Research genealogy for Norman Thomas Whitfield of Talladega, AL, as well as other members of the Whitfield family, on Ancestry. Stone," "I Can't Get Next to You," and "Smiling Faces Sometimes." Whitfield joined Motown's in-house songwriting staff, co-writing the Marvin Gaye hit "Pride & Joy", the Marvelettes's "Too Many Fish in the Sea" and the Velvelettes's "Needle in a Haystack". List of songs written by Norman Whitfield - Wikipedia Norman Whitfield was born on the 12th of May, 1940. He also changed the main subjects of his lyrics, from love to social issues such as politics, war and poverty. The Temptations became his primary project in 1967 with Motown's first Grammy-winner "Cloud Nine," ushering in a new day of thought-provoking psychedelic soul (a la Sly Stone) to the label with other acts such as Edwin Starr ("War") and The Undisputed Truth ("Smiling Faces Sometimes"). In the early 80s Norman started working again with Motown; he produced the 1983 hit single "Sailing Away" by the Temptations and produced the soundtrack for the movie "The Last Dragon" in 1985. After wood-shedding on local labels, he began writing songs for Motown and eventually promoted to head of quality control because he was so meticulous about maximizing hit records. The Whitfield family was a landowning Norman family in present-day United Kingdom; the family was seated at Whitfield Hall in Northumberland. Whitfield family - Wikipedia born on May 12, 1941 in New York City. Anyone can read what you share. Norman Whitfield - Wikipedia Whitfield eventually Your email address will not be published. Personal year number 6 is the year of creation. He then started his own label, Whitfield Records, in 1975, which yielded the Rose Royce hit "Car Wash". After moving to Detroit, Michigan, with his family in his late teens, he matriculated from Northwestern High School. Motown hitmaker Norman Whitfield dies in L.A | Reuters As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. This engagement provided the basis for Norman Whitfields net worth and also helped him to set his foot in the world of songwriting. Norman Jesse Whitfield (May 12, 1940 - September 16, 2008) was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy 's Motown labels during the 1960s. You'll find all-time classics such as Marvin Gaye 's 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine', the Temptations . You may also light a candle in honour of Norman Dale . He told later interviewers that his family had settled in Detroit after their car broke down there. Sly was definitely sly, and his sound was new, his grooves were incredible, he borrowed a lot from rock. Though largely invisible professionally in his later years, he did re-emerge in the news in 2005 when he pleaded guilty to settle a tax evasion case from the late '90s. Norman Whitfield | Pop and rock | The Guardian Ruling Planet: Norman Whitfield had a ruling planet of Venus and has a ruling planet of Venus and by astrological associations Friday is ruled by Venus. Following the end of the war, it was the start of the Baby Boomer years and technology advancements such as the jet engine, nuclear fusion, radar, rocket technology and others later became the starting points for Space Exploration and Improved Air Travel. His personal year number in 2023 is 6. On January 18, 2005, Whitfield pleaded guilty for failing to report royalty income he earned from 1995 to 1999 to the Internal Revenue Service. According to numerology, Norman Whitfield's Life Path Number is 22. Mr. Whitfield won a Grammy for the album, recorded by the band Rose Royce. His early successes for Motown included such songs as Marvin Gaye's "Pride and Joy," "Too Many Fish in the Sea" by the Marvelettes, and both "He Was Really Saying Something" and "Needle in a Haystack" by the Velvelettes. He was to see sides and potential in that group's sound that would enhance both of their careers in the decade to follow. His brother, John Whitfield, of Whitfield Hall was the ancestor of Matthew Whitfield who sold Whitfield Hall and estate to William Ord of Fenham sometime after 1730. Generation. Motown producer/songwriter who helped define the label's sound. He turned around and annoyed Gordy intensely, finally cajoling him into okaying another attempt at the song by Gladys Knight & the Pips. Norman Whitfield | Songwriters Hall of Fame By his second marriage to Agnes Giles he was father of Robert Whitfield (born between 1517-1518),[1] who married Ann, daughter of George and Rose Roberts, and then Agnes Atwood. And the Temptations, whose singing had taken on a darker sound in 1968 when original lead singer David Ruffin was succeeded by Dennis Edwards, effectively became his "instrument," Whitfield conceiving ever more ambitious songs and productions in which to employ them; their singles and albums were his canvas, which he filled up with his songs, creating ever more involved and ambitious works in the process. Norman Jesse Whitfield is part of the Silent Generation, which followed after the G.I. We have estimated Dragon" in 1985. Norman Whitfield: Songwriter and producer who added a political edge He was a longtime Motown producer and founded his own record label, Whitfield Records, in 1973. "(I Know) I'm Losing You," "Cloud Nine," "War," "Papa Was a Rollin' Gordy finally came to appreciate Whitfield's persistence as an attribute they shared, and put him in charge of "quality control" -- he would listen to blank label copies of the company's latest finished sides and critique them without knowing who was on or behind them, boil his observations down to a numerical score, and give the results to Gordy to think about. Norman Whitfield was born in New York City. Whitfield kept moving with the times, his songs taking on an edge of gritty social realism in their lyrics that were far removed from the romantic ballads on which much of the "Motown Sound" had been built across the company's first decade. Norman Whitfield (Norman Jesse Whitfield) was born on 12 May, 1941 in New York City, New York, USA, is a Soundtrack, Composer, Music Department. This is a list of songs written by Norman Whitfield, either as a sole writer or with others Chart hits and other notable songs written by Norman Whitfield. Skip Ancestry main menu Main Menu. Norman Whitfield called his new group Undisputed Truth. He produced soul group Masterpiece in 1980. [1] Longer songs, distorted guitars, multitracked drums, and inventive vocal arrangements became trademarks of Whitfield's productions, and later of records produced by Motown staffers he coached, including Frank Wilson. He