Estelle Whitfield Obituary - Memphis, TN When Motown moved to. He caught the psychedelic thing. Norman Whitfield net worth: Norman Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer who had a net worth of $10 million. Her daughter has opted to pursue a career in music, and Lynn has been very supportive of her endeavors. She eventually moved to New York and appeared off-Broadway in such shows as The Great Macdaddy and Showdown Time before earning international acclaim touring the United States, Australia and London's West End in the 1977 production of the landmark play "for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf" alongside Alfre Woodard.[2]. 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. On January 18, 2005, Whitfield pleaded guilty for failing to report royalty income he earned from 1995 to 1999 to the Internal Revenue Service. In 2005, he was sentenced to six months house arrest for tax evasion, avoiding imprisonment only because of diabetes and other health problems. Thanks to him, songs could pass the 10-minute mark, use every studio trick available and speak to the concerns of a tougher, angrier black America. During his last months alive, Whitfield was bed-ridden at Los Angeles's Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he underwent treatment for diabetes and other ailments. [27], Whitfield has been married twice. 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. 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. Norman Whitfield - Bio, Age, net worth, Wiki, Facts and Family - in4fp.com He was a fast learner, too -- at 18, he'd written and produced at Detroit's Thelma Records, including sides by Richard Street (future member of the Temptations), and played as a member of the Distants, the precursors to the latter group; he'd also played tambourine with the band Popcorn and the Mohawks on some Thelma sides backing the Distants. - Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Read Full Biography Overview Biography Songs Credits Awards Related Share on facebook twitter tumblr Related Artists Associated with Barrett Strong Associated with The Temptations Followed by Terence Trent D'Arby Influenced by The Coasters Leonard Levi Whitfield (1932-2021) - Memorial Find a Grave [1] He also composed the theme song for the 1977 motion picture Which Way Is Up?, performed by Stargard. Levi and Shirley Whitfield enjoyed more than 66 years together until death parted them when Levi passed away on June 4, 2021. SecondHandSongs is building the most comprehensive source of cover song information. Norman passed away in 2008. : Lynn Whitfield became Josephine Baker, Budapest became Paris and Harlem as HBO raced to complete the first movie about the storied entertainer's life", "HBO's 'Josephine Baker': The Naked Truth", "Lynn Whitfield Shimmies into the Skin of Sultry Josephine Baker", "TV Weekend; With Josephine Baker Through a Long Life", "2 Emmys For James Earl Jones; 'L.A. Tallahassee, Florida. But friction and antagonism grew between Whitfield and the Temptations; the group hated how Whitfield put more emphasis on the instrumentation instead of their vocals, and that he was writing fewer romantic ballads for them. A spokeswoman at Cedars-Sinai Medical Cent [6] He added contemporary song topics, moving from love songs to the social issues of the time, such as war, poverty and politics. After writing hits for Marvin Gaye, the Marvelettes and the Velvelettes, he wrested creative control of the Temptations from Smokey Robinson in 1966 with the success of Ain't Too Proud to Beg. In this Digital Exclusive, Lynn Whitfield's daughter Grace asks the group how they manage to support each other and stay connected during these times.Find OW. The Car Wash soundtrack won Whitfield a Grammy Award for Best Album of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special. By Matt Wesley. This engagement provided the basis for Norman Whitfields net worth and also helped him to set his foot in the world of songwriting. Shere Whitfield Shares a Gorgeous Photo of Her Daughter Kaleigh: "All Grown Up" "So proud of the young lady you are becoming," the RHOA cast member wrote in a recent post honoring her. He wanted Berry Gordy (head of Motown Records) to have Marvin Gaye record "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". CNN . 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. 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. Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get it On" (1973) - Written . Some of his first projects included releasing The Undisputed Truths hit single You + Me = Love. 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. Royalty-free Creative Video Editorial Archive Custom Content Creative Collections. Yesterday I heard through the grapevine that he passed away on Tuesday afternoon. A native of Harlem, Whitfield spent his early teen years hanging out in local pool halls. View Norman Whitfield's 1940 US census record to find family members, occupation details & more. The Gladys Knight & the Pips' version was the best-selling Motown single so far, but it was surpassed a year later by Gaye's version. Despite Gordy's reservations over its perceived pro-drug message, it changed Motown overnight. Norman Whitfield Obituary (2008) - Los Angeles, CA - Legacy Norman Whitfield in the 1940 Census | Ancestry He had been with Motown for several years without scoring a major hit, but in 1970 he enjoyed the biggest single of his career with "War," co-written by Whitfield and Holland. Buy Meta Added by Bastien Works 87 Discussions 1 All Norman Whitfield was born in Harlem, New York in May 1940 and passed away . Twitter. Among his early successes was "I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted To," written in