Janie Bradford, Motown songwriter of 'Money (That's What I Want)', dies at 87

Janie Bradford, the Motown songwriter who co-wrote the label's first hit single "Money (That's What I Want)" and penned classics for Marvin Gaye and other artists, has died at the age of 87. Her family announced her passing on Saturday, August 22, stating she died on Friday, August 21, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following an extended illness.

Motown founder Berry Gordy, who worked closely with Bradford from the company's inception, expressed his sadness in a statement. "Janie 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. He described her as "smart, clever, witty, and fun," and credited her determination and talents for helping build the music empire.

Born on June 2, 1939, in Charleston, Missouri, Bradford moved to Detroit and became friends with singer Jackie Wilson. Wilson introduced her to Gordy, then a songwriter, in the late 1950s. Gordy hired her as Motown's first receptionist in 1958, but her role quickly expanded into the creative process. In 1959, she and Gordy co-wrote "Money (That's What I Want)," a song that became Motown's...