In the early 80s Norman started working again with Motown; he produced the 1983 hit single "Sailing Away" by the Temptations and produced the soundtrack for the movie "The Last Dragon" in 1985. Region. On January 18, 2005, Whitfield pleaded guilty for failing to report royalty income he earned from 1995 to 1999 to the Internal Revenue Service. Writer and producer of Motown classics like War and I Heard It Through the Grapevine. He helped create the Motown sound. Mr. Whitfield joined Motown in the early 1960s, when he was not much more than 20. After wood-shedding on local . Whitfield enjoyed a professional triumph with the Temptations' All Directions (1972), and followed it up with his greatest effort, the appropriately named Masterpiece (1973); and it was a two-fold personal and professional triumph, for both albums featured a lineup of the group -- Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Damon Harris, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams -- which, though well-regarded, lacked the presence of acknowledged stars Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. They were too young to see action in World War II and too old to participate in the fun of the Summer of Love. Whitfield family - Wikipedia People of this zodiac sign like cooking, romance, working with hands and dislike sudden changes, complications, and insecurity. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Grammy-award winning song writer Norman Whitfield, known for co-writing such hits as "Papa was a Rolling Stone" and "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" passed away yesterday at the age of 67. He died on September 16, 2008, Los Angeles County, California, CA. [1] He also composed the theme song for the 1977 motion picture Which Way Is Up?, performed by Stargard. Discover what happened on this day. Norman Thomas Whitfield 1950-2012 - Ancestry Norman Whitfield | Pop and rock | The Guardian Gordy then agreed to have Gaye record it, and Gaye's version remains Motown's biggest hit single. He is from USA. But Masterpiece's critical notices were better than its sales, and Whitfield soon found himself, like most of the label's other producers, being discouraged from further recordings as ambitious as that, particularly as Motown's fortunes declined. Norman Whitfield Net Worth $10 million Norman was raised in Harlem where he spent the majority of his spare time in pool halls. By his second marriage to Agnes Giles he was father of Robert Whitfield (born between 1517-1518),[1] who married Ann, daughter of George and Rose Roberts, and then Agnes Atwood. Motown record label founder Berry Gordy Jr. gave Norman a job in the quality control department that determined which songs would or would not be released as singles. The family derives its name from the old English hwit-feld, meaning open white lands. The song itself may have said more than it meant to about the time in which it was written, recorded, and released, with a slow tempo and an ominous mood. Background [ edit] He started there as a tambourine player; known for his keen ear, he was eventually put in charge of quality control by the labels founder, Berry Gordy Jr. Among his hits there were the soundtrack album for the film Car Wash (1976), for which he wrote the score. Norman a job in the quality control department that determined which Published on October 14, 2022 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. The area was granted by William, King of Scotland in the twelfth century. He moved to Detroit in his late teens and petitioned the burgeoning Motown label to give him a job. The area was granted by William, King of Scotland in the twelfth century. Once more details are available, we will update this section. Norman studied briefly at a technical school in Detroit before joining Thelma Records, a local label, when he was about 19. Norman Whitfield - Bio, Age, net worth, Wiki, Facts and Family - in4fp.com Mr. Whitfields songs were recorded by a string of Motown luminaries, who besides Mr. Gaye included the Temptations and the Jackson Five. THE FOUR TOPS HOT NIGHTS album and 2000 NORMAN WHITFIELD project 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. When he was a teenager, he and his family settled in Detroit after their car broke down there. He produced soul group Masterpiece in 1980. Writer and producer of Motown classics like "War" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." He helped create the . Whitfield began hanging around Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. 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. It soon became clear to Gordy that Whitfield's talents extended to arranging and production, and it was in the latter capacity that he came to prominence at the label. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 12 May. He had to juggle the demands of raising a family while also trying to pay for his children's education. