Waterfront Homes For Sale In Essex County Va, Average D1 College Baseball Coach Salary, Watford Grammar School Cut Off Marks 2020, Articles N

His enthusiasm was infectious, and Gordy marveled at the moments when Whitfield was hooked on an idea. [12] In 1998, Whitfield had supporting role of an oncologist in the comedy-drama film Stepmom.[13][14]. He was well known for working with Berry Gordy's Motown labels in the 1960s. [1] He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul. It's very much the Temptations' own approach to the song, as distinct from Whitfield's, not that it would have been a simple matter to re-create the latter's approach live. High School Dropout Berry Gordy Turned An $800 Loan Into Motown Records And A $400 Million Fortune. In 1983, Whitfield teamed up with Motown again, and produced The Temptations hit single Sailing Away while in 1985 he produced the original soundtrack of another Schultz movie, the martial arts cult classic The Last Dragon. Whitfield achieved wide recognition in the title role of The Josephine Baker Story (1991), portraying the American who became a Folies Bergre star, a French Resistance fighter during World War II, and a civil rights activist. Additionally, the 1968 single "Cloud Nine" became the first Motown record to win a Grammy Award, for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group. Norman Whitfield: Songwriter and producer who added a political edge Norman Whitfield Beckford - The Nassau Guardian She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her breakout performance as Josephine Baker in the HBO biographical film The Josephine Baker Story (1991). Cloud Nine - The Temptations. WHITFIELD Alan Victor of Darlington aged 77 years on 18th February, peacefully at home with his loving wife Joan and daughter Dawn by his side. In 1996, Whitfield was cast as the female lead opposite Martin Lawrence in the dark romantic comedy film A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. War actually sounds like war; Ball of Confusion is indeed a ball of confusion. All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. Mr. Whitfields songs were recorded by a string of Motown luminaries, who besides Mr. Gaye included the Temptations and the Jackson Five. Norman Whitfield, a Grammy-winning songwriter, producer and arranger for Motown Records whose many hits, including the signature song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," helped solidify the. admin March 2, 2022 Biography Leave a comment. Whitfield wrote or co-wrote more than 60 hits on the UK charts and 90 on the US charts. (The tune was by the Funk Brothers.). Norman Whitfield Net Worth Levi and Shirley Whitfield enjoyed more than 66 years together until death parted them when Levi passed away on June 4, 2021. Norman Whitfield - The Telegraph Norman moved with his family to Detroit, Michigan when he was in his late teens. A lot more than that, nevertheless, Whitfield and his personal travel became a significant area of the mental dynamic . His genres are R&B,soul,pop,psychedelic soul,funk,disco. She was a member of the Burlington Seventh Day Adventist Church serving as treasurer for eight years and was a Life Member of Athens V.F.W. [1] Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Rolling Stones. Norman Jesse Whitfield Birth 12 May 1941 Harlem, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA Death 16 Sep 2008 (aged 67) Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA Burial Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA Show Map Plot Norman Whitfield was born in Harlem, New York in May 1940 and passed away . More than that, however, Whitfield and his personal drive became an important part of the psychological dynamic of the label, often pushing Motown founder Berry Gordy to try out songs and sounds that he didn't fully appreciate himself, to their mutual benefit. One is hard-pressed to find anything less than 100 percent enthusiasm from the Temptations, especially on "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," but while their performance of "Masterpiece" is energetic (and the song receives a rousing roar at start and finish from the crowd), it's also abbreviated and pushes the vocalists to the fore, and doesn't even attempt to emulate Whitfield's elaborate studio approach. She is the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University. Both parents were instrumental in developing Whitfield's initial interest in acting, as they were actively involved in the Baton Rouge art scene. With Eddie Holland, Mr. Whitfield wrote Aint Too Proud to Beg for the Temptations, which reached No. Shere Whitfield Shares New Photo of Daughter Kaleigh Whitfield | Style How rich would Norman Whitefield be today? He also helped usher in the era of psychedelic soul, producing the work of artists like Edwin Starr and the Undisputed Truth. This was after Gordy had rejected the idea of recording it with Gaye, the Miracles, or the Isley Brothers. "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972) was done first by the Undisputed Truth, before Whitfield rerecorded the song with the Temptations for a longer, more definitive (and massively successful) version. Levi was born on January 10, 1932, to Allen Edgar Whitfield and Hattie Ellen Adams Whitfield in Old Joe,. After a long bout with diabetes and subsequent health issues, Whitfield died in Los Angeles, CA, on September 16, 2008, at age 65. Date (s): Feb 09. Lynn Whitfield's Early Life Whitfield was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the eldest of four children, and a daughter of Jean Butler, an officer of a finance agency, and Valerian Smith, a dentist. He was survived by his daughter and four sons from who he had eight grandchildren. Your email address will not be published. Norman Whitfield was one of the architects of the Motown sound, from its early peak as a national label through its waning days of major chart success. Death notices in The Northern Echo between February 24 and March 3 She was a 1993 graduate of Hubbard High School and obtained a Bachelor's Degree from. In his late teens, he and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan, so