collaboration with Eddie Holland and cut by the Temptations in late 1962. After 1968, Whitfield turned towards darker and harder sound, blending funk and psychedelic rock. Your email address will not be published. During the next 12 years til 1974, he produced all the groups material, including eight studio albums, and also wrote a dozen of their hit singles. Whitfield was born and raised in Harlem, New York. secondhandsongs.com. [1], During his 25-year career, Whitfield co-wrote and produced many enduring hits for Motown artists, including "Ain't Too Proud to Beg",[2] "(I Know) I'm Losing You", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Cloud Nine", "I Can't Get Next to You", "War", "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)", "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". High School Dropout Berry Gordy Turned An $800 Loan Into Motown Records And A $400 Million Fortune. Nova Whitfield is best known for being the daughter of DcYoungFly, a rapper, comedian, and performer who has starred on MTV's Wild N Out. Either way, he changed the landscape of soul. All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. February 28, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. [3] After a highly publicized casting call, Whitfield was chosen over hundreds of women. The psychedelic soul records Whitfield produced for the Temptations and other artists such as Edwin Starr and the Undisputed Truth experimented with and updated the Motown sound for the late-1960s. His first act was the Undisputed Truth, whom he had convinced to leave Motown, followed by Rose Royce, Willie Hutch, Yvonne Fair, Nytro, Mammatapee and Junior Walker. Advertisement He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul. In late 1962, Whitfield became part of the early boom era at Motown Records, joining the ranks of Harvey Fuqua, Mickey Stevenson, and the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team. Whitfield made her professional screen debut in 1981 as Jill Thomas in the critically acclaimed NBC serial drama Hill Street Blues. At 19, Whitfield began frequenting Motown's Hitsville USA offices for a chance to work for the growing label. Cloud Nine - The Temptations. Ooh Boy MP3 Song Download | 100 Greatest Soul @ WynkMusic He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills). Mastered At - Sound Mastering Ltd Designed At - the-unknown.co.uk Marketed By - Ace Distributed By - Ace Credits Songfacts - Songs written by Norman Whitfield Required fields are marked *. 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 Songs written by Norman Whitfield. This memorial website was created in memory of Robert M Whitfield, 78, born on December 30, 1926 and passed away on March 2, 2005. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. Alongside his Motown lyrical collaborator Barrett Strong, he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004. He spent the last few months at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles. 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. 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. Whitfield enjoyed some success as a composer with "Too Many Fish in the Sea" by the Marvelettes, and "Needle in a Haystack" by the Velvettes, but it was his drive and his vision as a producer that allowed him to take over the helm of the Temptations' records. Norman Whitfield - Biography - IMDb "[8] She also received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Miniseries or Television Film nomination and won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. He took over Smokey Robinson's role as the main producer for the Temptations in 1966, after his "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"[2] performed better than Robinson's "Get Ready" on the pop charts. Her love of movies was shared by her maternal grandmother, Estelle Devall Butler, who exposed her to them. In 2004, Norman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Doubtlessly, all these ventures made positive impact on Whitfields net worth. Among Mr. Whitfields other hits were Papa Was a Rollin Stone, written with Mr. Strong. Album by Larry Parham. [17], In 2015, Whitfield was cast as the main villain in Greenleaf, the Oprah Winfrey Network original scripted drama series about the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis megachurch. Norman Whitfield's Funeral - imageevent.com 2023 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved. Gordy finally came to appreciate Whitfield's persistence as an attribute they shared, and put him in charge of "quality control" -- he would listen to blank label copies of the company's latest finished sides and critique them without knowing who was on or behind them, boil his observations down to a numerical score, and give the results to Gordy to think about. Her first husband, from 1974 to 1978, was Vantile Whitfield. Award-Winning Songwriter/Producer Norman Whitfield Dead at 68 "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. "Grapevine" writer Whitfield, 68, helped solidify Motown sound On the cover of their last album together, 1973's Masterpiece, his own picture loomed larger than the band's. Whitfield has been credited with helping create the Motown Sound and helping the development of the subgenre psychedelic soul. Gordy refused to release versions of I Heard It Through the Grapevine by the Miracles, the Isley Brothers and Marvin Gaye. Elgin Freeman. After moving to Detroit, Michigan, with his family in his late teens, he matriculated from Northwestern High School. In 1975 he started Whitfield Records which produced the hit single "Car Wash" by Rose Royce. 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. 