His daughter, CNN Anchor Fredricka Whitfield, recalls the lessons he taught his . 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. Suddenly, topical comment and audacious psychedelic arrangements were on the agenda, and Whitfield-Strong were on a roll: Ball of Confusion, Papa Was a Rollin' Stone, War and Smilin' Faces Sometimes all smouldered with tension and paranoia befitting the era of Vietnam, Nixon and the Black Panthers. Whitfield was born in Harlem, where his main achievement was to become a skilled pool player. It is certain that these achievements helped Whitfield to further increase his wealth. His genres are R&B,soul,pop,psychedelic soul,funk,disco. Story highlights. . Beloved brother to Keith, Sheila, Derek and the late . Inspired by Sly and the Family Stone's wild arrangements, he wrote the hard-driving, socially aware Cloud Nine with lyricist Barrett Strong (who is himself currently recovering from a stroke) for the Temptations. Whitfield was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the daughter of Jean (ne Butler), a former president of the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, and Dr. Valerian Smith, who was also a composer who wrote the musicals, The Supper and The Wake. 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. After moving to Detroit, Michigan, with his family in his late teens, he matriculated from Northwestern High School. - Anti-Vietnam War song recorded by Temptations, on album Psychedelic Shack. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has died. 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. 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). [24], In 2018, Whitfield co-starred opposite Sanaa Lathan in the romantic comedy film Nappily Ever After, which was released on Netflix. Whitfield's rise was down to a cocktail of talent, ego, luck and, most of all, persistence. She later co-starred in the films The Slugger's Wife, Silverado, and Jaws: The Revenge. He was 81. I Can't Get Next To You - The Temptations. On television, Whitfield had recurring roles on Boston Public and Without a Trace in the 2000s. She was a 1993 graduate of Hubbard High School and obtained a Bachelor's Degree from Ohio State University and a Master's Degree from UCLA. Either way, he changed the landscape of soul. I knew that this was extremely unlikely given his ongoing struggles with a) illness and b) the IRS, not to mention a longstanding reluctance to talk to the press. Mr. Whitfield won a Grammy for the album, recorded by the band Rose Royce. 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. When he was a teenager, he and his family settled in Detroit after their car broke down there. Copyright - Ace Records Ltd. Beginning with their soundtrack to the movie Car Wash, the group enjoyed a series of three hit albums and accompanying hit singles for Whitfield's label. 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. Wynk Music brings to you Ooh Boy MP3 song from the movie/album 100 Greatest Soul. Alongside his Motown lyrical collaborator Barrett Strong, he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004. After several years fighting diabetes, Norman Whitfield passed away at the age of 68, on the 16th September 2008 in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills). 1976 Grammy winner for Best Original TV or Motion Picture score for. He wound up in Detroit when his father's car broke down on the way back from his grandmother's funeral in California and the family settled in. Starr's version of "War" w Show more. Tori Hughes Wiki Bio, age, ethnicity, net worth, d How real is History Channel survival show Alone? Associated With He wrote and produced songs for several legendary artists, including Marvin Gaye and The Temptations. Yesterday I heard through the grapevine that he passed away on Tuesday afternoon. 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. 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. Jacob Lewis Fuller. He was known especially for his work with the Temptations; he produced many of their recordings for Motown, including the album Cloud Nine, whose title track earned the group a Grammy in 1969. [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. The trio never hit again as big as they did with that song, as Whitfield concentrated most of his efforts on the Temptations, but he used the Undisputed Truth to try out funk and psychedelic experiments, both with his own songs (including the first version of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone") and covers of other writers' songs. He also helped usher in the era of psychedelic soul, producing the work of artists like Edwin Starr and the Undisputed Truth. [3] After a highly publicized casting call, Whitfield was chosen over hundreds of women. Both parents were instrumental in developing Whitfield's initial interest in acting, as they were actively involved in the Baton Rouge art scene. 