By age five, Whitfield decided she wanted to be in them. When he was a teenager, he and his family settled in Detroit after their car broke down there. "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. [4] In the movie, she appeared nude on-screen. She began her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film. He then started his own label, Whitfield Records, in 1975, which yielded the Rose Royce hit "Car Wash". It soon became clear to Gordy that Whitfield's talents extended to arranging and production, and it was in the latter capacity that he came to prominence at the label. 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. [2] She also was a regular cast member in the short-lived 1988 ABC female-driven medical drama series HeartBeat alongside Kate Mulgrew, Laura Johnson, and Gail Strickland. [12] In 1998, Whitfield had supporting role of an oncologist in the comedy-drama film Stepmom.[13][14]. Inspired by Sly and the Family Stone's wild arrangements, he wrote the hard-driving, socially aware Cloud Nine with lyricist Barrett Strong (who is himself currently recovering from a stroke) for the Temptations. But Berry did not want to damage Temptations' image by blatant political statement. He was a longtime Motown producer and founded his own record label, Whitfield Records, in 1973. He co-wrote "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone", "Ball of Confusion", "War", "Smilin' Faces", and "Just My Imagination (Runnin' Away with Me)". Childhood. 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. [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. Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has died at 67. 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. Among Mr. Whitfields other hits were Papa Was a Rollin Stone, written with Mr. Strong. Norman moved with his family to Detroit, Michigan when he was in his late teens. Mrs. Estelle Whitfield, age 98, passed away November 23, 2020. "His will to live was so. [5] In his review, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly said: "Whitfield is exceptionally good as the legendary singer-dancer who came to prominence in the 20s for her throaty singing and her notorious "banana dance"a wiggly little number executed while wearing nothing except a skirt of real bananas. The song was first sung by the Temptations and then reproduced for Motown featuring Edwin Starr as the vocalist. Founder Berry Gordy Jr. recognized Whitfield's persistence and hired him for the quality control department, which determined which songs would or would not be released. TV Mini-Series documentary writer - 1 episode, writer: "Just My Imagination Running Away With Me", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", writer: "Just My Imagination Running Away With Me", writer: "Just my imagination running away with me" - as Norman I. Whitfield, writer: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "I Wanna Get Next to You", writer: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", as N. Whitfield, "Holler If Ya Hear Me" / writer: "Holler If Ya Hear Me" - as N. Whitfield, writer: "Ball of Confusion That's What the World Is Today", Madonna: The Girlie Show - Live Down Under, TV Movie documentary writer: "Rain" - as N. Whitfield, TV Movie writer: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", Raisins Sold Out: The California Raisins II, TV Movie writer: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", producer: "War" / writer: "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", "War", writer: "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", TV Movie writer: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" - uncredited, Documentary "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" / producer: "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", writer: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", writer: "Wherever I Lay My Hat That's My Home", TV Special documentary writer: "That's the way Love is", producer: "The Last Dragon", "Stand Your Ground", "The Final Test" / writer: "The Last Dragon", "Stand Your Ground", "The Final Test", TV Series writer - 1 episode, 1985 lyrics - 1 episode, 1982 music - 1 episode, 1982, Video writer: "Friendship Train", "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", writer: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", TV Movie documentary writer: "Needle in a Haystack", Documentary "Just My Imagination Running Away With Me", lyrics: "WAR" - as N. Whitfield / music: "WAR" - as N. Whitfield, Bassie en Adriaan en het geheim van de sleutel, lyrics: "Which Way Is Up?" We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below. Some of his first projects included releasing The Undisputed Truths hit single You + Me = Love. (The tune was by the Funk Brothers.). His death was announced Sunday on social media by the Motown Museum, which did not immediately provide further details. The song also became one of the most valuable copyrights owned by Motown, as it was covered by hundreds of artists, most notably Creedence Clearwater Revival, both on an edited single, and as an epic-length jam on their perennially popular LP Cosmo's Factory. The cause of death was heart and kidney failure due to diabetes. Norman Whitfield's Life Path Number is 22 as per numerology. : Lynn Whitfield became Josephine Baker, Budapest became Paris and Harlem as HBO raced to complete the first movie about the storied entertainer's life", "HBO's 'Josephine Baker': The Naked Truth", "Lynn Whitfield Shimmies into the Skin of Sultry Josephine Baker", "TV Weekend; With Josephine Baker Through a Long Life", "2 Emmys For James Earl Jones; 'L.A. He turned around and annoyed Gordy intensely, finally cajoling him into okaying another attempt at the song by Gladys Knight & the Pips. admin March 2, 2022 Biography Leave a comment. Read Full Biography Overview Biography Songs Credits Awards Related Share on facebook twitter tumblr Related Artists Associated with Barrett Strong Associated with The Temptations Followed by Terence Trent D'Arby Influenced by The Coasters [1] All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. Phonographic Copyright - Ace Records Ltd. [1] He also composed the theme song for the 1977 motion picture Which Way Is Up?, performed by Stargard. Norman Whitfield. On January 18, 2005, Whitfield pleaded guilty for failing to report royalty income he earned from 1995 to 1999 to the Internal Revenue Service. Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations. "[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. of 1. Mini Bio (1) Music producer, arranger, and songwriter Norman Jessie Whitfield was born on May 12, 1941 in New York City. In 2004, Norman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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 . He produced soul group Masterpiece in 1980. His first professional engagement came at his age of 19, when he began serving in Motown headquarters Hitsville U.S.A. in its quality control department. Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Rolling Stones. 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. Mr. Whitfield won a Grammy for the album, recorded by the band Rose Royce. His genres are R&B,soul,pop,psychedelic soul,funk,disco. Elgin Freeman. 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. Rose Royce (whose members were originally Edwin Starr's backing band while at Motown) went on to record three more popular albums, and had two huge UK hits with "Wishing on a Star" (1977) and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" (1978), but could never top the success of "Car Wash", which served as the theme song to the 1976 motion picture Car Wash. 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. [23] The series ended in 2020 after five seasons and 60 episodes. Story highlights. 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. "[6] The New York Times added that Whitfield "powerfully captures her [Baker's] passionate determination. Beginning in the '80s and with the decline of disco, however, Whitfield was virtually unheard as either a producer or songwriter, except for the omnipresent reissues of his 13 years of Motown productions -- in that regard, in 2002 and 2003, the Undisputed Truth were the subject of separate compilations on both sides of the Atlantic, and the Temptations' catalog has been mined regularly and remastered with increasing frequency since the late '90s. Lisa Wright always knew she was adopted, but had no idea her biological mother was a star on one of her favorite television shows. It is certain that these achievements helped Whitfield to further increase his wealth. 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). He was born in Harlem in 1943. 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 . SecondHandSongs is building the most comprehensive source of cover song information. She was a 1993 graduate of Hubbard High School and obtained a Bachelor's Degree from Ohio State University and a Master's Degree from UCLA. [1] He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul. 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]. 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. Dorian Lynskey. 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. William Warren Lange. Car Wash - Rose Royce. 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]. 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. Among his hits there were the soundtrack album for the film Car Wash (1976), for which he wrote the score. 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.. He told later interviewers that his family had settled in Detroit after their car broke down there. Is she dead? According to sources, it is estimated that the total amount of Norman Whitfields net worth, as of early 2017, would exceed the sum of $10 million, acquired by his prosperous career in the music industry which spanned almost 50 years. Levi was born on January 10, 1932, to Allen Edgar Whitfield and Hattie Ellen Adams Whitfield in Old Joe,. The cause was heart and kidney failure resulting from diabetes, his daughter, Irasha Whitfield, said. Norman passed away in 2008. Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get it On" (1973) - Written . 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. Anyone can read what you share. [6] He added contemporary song topics, moving from love songs to the social issues of the time, such as war, poverty and politics. . Access is free so discover Norman Whitfield's story today. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has died. 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. / music: "Which Way Is Up? Tallahassee, Florida. Birth name. Mr. Whitfield joined Motown in the early 1960s, when he was not much more than 20. The company had started the '70s in exceptional financial health, the world at its feet and the sky seemingly the limit, but by the middle of the decade it had taken huge losses, not only on some recordings, but more tellingly on several dubious film-related projects that truly crippled their bottom line. We will remember him forever. Survived by his daughter, Irasha; sons, Norman; Michael; Johnnie; and Roland; a brother, Bill; eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. 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. Alongside his Motown lyrical collaborator Barrett Strong, he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004. He was well known for working with Berry Gordy's Motown labels in the 1960s. Norman Whitfield. his father's car broke down there. 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. In 1975 he started Whitfield Records which produced the hit single "Car Wash" by Rose Royce. 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. By Matt Wesley. [7]" Whitfield won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her role, and said this gave her "the greatest sense of accomplishment and realization of my vision. His father, Friendly Womack, spotted Bobby's talent on the guitar at an early age, and Bobby was only Songs written by Norman Whitfield. 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. A native of Harlem, New York, Whitfield spent most of his teen years in local pool halls. 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. She is the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University.
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