Motown's returning to the Motor City.
Twenty-four years after jilting Detroit and moving to Los Angeles, the music company that once transformed artists from the city's housing projects into superstars is coming home.New Motown President Andre Harrell announced on Friday that Detroit will serve as the company's Midwest headquarters for Artists & Repertoire, a division of Motown that signs new artists.
"I realize now Detroit is very vital to the rebirth of Motown," said Harrell, who said his decision was strengthened by a visit to the Motown Historical Museum. "It's very important for me to come back to Detroit. This is a cultural treasure."
The satellite office will open by year's end.
The announcement was music to the ears of Jack Brokensha, a session musician who performed on many '60s-era hits.
"That's damned decent of them," he said. "There's still a viable thing going on in Detroit. You go anywhere, that Motown sound is a viable thing."
Harrell said he wants to focus on an earthy, upbeat sound like that of Detroit native Tony Rich, whose "Nobody Knows" is at No. 2 this week on Billboard's Hot 100.
And he said he wants to recapture the high-class image Motown had in its heyday under the direction of founder Berry Gordy.
"What Berry did was showcase talent at the highest level," he said. "I have to make Motown appeal to a broad audience."
Gordy moved the Motown Record Co. to Los Angeles in 1972 and sold it to Boston Ventures for $60 million in 1988. It was sold again to Holland-based PolyGram in 1993.
About 40 percent of the label's $105 million in earnings last year came from its catalog, which includes material from legends such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross & the Supremes.