Berry Gordy

“The whole purpose of writing a book is to be understood - if other people write about you, they try to guess why you did things, or they hear things from other people.”

“Whenever I came up against presidents of other companies, I was always smarter, because I was from the streets.”

“Today's business climate is not for me.”

“Motown was about music for all people - white and black, blue and green, cops and the robbers. I was reluctant to have our music alienate anyone.”

“I've discovered that Motown and Broadway have a lot in common - a family of wonderfully talented, passionate, hardworking young people, fiercely competitive but also full of love and appreciation for the work, for each other and for the people in the audience.”

“If I settle a case out of court, it's because I love the person.”

“I have this ability to find this hidden talent in people that sometimes even they didn't know they had.”

“I'm a songwriter, that's what I love.”