Berry Gordy
founder of Motown Records; boogie-woogie pianist in his school days
Detroit-born founder of Motown Records who grew up with Barry; the two were the boogie-woogie pianists at Northeastern High School, and Barry calls him a very dear friend.
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What Barry says
At Northeastern High School the two boogie-woogie pianists were Berry Gordy and Barry Harris, both playing pretty well until Theodore Shieldy came from Georgia, who played better boogie-woogie and could improvise too. Barry says he has recently got back in touch with Gordy.
Barry Harris on WKCR-FM ¶65Barry Harris on WKCR-FM ¶166Ted Panken, For Barry Harris’ 82nd Birthday ¶7
Asked how he feels when people talk about Motown, Barry says it does not bother him: he and Gordy grew up together as boogie-woogie players in high school, and Gordy founded it.
Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶352Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶353
He tells a story of Gordy picking up a hamburger while two men in the restaurant laughed that the fool meant to quit his factory job and start a record company. If only they had known, Barry says.
Barry says they get on well: Gordy has come to his concerts in California and to one of his big concerts, and when he came to town they took him to a Japanese restaurant, where he loved the food and kept ordering more.
Both of them made it, Barry jokes, just not quite equally: maybe a slight difference of seventy million.
Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶355Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶357
He calls Gordy a very dear friend. Once, after Barry played a tune, Gordy told him it had touched his heart and asked what he could do for him; Barry only managed “Oh, man” and wishes he had been smarter.
When Barry, Hank Jones and Oscar Peterson played for the Grammys, they were put in a shabby little theatre without proper dressing rooms; Gordy threw them a big party and sat between Barry and Hank Jones.
Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶363Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶365
Gordy also told a story of arriving at a gig and being told he was “the wrong Barry”. Barry jumped up and claimed that made him partly responsible for Motown and owed one percent; driving him to his hotel, Gordy told him to forget it. Barry says he is still hoping.
Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶365Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶367
In his own words
Berry Gordy and I were the boogie-woogie piano players in high school together. We both was playing pretty good until a cat named Theodore Shieldy came along.
Berry Gordy founded it, we were boogie-woogie piano players in Northeastern High School and he founded it.
a very, very dear friend though. One day he asked me, you know what he said? I played a tune, he came up to me and said, “You know what, you touched my heart when you played that song.”
If that is true, than that means I am partly responsible for Motown and I think you should give me one percent.
And so I’m still hoping for the one percent, so we shall see.
Every mention
0 moments in the recordings, 0 of them Barry speaking. Each says who is talking.
In the interviews and notes
Barry tells Panken on air that he has recently got back in touch with Gordy, recalling that in high school the two of them were the boogie-woogie pianists until Theodore Shieldy arrived and could improvise as well.
Barry repeats that he and Gordy were the high school boogie-woogie pianists and did well until Theodore Shieldy came along, who could improvise as well as play boogie-woogie.
In the DownBeat feature Barry places the pair at Northeastern High School and names Shieldy, from Georgia, and Will Davis as the players who could also improvise.
Barry says talk of Motown does not bother him, since he and its founder grew up together, and tells of men in a restaurant mocking Gordy for planning to leave his factory job to start a record company.
Barry describes a warm friendship: Gordy has come to his concerts, enjoyed a Japanese dinner with him, and once told Barry his playing had touched his heart.
Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶355Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶359
Barry recalls Gordy’s party for him, Hank Jones and Oscar Peterson at the Grammys, Gordy’s ‘wrong Barry’ story, and his own joking claim to one percent of Motown, which Gordy turned down.
Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶365Barry Harris, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program ¶367
Panken passes on to Tommy Flanagan Barry’s story that he and Gordy were the high school boogie-woogie players until Theodore Shieldy came to town; Flanagan remembers ‘Ted Shieldy’.
Ted Panken (interviewer); Tommy Flanagan, Tommy Flanagan ¶15Ted Panken (interviewer); Tommy Flanagan, Tommy Flanagan ¶16