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. July 15, 2022 11:34 AM EDT. He was 67. 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. Photos by Larry Parham. [27], Whitfield has been married twice. She began her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film. Is she dead? Daughter Mignon Strong said her father's strength of spirit persisted through his final days. Norman Whitfield Biography. Whitfield's big chance came when Holland-Dozier-Holland stormed out of Motown in early 1968 in a row over profit-sharing. In his late teens, he and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan so that his father could join his sister and work in her . Miss Whitfield was born September 5, 1975 in Hollywood, a daughter of Norman Whitfield and Asari Graham. Until yesterday I was still holding out the slenderest hope of somehow securing an interview with Norman Whitfield, the reclusive genius of psychedelic soul. A NORMAN WHITFIELD SONGBOOK 2,527 views Aug 29, 2019 One of the great composer of MOTOWN. His father, Friendly Womack, spotted Bobby's talent on the guitar at an early age, and Bobby was only The early 1940s were dominated by World War II. 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. / music: "Which Way Is Up? Whitfield and lyrical collaborator Barrett Strong were inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004. Born in West Point, Mississippi in 1941, singer/composer Barrett Strong was a pivotal figure in Motown's formative years, and is perhaps best known for his collaborations during the late '60s and early '70s with fellow Motown . 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. Album by Larry Parham. In the mid-1970s, Mr. Whitfield left Motown to start his own label, Whitfield Records. Mrs. Estelle Whitfield, age 98, passed away November 23, 2020. Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations. The second thought was regret: that there has been . In the meantime, he became an admirer of Berry Gordy as the latter emerged as the most promising new music entrepreneur in Detroit. Gordy also soon learned to trust Whitfield's bouts of seemingly reckless enthusiasm. [23] The series ended in 2020 after five seasons and 60 episodes. 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?" Now Wright is sharing the story of having been reunited . 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. Even amid all of this activity with the Temptations, he found other important outlets for his compositions, most notably in the person of Edwin Starr. A lot more than that, nevertheless, Whitfield and his personal travel became a significant area of the mental dynamic . As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Norman Whitfield was among the architects from the Motown audio, from its early top being a country wide label through its waning times of major graph achievement. How rich would Norman Whitefield be today? Norman Whitfield | Artist | GRAMMY.com Artist Norman Whitfield WINS* 2 NOMINATIONS* 4 19th Annual GRAMMY Awards WINNER Album Of Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or Television Special Car Wash View All Nominations For This Artist Through the 65th GRAMMY Nominations Norman Whitfield News View All News Norman Whitfield was born on May 12, 1940 (age 67) in New York City, New York, United States. 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. With partner Norman Whitfield wrote enduring hits "Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "Papa Was A Rolling Stone". 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. Songs written by Norman Whitfield. Whitfield was born and raised in Harlem, New York. Their separation was brief, however, as Shirley passed away on August 14, 2021. Ball Of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today) - The Temptations. Norman Whitfield passed away on September 16, 2008 at 68 years old. 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. 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. 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. His the best movie is Car Wash. She also starred as Dorothea Garibaldi in the Disney Channel films The Cheetah Girls and The Cheetah Girls 2. 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. Doubtlessly, all these ventures made positive impact on Whitfields net worth. Mr. Whitfield, who often wrote both lyrics and music, had more than 450 songs released in his lifetime, his daughter said. Despite Gordy's reservations over its perceived pro-drug message, it changed Motown overnight. 