West Grand Boulevard
In 1959, Gordy formed his first label, Tamla Records, and purchased the property that would become Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio. The photography studio located in the back of the property was modified into a small recording studio and the Gordys moved into the second floor living quarters. Within seven years, Motown would occupy seven additional neighboring houses:
- Hitsville U.S.A. 1959 – (lower) administrative office, tape library, control room, Studio A. (upper) Gordy living quarter (1959–1962), artists and repertoire (1962–1972)
- Jobete Publishing Office 1961 – sales, billing, collections, shipping, & public relations
- Berry Gordy Jr. Enterprise 1962 – offices for Berry Gordy, Jr. and his sister Esther Gordy Edwards
- Finance Department 1965 – royalties & pay roll
- Artist Personal Development 1966 – Harvey Fuqua (head of artist development and producer of stage performances), Maxine Powell (grooming, posie, and social graces), Maurice King (vocal coach, musical director and arranger), Cholly Atkins (house choreography), and rehearsal studios
- Two Homes for Administrative Offices 1966 – sales & marketing, traveling & traffic, and mixing & mastering.
- ITMI Office (International Talent Management Inc.) 1966 – management
Motown hired over 450 employees and grossed an income of $20 million by the end of 1966.
Read more about this topic: Hitsville U.S.A.
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