted as the house choreographer for the various artists on the Motown label.

It is notable as being the label's first # 1 hit on the Billboard magazine R & B singles chart, and also hit # 2 on the Hot 100 .. " Shop Around " also reached # 1 on The Cash Box magazine Top 100 pop chart and is also noted for being the first million-selling record for The Miracles and for The Motown Record Corporation, as well as a 2006 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.

Motown Records ' house band was The Funk Brothers.

* James Jamerson, a bass player and member of the Funk Brothers, who played Motown hits in the 1960s, was born here.

Jackson was also the home of singers Carl Perkins and Luther Ingram ; game show host Wink Martindale ; football players Ed " Too Tall " Jones, Al Wilson, Trey Teague, and Jabari Greer ; pianist Joe Hunter ( one of the Funk Brothers studio band who played on many Motown hits in the 1960s ) the rock band Full Devil Jacket, American soul singer, songwriter and actress Lauren Pritchard, originating and playing the role of the 15-year-old runaway " Ilse " in the hit Broadway show Spring Awakening for two years, Former Miss Tennessee Allison Leigh Alderson DeMarcus, and American country music artist Whitney Duncan.

Hitsville U. S. A., where Marvin and The Funk Brothers recorded much of What's Going On at, the first album in which the Funk Brothers earned credit on a Motown album.

Two Motown albums featured the strings with the Motown rhythm section the Funk Brothers.

In addition to the songwriting prowess of the writers and producers, one of the major factors in the widespread appeal of Motown's music was Gordy's practice of using a highly select and tight-knit group of studio musicians, collectively known as " The Funk Brothers ", to record the instrumental or " band " tracks of a majority of Motown recordings.

** Allan Slutsky, Harry Weinger ( producers ), Ted Greenberg ( producer & engineer / mixer ), Kooster McAllister ( engineer / mixer ) & The Funk Brothers for Standing in the Shadows of Motown performed by The Funk Brothers & various artists

Melvin Ragin better known by the nickname Wah-wah Watson, was a member of the Motown Records studio band, The Funk Brothers, where he recorded with artists like The Temptations, The Jackson 5, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and The Supremes.

The Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit, Michigan, session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972.

The Funk Brothers played on Motown hits such as " My Girl ", " I Heard It Through the Grapevine ", " Baby Love ", " Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours ", " Papa Was a Rollin ' Stone ", " The Tears of a Clown ", " Ain't No Mountain High Enough ", and "( Love is Like a ) Heat Wave ".

The role of the Funk Brothers is described in Paul Justman's 2002 documentary film Standing in the Shadows of Motown, based on Allan Slutsky's book of the same name.

In actuality, there are 13 Funk Brothers as identified in the film Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, as well as 13 members identified by both NARAS for the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and recognized by the recent Star on the Hollywood Walk of fame.

Despite that, many other musicians contributed to the Motown Sound, including many horn and string players, as well as background vocalists, not officially included in the Funk Brothers group.

's in Memphis, until the release of the Standing in the Shadows of Motown documentary, the members of the Funk Brothers were not widely known.

The Funk Brothers shared billing with Van Dyke on some recordings, although they were billed as " Earl Van Dyke & the Soul Brothers ", since Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr. disliked the word " funk ".

In the " Standing in the Shadows of Motown " documentary, Joe Hunter states that the name " The Funk Brothers " came from Benny Benjamin.

And like such producers as Brian Wilson, George Martin, and Phil Spector, it wasn't uncommon for Motown composers or the Funk Brothers musicians to seek unique instrument combinations for certain lines ; doubling piano, bass, and vibraphone ( such as on some of the Four Tops's hits ) was practically a Motown trademark, too.

The Funk Brothers often moonlighted for other labels, recording in Detroit and elsewhwere, in bids to augment their Motown salaries.