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. February 28, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. "I Can't Get Next to You," "Ball of Confusion," and "Cloud Nine" -- all written with his main songwriting partner, Barrett Strong -- were among the best records to come out of the label during the turn of the '60s and into the '70s. [1] Levi was born on January 10, 1932, to Allen Edgar Whitfield and Hattie Ellen Adams Whitfield in Old Joe,. Miss Whitfield was born September 5, 1975 in Hollywood, a daughter of Norman Whitfield and Asari Graham. The family eventually relocated there, and Whitfield hustled pool and performed other marginal pursuits to survive, and also began watching and learning what was needed to work in music. Another account she has is on Facebook, with over 25,000 followers, but the account has not been updated since 2018. Some of his first projects included releasing The Undisputed Truths hit single You + Me = Love. Your email address will not be published. Whitfield received positive reviews from critics for her performance. Legendary songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield, the anchor of Motown 's early 70s movement toward funk, has died. I'll be doing something similar tonight. 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 . Following graduation, she first garnered attention on the stage by performing with the Black Repertory Company in Washington, D.C. She married playwright/director/actor Vantile Whitfield, one of the company's co-founders and a pioneer of black theatre, in 1974. THE WORKS OF WHITFIELD, AND THE PROMISE OF A DOCUMENTARY. Have you ever wondered how much wealth he accumulated for life? 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. 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? [28] From 1990 to 1992, she was married to director Brian Gibson, with whom she had a daughter, Grace. "Marvelous Mal" Whitfield was an Olympic medalist, Tuskegee airman and longtime U.S. diplomat. 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. [9][10] At the time of filming, Lawrence was 12 years younger than Whitfield, who was then 42. Anyone can read what you share. For the next few years, Whitfield or his protg, Frank Wilson, produced virtually all of the Temptations' recordings, although as Gordy recalled in his autobiography, Whitfield was ambitious enough to extend his influence as a producer far and wide; he still wrote songs as well, and he was always looking for different ways of presenting the same composition. Skip Ancestry main menu Main Menu. 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. That success was complicated by the growing antipathy of the Temptations themselves, who sometimes felt like backup participants on their own records amid Whitfield's production efforts -- and Whitfield's prominent visual presence on Masterpiece's artwork -- a rare level of prominence for a producer -- couldn't have helped matters with the group. "His will to live was so. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. He was survived by his daughter and four sons from who he had eight grandchildren. Norman Whitfield net worth: Norman Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer who had a net worth of $10 million. [18][19] The series also starred Keith David, Merle Dandridge, Kim Hawthorne, and Oprah Winfrey. Home; Trees; . Following the end of the war, it was the start of the Baby Boomer years and technology advancements such as the jet engine, nuclear fusion, radar, rocket technology and others later became the starting points for Space Exploration and Improved Air Travel. Tallahassee, Florida. Estelle leaves behind two daughters, Lynn Whitfield and Kathy Carroll (John), grandsons, Chad Carroll and Kevin Carroll (Lauren), two great-grandchildren, Ryleigh and Isaiah Carroll. 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. CNN . DC Young Fly Daughter's Nova Whitfield: Age, Mom, Bio, Parents, Net Worth! Norman Jesse Whitfield Profile: American songwriter and producer (born May 12, 1940, in Harlem, New York - died September 16, 2008, in Los Angeles) best known for his work with Berry Gordy 's Motown label during the 1960s. In 1975, Whitfield left Motown, following its move from Detroit, to form his own label, Whitfield Records. Mr. Whitfield joined Motown in the early 1960s, when he was not much more than 20. He was 68 and lived in Toluca Lake, Calif. "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. His songwriting career began in the early 1960s when he was included in co-writing The Marvelettes hit single Too Many Fish in the Sea, Marvin Gayes Pride & Joy and later Needle in a Haystack written for The Velvelettes. Whitfield later was cast in a leading role in Greenleaf's planned spinoff. 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. Among Mr. Whitfields other hits were Papa Was a Rollin Stone, written with Mr. Strong. High School Dropout Berry Gordy Turned An $800 Loan Into Motown Records And A $400 Million Fortune. Cloud Nine - The Temptations. His main interest as a youth was centered on the pool hall, not the dance hall -- according to Nelson George in his book Where Did Our Love Go?, Whitfield not only developed a steady hand with a pool cue, but a good eye for observing and sizing up those around him.