Legendary Motown songwriter and Missouri native Janie Bradford has died. She was 87 years old.
Bradford died Friday, Aug. 21, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following an extended illness, her family announced.
Born in Charleston, Missouri, Bradford began her career as Berry Gordy's first receptionist, part of the small founding staff at Hitsville as the Motown founder got his operation up and running in 1959.
Bradford's songwriting chops became apparent to Gordy that summer, when she offhandedly piped up with a line for a composition in the works: "Your love gives me such a thrill / But your love don't pay my bills." That composition turned into Barrett Strong's 1959 single "Money (That's What I Want)," which became the Detroit company's
first hit.
Her resume went on to include co-writes on songs by Marvin Gaye ("Too Busy Thinking About My Baby"), Mary Wells ("Your Old Standby"), Stevie Wonder ("Contract on Love") and more. She would eventually become the label's director of writer relations.
"[Bradford] was there with me from the very beginning, before there was even a Motown, and she will always hold a very special place in my heart and in the Motown family," Gordy said in a statement. "[Bradford] was smart, clever, witty, and fun. She was also talented and determined. In those early days, everybody did what was needed to be done, and [Bradford] was no exception. She became Motown's first receptionist, but her talents quickly took her far beyond that desk."
After more than 25 years at Motown, Bradford founded the Heroes and Legends Awards, an annual event that honored music icons and presented scholarships to those pursuing higher education. She was also involved with the Motown Museum, attending exhibit openings, celebrations and galas, as well as serving as a mentor to participants in the Hitsville NEXT educational programs.
Bradford was inducted into the Women's Songwriters Hall of Fame in June, saying in her acceptance speech that it was a privilege to work for a label "that connected with souls across the globe."
"Every melody crafted, I sought to capture not just notes and words but the spirit of generations yearning for love, hope and change," Bradford said. "I owe this honor to the artists who gave voice to the words, brightened them, bringing them to life and passion, and so to the musicians whose rhythms became the backdrop of our lives."
Bradford is survived by her husband of 55 years, Wardean Hobbs; her son Lance Finney and daughter-in-law Carolyn; her daughter, Nicole Hobbs; two grandsons, Bradford and Austin, and other family, friends and Motown peers.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Legendary Motown songwriter, Missouri native Janie Bradford dies at 87