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills). [6] He added contemporary song topics, moving from love songs to the social issues of the time, such as war, poverty and politics. In 1975 he split with Motown and founded his own record label Whitfield Records. Undisputed Truth consisted of members Joe Harris, who was the lead singer, and Billie Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce, who were formerly part of The Delicates. Parents. He wanted Berry Gordy (head of Motown Records) to have Marvin Gaye record "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". Though largely invisible professionally in his later years, he did re-emerge in the news in 2005 when he pleaded guilty to settle a tax evasion case from the late '90s. He co-wrote "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone", "Ball of Confusion", "War", "Smilin' Faces", and "Just My Imagination (Runnin' Away with Me)". Norman moved with his family to Detroit, Michigan when he was in his late teens. Besides his daughter, Irasha, of Los Angeles, Mr. Whitfield is survived by four sons, Norman, of Los Angeles; Michael, of Toluca Lake; Johnnie, of Atlanta; and Roland, of Murrieta, Calif.; a brother, Bill, of Los Angeles; eight grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. All rights reserved. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. 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. Norman Whitfield Net Worth - Phone Number, House Address, Wiki Robert died in 1331, by which time the family held land in Northumberland, Durham, Cumberland, Norfolk and Sussex. 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. This page is updated often with latest details about Norman Whitfield. In an interview with David Ritz for Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye (Da Capo, 1991), Mr. Whitfield recalled the deep influence of the new, hard-driving funk of Sly Stone, and how he tried to bring something of Mr. Stones sound to his work at Motown. 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. NORMAN WHITFIELD Obituary (2013) - Memphis, TN - The Commercial Appeal His son, John Whitfield, living 1480 had married Ann, the only daughter of Sir William Hilton, of Hylton Castle. Cover: Courtesy of Motown Records. The group hit right out of the box with another Whitfield song that managed to capture its time and place, "Smiling Faces Sometimes," which became a number three hit in 1971. Norman Dale Whitfield Obituary (2023) | Briercrest, Saskatchewan - Echovita 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. At age 18 he wrote and produced songs for Detroit's Thelma Records. [1] He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul. Information about His net worth in 2023 is being updated as soon as possible by infofamouspeople.com, You can also click edit to tell us what the Net Worth of the Norman Whitfield is, Norman Whitfield was born on May 12, 1940 (age 68) in New York City, New York, United States He is a celebrity randb singer His genres are R&B,soul,pop,psychedelic soul,funk,disco His the best movie is Car Wash His successful albums are That Motown Sound, Favorites, Blue Velvet, Classics In His career, Norman Whitfield has achieved an Grammy Award for Best R&B Song He died on September 16, 2008, Los Angeles County, California, CA He had 5 children Irasha Whitfield, Michael Whitfield, Johnnie Whitfield, Norman Whitfield, Roland Whitfield He has an estimated net worth of $ 10 million, Reference: Wikipedia, FaceBook, Youtube, Twitter, Spotify, Instagram, Tiktok, IMDb. Perhaps it was a masterpiece. 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. At age 18 he wrote and produced songs for Detroit's Thelma Records. Norman Whitfield. It indicates that He is on life path 22. The story of him and songwriting partner Barrett Strong creating three distinct versions of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" for Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & the Pips and The Temptations reflects his creativity. By way of Wilson's contemporary work with the Four Tops, Whitfield's influence extended to other corners of the Motown stable during this era. 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. The cause was heart and kidney failure resulting from diabetes, his daughter, Irasha Whitfield, said. Born in New York in 1943, Whitfield wasn't yet in his teens when R&B began exerting itself as a major musical force. Sly was definitely sly, and his sound was new, his grooves were incredible, he borrowed a lot from rock. All these accomplishments provided a significant boost to Norman Whitfields wealth. Music producer, arranger, and songwriter Norman Jessie Whitfield was born on May 12, 1941 in New York City. My thing was to out-Sly Sly Stone, Mr. Whitfield said. Songs written by Norman Whitfield | SecondHandSongs More information on Norman Whitfield can be found here. "(I Know) I'm Losing You," "Cloud Nine," "War," "Papa Was a Rollin' Among the many soul classic songs Whitfield co-wrote, produced, and/or arranged are "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)," "(I Know) I'm Losing You," "Cloud Nine," "War," "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," "I Can't Get Next to You," and "Smiling Faces Sometimes. " In 2004, Mr. Whitfield was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. 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. 