Kerry Gordy facts for kids

Kerry Ashby Gordy (born June 25, 1959) is a music executive. He is the fourth oldest child of Berry Gordy, who founded Motown Records. Kerry is in charge of several companies that manage intellectual property and brands in entertainment.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Kerry Gordy was born in Detroit, Michigan. His mother, Raynoma Mayberry, was a talented musician. She could play eleven instruments and helped create early music arrangements for Motown. His father, Berry Gordy, started Motown Records in the same year Kerry was born.

Kerry lived with his mother until he was 13. Then, he moved to Los Angeles, California, to live with his father in 1972. There, he became one of his father's students, along with his good friend Benny Medina.

Kerry and Benny became friends at Beverly Hills High School. They wrote and produced music for Motown. They also started a teen band called Apollo. The famous singer Teena Marie was originally the lead female singer in this band.

In the early 1980s, Kerry Gordy also acted in commercials, TV shows, and movies. He used the name Kerry Ashby for these roles. In 1990, he was even a judge for the Miss USA Pageant.

Starting a Music Career

Kerry's music career officially began in 1973. He started working in the mailroom at Motown Records. He spent his early years learning about the music business. To make his own name, he used "Kerry Ashby" instead of "Gordy" in his professional work.

In 1984, Kerry helped sign the song "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell. This song became a big hit for Motown. It was Kerry's first major success. After this, he was promoted to Director of A&R (Artists and Repertoire). In this role, he worked with famous artists like The Temptations, The Four Tops, Rick James, and Billy Preston. He also helped create compilation albums for Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.

Later, Kerry became a senior executive at The Gordy Company. This was his father's company after Motown was sold. Kerry oversaw many important parts of the business, including finding new artists and developing products.

Between 1991 and 1993, Kerry worked with Bellmark Records. He helped them achieve $26 million in sales. This included the huge international hit "Whoomp! (There It Is)" by Tag Team.

In 1993, Kerry became Vice President for two parts of Paisley Park Records. This was a company started by the artist Prince. That same year, Kerry produced and helped write George Clinton's hit song "Paint the White House Black." He worked with other big names like Ice Cube and Dr. Dre on this project. The next year, he helped Prince's N.P.G. label work with Bellmark Records. This led to Prince's hit song "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World."

Kerry also worked as Vice President of A&R for Warner Bros. Records. In 1995, he received awards for his work on albums by Zapp and Roger and Prince. He also managed Rick James from 1996 until Rick's death in 2004. During this time, Rick James sold millions of records.

Later Ventures and Helping Others

Since 1997, Kerry Gordy has continued to work in the entertainment industry. He has helped artists get deals with record labels. He has also received many awards for licensing famous songs. These include hits from Salt n Pepa, Erykah Badu, and Mary J. Blige. He has over 40 Gold, Platinum, and Diamond awards for record sales.

In 2007, Kerry started Kerry Gordy Enterprises, LLC. This company focuses on managing intellectual property and brands in entertainment. He also helped his long-time client, Bruce Fisher, get a big publishing deal. Bruce Fisher wrote the famous song "You Are So Beautiful."

More recently, Kerry has been involved in movie projects. He is working with Sony Pictures to produce a film called The Last Dragon. He also partnered with Ted Field and Radar Pictures on other intellectual property projects.

Kerry Gordy has also used his influence to help others. He worked with Stevie Wonder and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C.. Together, they raised $1 Million for school programs. Because of Kerry's efforts, other famous musicians like Sting and Aretha Franklin also helped. Their work raised over $100 million for the school. This allowed the Duke Ellington school to build a new, modern campus.

Through his company, Kerry Gordy & Associates, Inc., Kerry helps artists get more money from their song royalties. He is sometimes called "Robin Hood" for this work. He has helped artists like Smokey Robinson and Teddy Riley earn over $80 Million more in royalties. Some of the famous songs he has helped monetize include "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Please Mr. Postman", and "Super Freak".

Kerry Gordy has also been a guest speaker at top universities like UCLA and Harvard Business School. He has partnered with Yellow Brick Music, Co. and the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU. They provide 100 scholarships for students who need financial help.

Kerry is a contributor to news organizations like CNN. He has appeared on TV shows like Little Women LA and Inside Edition as a music industry expert. He has also been featured in Forbes Magazine, sharing his ideas on brand marketing.

Family

Kerry Gordy is the fourth oldest child of Berry Gordy. His half-siblings are:

• Hazel Joy Gordy
• Berry Gordy IV
• Terry James Gordy
• Sherry Gordy
• Kennedy William Gordy
• Rhonda Suzanne Gordy

Kerry has one daughter named Juliet Gordy.