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. The next year, he was in the news again after he pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. Childhood. Norman Jesse Whitfield (May 12, 1940 - September 16, 2008) was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy 's Motown labels during the 1960s. TV Mini-Series documentary writer - 1 episode, writer: "Just My Imagination Running Away With Me", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", writer: "Just My Imagination Running Away With Me", writer: "Just my imagination running away with me" - as Norman I. Whitfield, writer: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "I Wanna Get Next to You", writer: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", as N. Whitfield, "Holler If Ya Hear Me" / writer: "Holler If Ya Hear Me" - as N. Whitfield, writer: "Ball of Confusion That's What the World Is Today", Madonna: The Girlie Show - Live Down Under, TV Movie documentary writer: "Rain" - as N. Whitfield, TV Movie writer: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", Raisins Sold Out: The California Raisins II, TV Movie writer: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", producer: "War" / writer: "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", "War", writer: "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", TV Movie writer: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" - uncredited, Documentary "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" / producer: "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", writer: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", writer: "Wherever I Lay My Hat That's My Home", TV Special documentary writer: "That's the way Love is", producer: "The Last Dragon", "Stand Your Ground", "The Final Test" / writer: "The Last Dragon", "Stand Your Ground", "The Final Test", TV Series writer - 1 episode, 1985 lyrics - 1 episode, 1982 music - 1 episode, 1982, Video writer: "Friendship Train", "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", writer: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", TV Movie documentary writer: "Needle in a Haystack", Documentary "Just My Imagination Running Away With Me", lyrics: "WAR" - as N. Whitfield / music: "WAR" - as N. Whitfield, Bassie en Adriaan en het geheim van de sleutel, lyrics: "Which Way Is Up?" Death notices in The Northern Echo between February 24 and March 3 When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. Norman Whitfield: death of a soul icon | Music | The Guardian If he thought something was a hit, he would keep pushing until it was. Undeterred,Whitfield gave the song to Gladys Knight and the Pips, who made it Motown's best-selling single to date. Obituary for Irasha Graham Whitefield Rickey Smiley opens up about his son's death, talks addiction: 'He used Norman Whitfield - Wikiwand Motown producer/songwriter who helped define the label's sound. Date (s): Feb 09. [25] She guest-starred as Shaunette Rene Wilson's mother, a famous Nigerian surgeon, on the Fox medical drama The Resident in 2019. Norman Whitfield - Wikipedia The single's instrumental B-side earned Whitfield and arranger Paul Riser a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance. Hayes and Whitfield were two of my heroes for the way they redrew the boundaries of soul, letting songs thunder and swirl far beyond the traditional pop song format. Norman Whitfield. Thu., Sept. 18, 2008 Car Wash - Rose Royce. [18][19] The series also starred Keith David, Merle Dandridge, Kim Hawthorne, and Oprah Winfrey. - Fell in love with jazz guitarist, Slim Gaillard's young daughter, Janis Hunter. 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. "He and Norman Whitfield were the only songwriters who successfully produced political/social protest songs against Gordy's standing order not to do so," Mr. Posner said. Her mother is an African-American while her father is Creole making her half Native American. Whitfield joined Motown's in-house songwriting staff, co-writing the Marvin Gaye hit "Pride & Joy", the Marvelettes's "Too Many Fish in the Sea" and the Velvelettes's "Needle in a Haystack". Beloved brother to Keith, Sheila, Derek and the late . His first professional engagement came at his age of 19, when he began serving in Motown headquarters Hitsville U.S.A. in its quality control department. 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. The HBO biopic required her to age from 18 to 68. 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. In the meantime, he became an admirer of Berry Gordy as the latter emerged as the most promising new music entrepreneur in Detroit. Whitfield did return to Motown briefly in the early '80s to produce the Temptations' "Sail Away," and also the soundtrack album to the movie The Last Dragon. - Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. [15] She also had a recurring role on Hit the Floor[16] and appeared as the abusive mother of April (Rochelle Aytes) on Mistresses. 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. Miss Whitfield was born September 5, 1975 in Hollywood, a daughter of Norman Whitfield and Asari Graham. Lynn Whitfield Wiki Bio, Daughter, Nationality, Wealth. Married? One of Whitfield's last major hits at Motown was Yvonne Fair's "It Should Have Been Me" (1975), a song he had written in 1963 and recorded originally with Kim Weston. 