1972 Grammy winner for Best R&B Song for "Papa Was a Rolling Stone.". Norman Whitfield - Soul Music Biographies, News and Reviews His work was also recorded over the years by artists as varied as Creedence Clearwater Revival and Bruce Springsteen. The company had started the '70s in exceptional financial health, the world at its feet and the sky seemingly the limit, but by the middle of the decade it had taken huge losses, not only on some recordings, but more tellingly on several dubious film-related projects that truly crippled their bottom line. Norman Thomas Whitfield family tree Family tree Explore more family trees. Rose Royce (whose members were originally Edwin Starr's backing band while at Motown) went on to record three more popular albums, and had two huge UK hits with "Wishing on a Star" (1977) and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" (1978), but could never top the success of "Car Wash", which served as the theme song to the 1976 motion picture Car Wash. A full obituary will appear at a later date. Whitfield often recorded notably different versions of songs with different artists in search of a hit, and did so successfully in the cases of Edwin Starr, with "War" (1970; originally recorded by the Temptations), and the Undisputed Truth, with "Smiling Faces Sometimes" (1971; also originally by the Temptations). He is a celebrity Record producer, Songwriter, Film Score Composer. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. Whitfield gave the song to Gladys Knight and the Pips, who made it Motown's bestselling single at the time. increasingly dissatisfied working with Gordy and left Motown to form Norman Whitfield - Wikipedia His personal year number in 2023 is 6. 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. songs would or would not be released as singles. Norman Whitfield, Motown Songwriter and Producer, Dies at 68 Something" and "Needle in a Haystack" by the Velvelettes. This article will clarify Norman Whitfield's Wife, Songs, Net Worth, Daughter, and other information. Facing charges of tax evasion on more than $2 million worth of income, he was sentenced to six months of house confinement and a $25,000 fine. Their son, William Whitfield, married to the sole heiress of Randle Holme of Alston Moor in Cumberland, in turn had son, William Whitfield. Gordy then agreed to have Gaye record it, and Gaye's version remains Motown's biggest hit single. Whitfield moved with his family to Detroit in the early 1960s and was eventually hired to work in Motown's quality control department. Later that year his Cloud Nine, performed by The Temptations was honored with a prestigious Grammy Award which was followed by another Grammy for Papa Was a Rollin Stone which was released in 1973. William Marvin Whitfield 1918 - 2000. This year is also the year of personal relationships and family. This Robert was an ironmaster at Worth in Sussex, where he acquired the estate of Rowfant and built the mansion Rowfant House. He was a longtime Motown producer and founded his own record label, Whitfield Records, in 1973. Whitfield and Barrett Strong's psychedelic soul story of a wayward father and the family he left behind became a Motown classic. His son, Matthew de Whitfield, was father of John Whitfield, who married Alice, the daughter of Sir John Milford, of Mitford Castle in Northumberland. Mr. Whitfield won a Grammy for the album, recorded by the band Rose Royce. the Temptations and produced the soundtrack for the movie "The Last Ruling Planet: Norman Whitfield had a ruling planet of Venus and has a ruling planet of Venus and by astrological associations Friday is ruled by Venus. "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. Those with Life Path Number 22 are natural leaders. How rich would Norman Whitefield be today? Among the many soul classic songs Whitfield co-wrote, He wrote and produced songs for several legendary artists, including Marvin Gaye and The Temptations. I could match him though, rhythm for rhythm, horn for horn., Norman Whitfield, Motown Songwriter and Producer, Dies at 68, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/arts/music/18whitfield.html. 1976 Grammy winner for Best Original TV or Motion Picture score for. Whitfield became the company's spark plug as music entered the psychedelic era, taking to the new sound, and especially the use of sound effects, more easily than most of the label's production personnel. Norman Whitfields mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. 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. 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. The 40s also brought us the Slinky, Velcro, Jeep, Tupperware and Frisbee. his own label Whitfield Records in the mid 70s. He was a very unselfish, thoughtful husband and dedicated family man. Venus is graceful, charming, sensual and social. 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. Whitfield worked extensively with the Temptations as a producer and songwriter, producing eight of their albums between 1969 and 1973. Temptations. . Whitfield gave the song to Gladys Knight and the Pips, who made it Motown's bestselling single at the time. Whitfield was born and raised in Harlem, New York, and spent much of his teen years in local pool halls. joined Motown's in-house songwriting staff.