MARV JOHNSON: EARLY MOTOWN PIONEER RECALLED


MARV JOHNSON circa 1966

 

 

“MOTOWN PIONEER”

MARV JOHNSON

 

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Marv Earl Johnson (October 15, 1938 – May 16, 1993) was an American R&B and soul singer, notable for performing on the first record issued by Tamla Records, which later became Motown.

Johnson was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1938. He began his career singing with a doo-wop group, the Serenaders, in the mid-1950s. With budding talents not only as a singer but also as a songwriter and pianist, he was discovered by Berry Gordy while Johnson performed at a carnival. Gordy had already decided to form his first record label, Tamla, and Johnson’s recording of their song “Come to Me” was the label’s first single, released in May 1959. The fledgling label did not have national distribution, so the song was released by United Artists. It reached number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Johnson went on to co-write another four songs with Gordy. After he issued the first release for the Tamla (Motown) label, Johnson was signed by United Artists. He released three albums and several singles for UA but continued to record in Motown’s homegrown studios at Hitsville USA.

He then re-signed with Motown in 1964, writing and producing as well as recording. “Why Do You Want to Let Me Go” was his first Motown single after he rejoined the company, released by Motown’s Gordy subsidiary in May 1965. Johnson’s final US chart appearance was “I Miss You Baby (How I Miss You)”, which was a minor hit, reaching number 39 on the R&B chart in April 1966. His next release, “I’ll Pick a Rose for My Rose”, issued in 1968, failed to chart; it was his last American single.

Johnson died of a stroke on 16 May 1993, in Columbia, South Carolina, at the age of 54. He was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit. His headstone reads “Motown Pioneer”.

(Source: Wikipedia; Marv Johnson)

 

 


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MOTOWN MONDAY DETROIT RECORD FLASHBACK! ’66



 

MARV JOHNSON

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 Released May 9, “I Miss You Baby (How I Miss You”  peaked at #39 for two weeks (2 total weeks) on the Billboard R&B chart in 1966. B-side: “Just The Way You Are”

GORDY 7051 (Source: Billboard Top R&B Singles)

 


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A MOTOWN BACK PAGE: MARV JOHNSON, DIES AT 54

DETROIT FREE PRESS May 17, 1993

DETROIT FREE PRESS May 17, 1993

 

 

Monday, May 17, 1993

 

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A MOTOWN MONDAY NEWS PRINT BACK-PAGE

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A 1985 RADIO COMMERCIAL SPOT: NEW! COKE IS IT!


 

THE COCA COLA BOTTLING CO. * 1985 * MAX HEADROOM

 

Do you remember?

In 1985 the Coca Cola Co., after 99 years, decided to “reformulate”, rebrand and market their “new” Coke soda product.

Here is one of the company’s radio spots promoting the New! Coke brand.  But it wouldn’t last long.

For more about the real New! Coke story, click on the year above when this Coke radio spot was heard playing on the radio, 1985.

 



 

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A 1987 RADIO COMMERCIAL SPOT: NEW! COKE IS IT!


 

THE COCA COLA BOTTLING CO. * 1987 * CATCH A NEW WAVE

 

Do you remember?

In 1985 the Coca Cola Co., after 99 years, decided to “reformulate”, rebrand and market their “new” Coke soda product.

Here is one of the company’s radio spots promoting the New! Coke brand.  But it wouldn’t last long.

For more about the real New! Coke story, click on the year above when this Coke radio spot was heard playing on the radio, 1987.

 



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NEW! CHYR 710 BACK ON THE RADIO: DAVID McNEA


 

CHYR RECALLED ON MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS

CHYR-AM 710 * 1977 * DAVE McNEA

 


 

 

DAVE McNEA CHYR aircheck date: Friday, September 16, 1977

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NEW! A special THANK YOU to Dave McNea, former CHYR morning personality for donating his CHYR radio aircheck to Motor City Radio Flashbacks!

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 * THE DAVE McNEA COLLECTION *

 

 


 

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NEW! WKNR AM ON THE RADIO: EDWARD ALAN BUSCH


 

WKNR RECALLED on MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS

WKNR-AM 1310 * 1969 * EDWARD ALAN BUSCH

 


 

 

NEW! EDWARD ALAN BUSCH WKNR aircheck date Sunday, July 13, 1969

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 * THE JIM FELICIANO COLLECTION *

 

 


 

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REMEMBERING A WKNR FM RADIO LEGEND: RUSS GIBB

Russ Gibb circa 1971

Russ Gibb circa 1969 (Photo courtesy the Detroit Free Press files)

 

 

Russ Gibb – 1931-2019

 

Russ Gibb — Detroit rock visionary, schoolteacher and ‘Paul is dead’ prankster — dies at 87

 

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(For the complete story click on the Detroit Free Press article/link highlighted above)

 

 

 

 


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PROGRAMMING THE DETROIT RADIO DIAL: 05/01/1959

Detroit Free Press May 1, 1959

 

Friday, May 1, 1959

 

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DETROIT FREE PRESS: RADIO PROGRAMS for FRIDAY

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Above article courtesy freep.com newspapers archives. Copyright 2018; Newspapers.com

The above featured Detroit radio guide was clipped, saved, and imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.

 

 

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THE DETROIT RADIO DIAL

60 YEARS AGO TODAY

 

 

 

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