In recent news, Barrett Strong has died. He was a pivotal figure in the history of Motown Records. It is reported that the artist breathed his last on Sunday, January 29, 2023, at the age of 81. Tributes have poured in for Strong ever since the news was announced. His family and close ones are mourning his sudden death and taking to social media, everyone is paying him heartfelt tributes and respects. Apart from paying him tributes, everyone also seems to be searching for his cause of death and how did he die. Here’s what we know about it.
Motown Museum took to social media and confirmed the passing of Barrett Strong. Releasing a statement, they said that Barrett has left his indelible stamp on music history. It was further written that the Motown family has lost a beloved friend. However, his cause of death has not been shared yet. As per reports, when Gordy was just starting to establish a recording empire in Detroit, Strong, then 19 years old, decided to let him manage him and release his music.
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How Did Barrett Strong Die?
As the piano player and vocalist for “Money,” a million-seller published early in 1960 and Motown’s first big hit, he entered history within a year. Strong struggled for recognition that he co-wrote “Money” decades after its release since he was never able to replicate its success. But he created a creative and diverse songwriting partnership with Whitfield.
Gordy’s “Sound of Young America” was accused for being overly polished and repetitive, but the Whitfield-Strong duo produced hard-hitting and timely masterpieces, as well as classic ballads like “I Wish It Wouldn’t Hurt So Bad.” Late in the decade, as Motown grew more politically aware, Barrett-Whitfield produced the Temptations’ “Cloud Nine” and “Psychedelic Shack” as well as Edwin Starr’s protest song “War” and its frequently cited refrain, “War! What is its purpose? Without a doubt, nothing!”
Strong told LA Weekly in 1999, “With ‘War,’ I had a cousin who was a paratrooper and got quite badly hurt in Vietnam. “I also know a singer who used to perform with (Motown lyricist) Lamont Dozier who was permanently disabled after being struck by shrapnel. When you’re sitting at home, you discuss these issues with your families, which motivates you to speak out. Born in West Point, Mississippi, Strong later relocated to Detroit. He was a self-taught musician who mastered the piano without the need for training, and together with his sisters, he founded the Strong Singers, a local gospel group. Stay tuned with Social Telecast.
