Barrett Strong (born February 5, 1941 in West Point, Mississippi) is an American singer and songwriter. Strong was among the first artists signed to Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and is the performer on the company's first hit, "Money (That's What I Want)" (#2 U.S. R&B in 1960, on the Tamla label). In the mid 1960s, Strong became a Motown staff lyricist, teaming with producer Norman Whitfield. Together, Strong and Whitfield wrote some of the most successful and critically acclaimed songs ever to be released by Motown, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by both Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips, "War" by Edwin Starr, "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by The Undisputed Truth, and the long line of "psychedelic soul" records by The Temptations, including "Cloud Nine", "I Can't Get Next to You", "Psychedelic Shack", "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", among others. Strong received a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for co-writing "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". After Motown moved its operations base from Detroit, Michigan to Los Angeles, California, Strong left the label and resumed his singing career, recording two albums for Capitol Records in the mid 1970s. On November 17, 2007, at the Caravan of Stars XIV oldies revival concert in Henderson, Tennessee, featuring such acts as the 1910 Fruitgum Company, Dickey Lee, Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods, Jimmy Gilmer and others, Barrett was scheduled to perform, but did not attend for unknown reasons.
Discography
Albums
- 1975: Stronghold
- 1976: Live & Love
