*As you know by now, this past Monday (11-25-19), Berry Gordy Jr., was accorded another place in history when the City of Los Angeles created and dedicated Berry Gordy Square in his honor.
The square is located in Hollywood at the intersection of Sunset Blvd. and Argyle street which is the former location of Motown Records’ West Coast office. It’s where he relocated the company to after moving operations in Los Angeles to expand his vision into television and film.
But before the big reveal happened, EURweb’s fearless leader Lee Bailey was invited to hang out and cover the festivities that went down in the VIP room (with Smokey Robinson, Debbie Allen, and Stevie Wonder, among others) for the event in the same building that once housed Gordy’s iconic creation.
Needless to say, the room was filled with friends, family and celebs up the kazoo! They were there, of course, to greet the man himself and shower him with love and appreciation. And that they did the moment he arrived. As you can see in the video below, they were all over him and he was obviously luxuriating in the well-deserved attention. But underneath, Gordy, who also turns 90 on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, was overwhelmed with it all and he exclusively admitted it to Lee Bailey. Watch it via the player immediately below.
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Well, that was then. But being the seasoned pro that he is, when it came time to deliver his speech to the assembled crowd at the dedication itself, he was more than ready to deliver his thoughts on his big day in Hollywood.
“What a wonderful day for me,” said Gordy. “There are so many people here that made a wonderful impression on my heart. I never imagined I would end up here and on this stage. By honoring me, you are also honoring the entire Motown family – those who make Motown what it is today.”
The living legend also went on to say …
“Thank your parents and grandparents,” referring to the original buyers who got the label on its way.”
The ceremony ended with Wonder, Smokey and others serenading the man with Stevie’s version of ‘Happy Birthday” and presented him with a vegan birthday cake. It was a good day.
But how did this bit of history come to be in the first place? Well, you can thank LA activist Najee Ali and Gordy’s niece, Karla Gordy Bristol, for spearheading the efforts to have him immortalized in Hollywood. But let’s let them tell their stories of how it happened.
First here’s Najee Ali to break it down:
Now here’s Karla Gordy Bristol:
Thank you, Karla and Najee. Y’all did good. Real good. You definitely get a gold star from us. 🙂
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