was born on January. He recruited new members, most notably Taka Boom (aka Yvonne Stevens, the sister of Chaka Khan), later with the Glass Family, to work with Joe Harris, and saw hits from this version of the group with "You + Me = Love" and "Let's Go Down to the Disco." In 2004, Norman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Gordy then agreed to have Gaye record it, and Gaye's version remains Motown's biggest hit single. Using his keen eye for observation, Whitfield found a mentor in Motown founder Berry Gordy. . Whitfield gave the song to Gladys Knight and the Pips, who made it Motown's bestselling single at the time. A native of Harlem, Whitfield spent his early teen years hanging out in local pool halls. He took over Smokey Robinson's role as the main producer for the Temptations in 1966, after his "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"[2] performed better than Robinson's "Get Ready" on the pop charts. On 5-12-1940, Norman Whitfield was born. In the early 14th century, Richard Whitfield, Lord of Whitfield Hall in Whitfield, Northumberland married heiress Isabel Vipont, who was widow of Roger de Clifford, 2nd Baron de Clifford. He is not dating anyone. produced, and/or arranged are "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," Son Richard Whitfield, and grandson, Ralph Whitfield, followed as owners of Whitfield Hall. Norman Whitfield was born on May 12, 1940 (age 67) in New York City, New York, United States. Wrote over 400 songs; produced Temptations biggest hits. In the mid-1970s, Mr. Whitfield left Motown to start his own label, Whitfield Records. Norman was raised in Harlem where he spent the majority of his spare time in pool halls. According to sources, it is estimated that the total amount of Norman Whitfields net worth, as of early 2017, would exceed the sum of $10 million, acquired by his prosperous career in the music industry which spanned almost 50 years. The Gladys Knight & the Pips' version was the best-selling Motown single so far, but it was surpassed a year later by Gaye's version. The song also became one of the most valuable copyrights owned by Motown, as it was covered by hundreds of artists, most notably Creedence Clearwater Revival, both on an edited single, and as an epic-length jam on their perennially popular LP Cosmo's Factory. JUMP TO: Norman Whitfields biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos and related celebs. Writer and producer of Motown classics like "War" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." A native of Harlem, New York, Whitfield spent most of his teen years in local pool halls. A native of Harlem, Whitfield In this deep excursion, Kenoly shares his musical roots and family; tells how he came into Whitfield's favor as a trusted studio partner; opens the book with stories about the height of Whitfield Records, especially the songs and the magic; recounts unforgettable memories about the production giant; reveals how that world came crumbling down in We connect brands with social media talent to create quality sponsored content. NORMAN WHITFIELD OBITUARY Norman Albert Whitfield SANDY RUN -Norman Albert Whitfield, 87, of Sandy Run passed away on April 2, 2015 at Lexington Medical Center. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has died. Miles' son, Robert Whitfield, left Cumberland and settled at Wadhurst in Sussex, where he became an ironmaster. Norman studied briefly at a technical school in Detroit before joining Thelma Records, a local label, when he was about 19. Whos the richest R&B Singer in the world. never heard any unreleased material from 'Hot Nights' a.A member of The Norman Whitfield family asked me if I would approach some distributors for the '911' album in Uk, there was interest, but then they went cool, I still like the album, one real classic ballad from Levi. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. People born under this sign are energetic and excitable. When it comes to his personal life, Norman Whitfield managed to keep it private he had five children but details of their mother(s) is lacking. "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972) was done first by the Undisputed Truth, before Whitfield rerecorded the song with the Temptations for a longer, more definitive (and massively successful) version. Where Are They Now: Undisputed Truth - WERS 88.9FM Norman Whitfield's net worth placed under house arrest. Perhaps it was a masterpiece. In 1969, Whitfield won three BMI Awards for the songs "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "I Wish It Would Rain," and "You're My Everything."[5]. In 1975, faced with reduced options at the recording company that had been his professional home for more than a decade, Whitfield left Motown to start his own label, Whitfield Records. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. Mr. Whitfield joined Motown in the early 1960s, when he was not much more than 20. They hate hypocrisy and gossip and can sometimes be a bit arrogant and impatient. All these accomplishments provided a significant boost to Norman Whitfields wealth. How old is Norman Whitfield: 68 years old Male. Norman Whitfield was born in the Year of the Dragon. Norman Whitfield - IMDb Norman Whitfield - Bio, Age, net worth, Wiki, Facts and Family - in4fp.com The 40s also brought us the Slinky, Velcro, Jeep, Tupperware and Frisbee. During the next 12 years til 1974, he produced all the groups material, including eight studio albums, and also wrote a dozen of their hit singles. Norman Whitfield - Trivia, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays At age 18 he wrote and produced songs for Detroit's Thelma Records. In the early 80s Norman started working Whitfield became the company's spark plug as music entered the psychedelic era, taking to the new sound, and especially the use of sound effects, more easily than most of the label's production personnel. Even when one of his songs was a hit, he would try the song in a different way, placing it with an artist who would take it in a distinctly different direction. What is Tiki Barber doing now? His first professional engagement came at his age of 19, when he began serving in Motown headquarters Hitsville U.S.A. in its quality control department. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. In the early 1980s, Whitfield began working as a producer for Motown again, helming the Temptations' 1983 hit single "Sail Away" and the soundtrack to The Last Dragon.[1]. After 1968, Whitfield turned towards darker and harder sound, blending funk and psychedelic rock.