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. "His will to live was so. Family Life He fathered four sons and one daughter. SOLUTIONS. Norman Whitfield, 67: Motown songwriter | The Star Founder Berry Gordy Jr. recognized Whitfield's persistence and hired him for the quality control department, which determined which songs would or would not be released. "WAR" by Norman Whitfield & Barret Strong performed by - YouTube She was a former member of McGuffey Road Church of Christ and was fond of music. Norman Whitfield was born in 1940s. [1] He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul. Whitfield was born and raised in Harlem, New York, and spent much of his teen years in local pool halls. Norman Whitfield - Psychedelic Soul (Produced By Norman Whitfield) More images Tracklist Hide Credits Companies, etc. Meet Lynn Whitfield & Brian Gibson's Daughter Grace - AmoMama (The tune was by the Funk Brothers.). The dawn of the '70s and the success of albums such as Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Stevie Wonder's Innervisions saw the company enter a last, great flowering in its recordings. William Warren Lange. Starr's version of "War" w Show more. Private services were held at the L. E. Black, Phillips & Holden Funeral Home for Miss Irasha Graham Whitfield, 40, of Beverly Hills, Calif. who departed this life Sunday, July 3. The early 1940s were dominated by World War II. of 1. Skip Ancestry main menu Main Menu. When Whitfield wasn't producing the albums himself, Frank Wilson, using techniques and approaches he'd learned from Whitfield, was in charge. Who is actress Lynn Whitfield? Her Bio: Daughter Grace Gibson, Net He produced soul group Masterpiece in 1980. Norman Whitfield, Motown Songwriter and Producer, Dies at 68 His enthusiasm was infectious, and Gordy marveled at the moments when Whitfield was hooked on an idea. He was born in Harlem in 1943. . In 2005 he faced tax evasion charges apparently between 1995 and 1999 he earned around $500,000 per year but failed to report a total income of over $2 million. Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations. Norman Whitfield - Soul Music Biographies, News and Reviews DC Young Fly Daughter's Nova Whitfield: Age, Mom, Bio, Parents, Net Worth! Legendary songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield, the anchor of Motown 's early 70s movement toward funk, has died. Norman Whitfield - Psychedelic Soul (Produced By Norman - Discogs On December 22, 1945 she was married to Norman L. Britten who preceded her in death on November 1, 1995. Bobby Womack born 4 March 1944 - fromthevaults-boppinbob.blogspot.com NormanIs That You? Adam White The song also became one of the most valuable copyrights owned by Motown, as it was covered by hundreds of artists, most notably Creedence Clearwater Revival, both on an edited single, and as an epic-length jam on their perennially popular LP Cosmo's Factory. Norman Whitfield net worth: Norman Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer who had a net worth of $10 million. Whitfield has won a total of seven NAACP Image Awards. Whitfield kept moving with the times, his songs taking on an edge of gritty social realism in their lyrics that were far removed from the romantic ballads on which much of the "Motown Sound" had been built across the company's first decade. Salli Richardson-Whitfield and daughter Parker during Golden Globe Gifting Suite - Boom Boom Room at Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, CA, United States. She later co-starred in the films The Slugger's Wife, Silverado, and Jaws: The Revenge. "Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work," Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement. Copyright - Ace Records Ltd. July 15, 2022 11:34 AM EDT. Norman Whitfield Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic 1 - 49 of 49 Total. But while Hayes was a famously charming and outgoing character hence those frustratingly reductive obits that mentioned Shaft and South Park and left it at that Whitfield was always a mystery. 1976 Grammy winner for Best Original TV or Motion Picture score for. Whitfield's rise was down to a cocktail of talent, ego, luck and, most of all, persistence. 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. He was also widely recognized for his work with The Temptations, producing eight of their studio albums, as well as for his own record label Whitfield Records. The cause was heart and kidney failure resulting from diabetes, his daughter, Irasha Whitfield, said. In 1975 he split with Motown and founded his own record label Whitfield Records. In the early 1980s, Whitfield began working as a producer for Motown again, helming the Temptations' 1983 hit single "Sail Away" and the soundtrack to The Last Dragon.[1]. In 1975, faced with reduced options at the recording company that had been his professional home for more than a decade, Whitfield left Motown to start his own label, Whitfield Records. [3] Whitfield died on September 16, 2008. 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. After her breakthrough as Josephine Baker, Whitfield had the recurring role in the ABC legal drama Equal Justice, appearing opposite Joe Morton. Their separation was brief, however, as Shirley passed away on August 14, 2021. He was not imprisoned because of health problems such as diabetes. Mr. Whitfield, who had been charged with failing to report more than $4 million in income, was fined $25,000 and sentenced to six months home detention. A native of Harlem, New York, Whitfield spent most of his teen years in local pool halls. Gordy then agreed to have Gaye record it, and Gaye's version remains Motown's biggest hit single. 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 Motown sound in the 1960s and afterward, died on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Sly was definitely sly, and his sound was new, his grooves were incredible, he borrowed a lot from rock. Norman Whitfield was born in Harlem on May 12, 1940. The first Temptations single to feature this new psychedelic soul style was "Cloud Nine" in late 1968, which earned Motown its first Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental).