"
Hitsville U.S.A." is the nickname given to
Motown Records' first headquarters. Located at 2648 West Grand Blvd. in
Detroit,
Michigan Hitsville U.S.A., formerly a photographers' studio, was purchased by Motown founder
Berry Gordy in 1959, and converted into both the record label's administrative building and recording studio, which was open 22 hours a day (closing from 8 to 10 AM for maintenance). Following mainstream success in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Gordy moved the label to Los Angeles and established the Hitsville West studio in
Los Angeles, as a part of his main focus on film production.
On borrowed money, former autoworker and songwriter Berry Gordy purchased the home at 2648 W. Grand Blvd. that later became Hitsville U.S.A..[1] All of the early Motown hits by artists such as Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Isley Brothers, Martha & the Vandellas, The Jackson 5, and The Four Tops, among others, were recorded in the studio at Hitsville, located in the back of the property.[2] In the mid-1960s, the property at 2644 West Grand became an annex to the Hitsville building housing Motown's Jobete Music publishing division, and the Golden World Studio was purchased as a secondary studio.[3] By 1968, Motown was successful enough to move its main operations to the Donovan building on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit (the Donovan Motown building was torn down in January 2006.) Following the 12th Street Riot, Gordy moved to Los Angeles, and expanded Motown's offices there. Recording continued at Hitsville U.S.A. until 1972, when the decision to relocate the entire company was made.
As the Los Angeles offices continued to grow and the Detroit offices were being of little use, a company newsletter in March 1972 was sent, stating, "There are no plans at present to phase out the Detroit operations, as many rumors suggest."[4] However, that June, Motown announced the closing of its Detroit offices and the movement of headquarters to Los Angeles. Gordy relocated the entire Motown Records company and closed the Hitsville studios, the following year, which had produced a long string of worldwide hits, and replaced it with the Hitsville West studio. The following year, he reorganized the company into Motown Industries, an entertainment conglomerate that would include record, movie, television and publishing divisions.[2] Many Motown fans believed the company's heart and soul were lost following the move and that its golden age of creativity ended after its 13 years in Detroit.[1][4] Because Berry Gordy's sister Esther Gordy Edwards refused to move to California, she was put in charge of what was left of Motown's Detroit office in the Hitsville building.
Edwards received several requests for the Hitsville building to receive visitors. She and her secretary put up posters and gold records. She also carefully preserved Studio A. [5] Since 1985, The Hitsville U.S.A. building has been the site of the Motown Historical Museum, dedicated to the legacy of the record label, its artists, and its music.[6] Owned and operated by Esther Gordy Edwards, sister of Berry Gordy, the Motown Museum contains exhibits featuring costumes, photos, and records from Motown's success era. Also featured are Motown's "Studio A" and Berry Gordy's upstairs apartment, decorated to appear as they did during the 1960s. The museum is one of Detroit's most popular tourist destinations.[6]
