Singer-songwriter Barrett Strong, best known for giving Motown its very first hit with "Money (That's What I Want)", has passed away at the age of 81. No cause of death has been released.
Ironically, "Money" did not earn Strong a lot of money as Berry Gordy, Jr. removed his name from the songwriting credits with Strong insisting he co-wrote the song.
However, Strong did earn some money through his songwriting partnership with Norman Whitfield. Strong wrote the lyrics for songs such as "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (recorded by both Gladys Knight and The Pips and Marvin Gaye and then later by Creedence Clearwater Revival), "War" by Edwin Starr and "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by The Undisputed Truth.
The team of Whitfield and Strong also collaborated on some of The Temptations biggest hits - "Cloud Nine", "Ball of Confusion", “I Wish it Would Rain,” “I Can’t Get Next to You,” “Psychedelic Shack,” “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone" - the latter of which earned Strong a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.
But songwriting credit or no songwriting credit, it was Barrett Strong who first put Motown on the map. R.I.P.
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