*Motown veteran/songwriter/philanthropist Janie Bradford-Hobbs made her transition August 21, 2026, and while the news is traveling fast all around the world, I thought I’d mention a few things about my experience with Janie, as she was affectionally called and known by those in her orbit.
Although I knew of her growing up in Detroit—her name appeared as writer on the early Motown recordings—I did not meet Janie until 2001 when she and Claudette Robinson (formerly of The Miracles; Smokey’s ex-wife) attended an in-store performance by one of Motown’s premier girl groups, The Velvelettes, at Hollywood’s Tower Records on Sunset Blvd. After meeting her, I learned about her gift shop in Beverly Hills called Music Notes which I began to frequent on a regular basis. I spread the word to all my friends to stop by. Janie told me one day Berry Gordy’s brother Robert and his wife Theresa came by the shop and said, “Larry Buford told us about your shop!”
During that same time, I had learned about Janie’s annual Heroes and Legends (HAL) Awards held at the Beverly Hills Hotel which, by the way, was designed way back when, by a black architect named Paul Revere Williams who was not even allowed to patronize the place due to segregation. The HAL Awards was founded by Janie to raise funds and award deserving youngsters a scholarship to advance their musical pursuits. As a songwriter who signed a contract with Motown the day after Marvin Gaye passed in 1984, I got a chance to meet a lot of celebrities in music, acting, sports, and other fields at the HAL Awards. Each year was like a Motown reunion; you never knew who was going to show up!
One person in particular that I met was world-renowned photographer Ian Foxx. With the exception of the COVID pandemic period, Ian has covered the HAL Awards from 1990 to 2022. Approved and endorsed by Janie and her staff, Ian has released a pictorial book titled “Heroes & Legends Awards: A Collection of Memories” that encapsulates some rare photos of special HAL moments. His article announcing the release of the book appears in the August 20, 2026, edition of the Los Angeles Sentinel—the day before Janie passed away.
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Besides Janie’s work at Motown, she co-founded a record label called Twinn Records with her friend, songwriter Marilyn McLeod. When they released Marilyn’s CD “I Believe In Me,” Janie asked me to write a review of it. Here’s the review of the CD which includes a tribute song to Marvin Gaye titled “What Would Marvin Say”:
[Singer/songwriter Marilyn McLeod’s refreshingly smooth voice sounds as if she were still pitching songs to singer/actress Diana Ross, for whom she co-wrote the smash, Grammy-Nominated hit “Love Hangover.” And why not!? Ross has nothing new on the market, and listening to McLeod’s renderings fills a musical void on today’s music scene. Her new CD, titled I Believe In Me, is a 9-track set co-written with veteran Motown songwriter Janie Bradford who is best known for hit songs like “Money (That’s What I Want),” and “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby.”
McLeod, whose stint with Motown Records spanned 15 years from 1970 to 1985, is credited for many songs controlled by the company’s Jobete publishing arm. Along with “Love Hangover,” she wrote and co-wrote a variety of songs like “Walk In The Night” by Junior Walker; “You Can’t Turn Me Off” by High Inergy; “Pops We Love You” by Diana Ross/Marvin Gaye/Smokey Robinson/Stevie Wonder; “Body And Soul” by The Four Tops; “I Get High” by Freda Payne; and “Same Ol’ Love” by Anita Baker to name a few.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, McLeod has a very rich musical background. Both parents were singers, and her pianist mother composed music. All of her five siblings were musical. Of note: older brother Ernie Farrow played upright bass with the great jazz musician Yusef Lateef, and her late sister world-class musician Alice Coltrane was married to the legendary saxophone player John Coltrane.
Produced by McLeod on Twinn Records – a label she co-founded and co-owns with Bradford – the set includes the very timely breakout tune “What Would Marvin Say” (a tribute to Marvin Gaye), the title track “I Believe In Me” (which has a fabulous guitar track reminiscent of the Stax Records sound), “Stand Up,” “About U,” and “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Day.” The sincerity in McLeod’s voice enhances the warmth in the honesty of the lyrics. The CD lists a host of background singers and musicians well-known in the music industry, including members of the Coltrane family. It’s no wonder McLeod is creating quite a buzz in jazz and blues circles. She and Bradford have come up with a winning combination!]
In 2015, Janie was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of fame. Founder LaMont Robinson and wife Cheryl (Ruffin) Robinson—David Ruffin’s eldest daughter—contributed a graphic acknowledging her transition.
Janie encouraged legions of people no matter their walk in life. Her legacy will live on!
Larry Buford is a contributing writer; former Motown songwriter; author of “Things Are Gettin’ Outta Hand” and “Book To The Future” (Amazon). Email: [email protected]
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