that his father could join his sister and work in her husband's chain of drug stores, Barthwell Drugs. He paved the way for classics such as What Going On and Innervisions within Motown, plus hard-hitting political statements by the likes of the O'Jays and the Isley Brothers outside of it. .more .more 57 Dislike Share Save Alain Robert 12.3K subscribers Subscribe Comments 6 Add a. The Temptations' version earned a second Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for Whitfield and the Temptations, and Whitfield and Strong shared the songwriters' award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Daughter Mignon Strong said her father's strength of spirit persisted through his final days. From 2016 to 2020, she starred as Lady Mae Greenleaf in the Oprah Winfrey Network dramatic series Greenleaf, for which she won critical acclaim and garnered two NAACP Image Awards and a Gracie Award. Whitfield's big success with his own label, however, and his last big commercial hit, came in 1976 with the group Rose Royce, which he had discovered during their time as Edwin Starr's backup band (known then as Magic Wand). Norman Whitfield, a long time friend and best friend during our growing up years, was laid to rest at the Lower Greens Creek Cemetery - he lived in Eastland at the time of his death. Childhood. In this regard, Whitfield's approach to music resembled that of the record producers of what was, by then, a bygone era. Mini Bio (1) Music producer, arranger, and songwriter Norman Jessie Whitfield was born on May 12, 1941 in New York City. Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get it On" (1973) - Written . A native of Harlem, Whitfield spent his early teen years hanging out in local pool halls. Whitfield later was cast in a leading role in Greenleaf's planned spinoff. Whitfield also appeared in The Women (2008), The Rebound (2009), and Mama, I Want to Sing (2011) and had many roles in low-profile B-movies. Beginning with the single "I Wish It Would Rain," written in collaboration with lyricist Eddie Holland, he moved both the group and Motown into a new era, which opened up the subject matter as well as the sound of their songs. - Anti-Vietnam War song recorded by Temptations, on album Psychedelic Shack. Required fields are marked *. Rather than content himself -- as most of his contemporaries did -- with producing one hit version of a song done a certain way and aimed at a particular audiences, he would treat the same song differently with a variety of artists, looking for new permutations of its appeal to put before the public. She co-starred in the Chris Rock comedy film Head of State (2003) and Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006). [5] In his review, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly said: "Whitfield is exceptionally good as the legendary singer-dancer who came to prominence in the 20s for her throaty singing and her notorious "banana dance"a wiggly little number executed while wearing nothing except a skirt of real bananas. Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations. [25] She guest-starred as Shaunette Rene Wilson's mother, a famous Nigerian surgeon, on the Fox medical drama The Resident in 2019. Undeterred,Whitfield gave the song to Gladys Knight and the Pips, who made it Motown's best-selling single to date. Selected singles production/songwriting credits, Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today), Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me), Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental, Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance, Grammy Award for Best Album of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special, Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Category:Albums produced by Norman Whitfield, List of songs written by Norman Whitfield, I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You), Ain't Too Proud to Beg - The Temptations | AllMusic, "The Associated Press: Motown writer, producer Norman Whitfield dies", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Norman_Whitfield&oldid=1136555329, 1969: "Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down" The Temptations (US #20, US R&B #2), 1970: "You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)" Gladys Knight & the Pips (US #35, US R&B #3), also recorded by the Temptations, 1974: "Help Yourself" The Undisputed Truth (US #63, US R&B #19), This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 22:49. She also starred in the television films The George McKenna Story opposite Denzel Washington and Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI as the title character and in the ABC miniseries The Women of Brewster Place alongside Oprah Winfrey and Cicely Tyson). Copyright - Ace Records Ltd. He attended Northwestern High School. Their version, almost a gospel rendition, was a huge hit, by some accounts the biggest-selling single in the history of the label up to that time; in its wake, the Marvin Gaye rendition, much more raw sounding (and also produced by Whitfield), was issued, and it chalked up even bigger sales than its predecessor. Whitfield's motives are still unclear - was he truly passionate about social change or just a canny hitmaker who sensed the mood of the times and catered to it? But Berry did not want to damage Temptations' image by blatant political statement. He was 68. Net Jung Seung Hwan - Age, Height, Net Worth, Parents, Morena Baccarin's Wiki, Husband, Net Worth, Measur Harlem, New York City, New York, United States, Songwriter, Record producer, Film Score Composer, Johnnie Whitfield, Norman Whitfield, Irasha Whitfield, Roland Whitfield, Michael Whitfield, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Shirley Hickman Whitfield (1935-2021) - Memorial Find a Grave After Temptations lead singer David Ruffin was replaced by Dennis Edwards in 1968, Whitfield moved the group into a harder, darker sound that featured a blend of psychedelic rock and funk heavily inspired by the work of Sly & the Family Stone and Funkadelic. Strong eventually went behind the scenes as a songwriter, teaming with producer Norman Whitfield in the mid-1960s to cowrite smashes for Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Edwin Starr and the . Read Full Biography. - Anti-Vietnam War song recorded by Temptations, on album Psychedelic Shack. [18][19] The series also starred Keith David, Merle Dandridge, Kim Hawthorne, and Oprah Winfrey. A junior figure at Hitsville, hungry for his big break, he hung around the studio watching more established producers such as Holland-Dozier-Holland at work. Alongside his Motown lyrical collaborator Barrett Strong, he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004. 