b. 5 February 1941, Westpoint, Mississippi, USA. The cousin of two members of the R&B vocal group the Diablos, Barrett Strong launched his own singing career with Berry Gordy's fledgling Tamla label in 1959. At the end of that year, he recorded the original version of Gordy's song "Money (That's What I Want)", a major US hit that became a rock standard after it was covered by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Strong also wrote Eddie Holland's US hit "Jamie" in 1961. Later that year, Strong briefly joined Vee Jay Records, but he returned to the Motown Records stable in the early 60s to work as a writer and producer. He established a partnership with Norman Whitfield from 1966-73; together, the pair masterminded a series of hits by the Temptations, with Strong contributing the powerful lyrics to classics such as "Cloud Nine", "Just My Imagination" and "Papa Was A Rolling Stone".

Listen to Barrett Strong at Finetune.

• (2003)  20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of Barrett Strong

• Money (That's What I Want)
• War
• Papa Was A Rolling Stone
• Do You Love Me
• Dancing In The Street

• The Supremes
• Marvin Gaye
• Aretha Franklin
• Stevie Wonder
• Edwin Starr
• The Temptations
• Four Tops
• James Brown
• The Isley Brothers
• Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
• Michael Jackson
• Diana Ross & The Supremes
• Commodores
• The Miracles
• Mary Wells
• Al Green
• The Spinners
• Gladys Knight & The Pips
• The Jackson 5
• The Marvelettes

• pkjm
• Bassman200