I am a teacher and librarian and, now, I live on the East Coast. But, growing up, I lived in Detroit Michigan, in a very special neighborhood called Northland Gardens. Many of my neighbors were part of Motown Records. I live around the block from Smokey Robinson, who sung with a group called the Miracles. Three of the Miracles also lived in our neighborhood. Aretha Franklin lived about 2 miles away, in another neighborhood, along with Ray Parker Junior (who sang the Ghostbusters theme!) We went school with their children, hearing wonderful stories about their dads’ jobs. Halloween was a very exciting time; I will always remember trick-or-treating at Smokey Robinson’s house. (A maid in a fancy uniform answered the door and gave out pixie sticks that were three feet long.)

Motown Records was a very important business in Detroit. Not only did it produce very popular music, but it was also important in terms of Black History, although I didn’t even know it when I was a kid. Motown Records was the first record label owned by an African American, and it was the first record label to feature mainly black artists, who had great success with listeners of all races. Some of the more famous Motown artists included: Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, the Temptations, the Jackson Five, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and Gladys Knight and the Pips.

Anytime I hear a Motown song, no matter how far away I live, I go right back home, to Northland Gardens, riding my bike barefoot, and hearing the Miracles practice singing in one of the backyards.

Robin M, Virginia