1 on the R&B charts in 1966. Whitfield's big chance came when Holland-Dozier-Holland stormed out of Motown in early 1968 in a row over profit-sharing. Beginning in the '80s and with the decline of disco, however, Whitfield was virtually unheard as either a producer or songwriter, except for the omnipresent reissues of his 13 years of Motown productions -- in that regard, in 2002 and 2003, the Undisputed Truth were the subject of separate compilations on both sides of the Atlantic, and the Temptations' catalog has been mined regularly and remastered with increasing frequency since the late '90s. The song was so well-known that 22 years later, its lyrics ("War, what is it good for") figured in a key joke (involving Tolstoy's War and Peace) at the center of an episode of Seinfeld. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. Whitfield was born and raised in Harlem, New York, and spent much of his teen years in local pool halls. Norman Whitfield net worth: Norman Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer who had a net worth of $10 million. Norman Whitfield's Life Path Number is 22 as per numerology. When it comes to his personal life, Norman Whitfield managed to keep it private he had five children but details of their mother(s) is lacking. In 2005, he was sentenced to six months house arrest for tax evasion, avoiding imprisonment only because of diabetes and other health problems. War was recorded by the Temptations before Edwin Starr, and Papa Was a Rollin' Stone was tried out on Whitfield's pet group the Undisputed Truth prior to the Temptations. 04:13. Norman Whitfield Follow Artist + Motown producer/songwriter who helped define the label's sound. Robert M Whitfield (1926-2005) *78, Grave #59173735 - Sysoon 10: Norman Whitfield - Trivia, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays Her daughter has opted to pursue a career in music, and Lynn has been very supportive of her endeavors. Norman Whitfield, renowned BMI songwriter, producer and arranger of many Motown Records hits, including "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone," died September 16. Whitfield created a new group around this time out of the ruins of a failed Motown act called the Delicates and one ex-member of a group called the Preps -- he put Billie Rae Calvin, Brenda Joyce Evans, and Joe Harris together as the Undisputed Truth and, calling all of the shots for the group as far as songs and recordings, they became one of his two principal vehicles for his musical ideas. Beloved brother to Keith, Sheila, Derek and the late . Norman Whitfield Popularity Most Popular #126320 First Name Norman #23 May 12 Singer #27 Last Name Whitfield #15 Norman Whitfield Is A Member Of Born In 1940 R&B Singers Another account she has is on Facebook, with over 25,000 followers, but the account has not been updated since 2018. writer: "Too Many Fish in the Sea" - as Norman Whitfield Jr. writer: "Ball of Confusion That's What The World Is Today" 1970 - as Norman J. Whitfield, writer: "Back Again" - as Norman Jesse Whitfield, Documentary writer: "Just My Imagination Running Away With Me" - as W. Norman, writer: "I Can't Get Next To You" - as Norman J. Whitfield, writer: "I Can't Get Next to You" - as Norman J. Whitfield, TV Special writer: "I Heard It Through The Grape Vine", Video Game writer: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", Video Game as Norman J. Whitfield, "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", Documentary writer: "Just My Imagination Running Away with Me", "Ball of Confusion That's What the World Is Today" - as Norman J Whitfield, writer: "I heard it through the grapevine", "I heard it through the Grapevine", writer: "Just My Imagination Running Away with Me" - as Norman J. Whitfield, writer: "I Can't Get Next to You" 1964 - as Norman J. Whitfield, as Norman J. Whitfield, "CLOUD NINE", "I WISH IT WOULD RAIN", "TAKE A LOOK AROUND", "PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE", "SMILING FACES SOMETIMES", TV Movie documentary writer: "Needle in a Haystack", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", writer: "I Can't Get Next to You" 1969 - as Norman J. Whitfield, writer: "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" - as Norman J. Whitfield, writer: "I Wanna Get Next to You" - as Norman Jesse Whitfield, music: "Just My Imagination Running Away With Me", "Just My Imagination Running Away with Me", Documentary writer: "Holler If Ya' Hear Me", writer: "Pride and Joy" - as Norman J. Whitfield, Party at the Palace: The Queen's Concerts, Buckingham Palace, TV Movie documentary writer: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", Documentary as Norman J. Whitfield, "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Cloud Nine", "Girl Why You Wanna Make Me Blue", "Ball Of Confusion That's What The World Is Today", "Pride And Joy", writer: "Anything For You Divine Mill Film Re-Mix" - as Norman J. Whitfield, TV Series 1 episode, 1977 writer - 3 episodes, 1977 - 2000, writer: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Superstar Remember How You Got Where You Are", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", writer: "Car Wash The Pop Rox Car Jack Remix", TV Movie writer: "Papa Was a Rolling Stone", "Smiling Faces Sometimes" - uncredited, writer: "Too Many Fish in the Sea" - as Norman J. Whitfield, writer: - as N. Whitfield / writer: "Luv Me, Luv Me", TV Movie writer: "I Wanna Get Next To You", "Car Wash" - uncredited, TV Series writer: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", writer: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.