How the First Star of Motown, Barrett Strong, Passed Away at Age 81?

By Charu On Feb 1, 2023

Barrett Strong, a singer, and songwriter whose first big hit was “Money (That’s What I Want)” by Motown has died at the age of 81. Barrett Strong, who was a shining star in the late 1960s, could sing and write songs very well. His contributions to the music business can’t be argued with, and he has fans all over the world.

When people heard about Barrett Strong’s death on the internet, they became more interested in his work and early life. Let’s take a look cause of Barrett Strong’s death. Barrett Strong’s death is discussed here.

Who Was Barrett Strong?

Strong was born in Mississippi in 1941, but he grew up in Detroit. He was one of the first artists that Berry Gordy, who would later become the head of Motown, signed. In the late ’50s, he started making records for Gordy’s label, Tamla Records. In 1960, his version of Gordy’s Money (That’s What I Want) became their first crossover hit.

Money peaked at number two on the R&B singles chart and number 23 on the Hot 100. It became a symbol of Motown’s early years and was later covered by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
Even though Money was a commercial and critical success for the company and Strong, the song’s credit was a point of contention for the rest of his career. Strong said that he, Gordy, and Janie Bradford wrote the song together, but Gordy has always denied this, saying that Strong only helped record the song.

Session musicians who were there when the song was recorded say that Strong wrote the song’s famous piano riff and guitar lines, but Gordy’s representatives say that Strong’s name on the copyright registration was a mistake. This was talked about in a 2013 article in the New York Times about Strong’s fight to be known.

Even though Money was a hit, Strong still couldn’t support his family. In the early 1960s, he took a temporary job on the assembly line at Chrysler. After his comeback in the mid-1960s, he wrote some classic songs with Motown producer Norman Whitfield. These songs include “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” and “War.”

Especially successful was their work with the Temptations, which led to a number of classic hits and fan favorites. In 1973, he won a Grammy for Papa Was a Rolling Stone as the best R&B song.

In the 1970s, Strong left Motown to record for Capitol Records, but he was never as successful on his own as he was with Money. Even though he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004, he couldn’t make music or perform for most of his last years because he had a stroke in 2009. After he had a stroke in 2010, he found out that his name had been taken off the song’s credits. He spent the rest of his life trying to get some of the money from the song’s sales.

What is the Cause of the Barret Strong’s Death?

Barrett Strong, a well-known Motown singer, and songwriter died in Detroit on January 29 at age 81. The reason for death has not been found yet. Strong was an important part of music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As a composer and singer, he helped Motown become successful during its early years.

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