Who founded the Motown record label in 1959?

Berry Gordy founded the Motown record label in 1959. He launched the company in Detroit on January 12, 1959, initially calling it Tamla Records. Gordy used $800 borrowed from his family, investing profits from his work as a songwriter and record producer.

The name Motown combines “motor” and “town,” reflecting Detroit’s identity as the center of America’s auto industry. The company was formally incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in 1960, but 1959 remains its founding year.

Gordy built Motown around a carefully coordinated system of songwriting, production, artist development, choreography, and visual presentation. The label signed or developed major acts including the Miracles, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson 5.

A common mix-up is treating 1960 as Motown’s founding date. That was the year the company adopted the Motown corporate name; Berry Gordy’s record company began in 1959 as Tamla.