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Music mogulBerry Gordyis known as the father of Motown, but he’s alsoa father to eight children.
His eldest child, Hazel, was born in 1954. Nearly 20 years later, his youngest, Stefan, was born.
“I consider all of the wonderful Motown artists as my children,” he said in an interview withLas Vegas Black Imagemagazine. “Raising my biological children was a little more complicated, because I was working with the artists all the time. Nevertheless, my children would travel with me to different places, and the same philosophy I would teach the artists at Motown, I would teach my own children.”
During his marriage to Singleton, which lasted from 1960 to 1964, the famed record producer welcomed two more children: daughter Sherry, 60, born to songwriter Jeana Jackson, and son Kennedy William, 59, born to Margaret Norton.
Shortly after, Berry signedDiana Rossto Motown and the two dated from 1965 to 1970. She gave birth to their daughter,Rhonda Ross, 51, in 1971. In 1975, Berry welcomed his eighth child, Stefan “Redfoo” Kendal, 47, with Nancy Leiviska.
Speaking withLas Vegas Black Image,Berry shared the philosophy he passed on to his kids. “True happiness comes from being truly proud of yourself for the accomplishments you make,” he said. “My dreams are my dreams, and my children can learn from my experiences — but I want them to reach their own goals and make their dreams become realities.”
The Motown founder is notoriously private when it comes to his personal life, but his impact on music has kept him in the spotlight.
Here’s everything to know about Berry Gordy’s eight children.
Hazel Joy Gordy, 68
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Prior to founding Motown, Berry served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Upon returning home, he married Thelma Coleman Gordy, and the two welcomed their first child together the next year. Hazel Joy Gordy was born in August 1954 in Detroit.
Hazel worked as a model and spent time at her father’s record label, where she metJermaine Jacksonof the Jackson 5. They were both 15 years old. The pair eventually tied the knot on Dec. 15, 1973, when they were 19.
“We were able to grow up together,” Hazel later told PEOPLE in 1980. “So we haven’t had any problems.”
Hazel and Jermaine divorced in 1988. The former couple share three children: Jermaine Jackson Jr., born in 1977; Autumn Joi Jackson, born in 1978; and Jaimy Jermaine Jackson, born in 1987. Hazel became a grandmother in 2017 when Jermaine Jr.welcomed a son, Soltan Jackson, with his longtime girlfriendAsa Soltan Rahmati.
Berry Gordy IV, 67
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Berry and Thelma welcomed their first son, Berry Gordy IV, in October 1955. While Berry IV has mostly remained out of the spotlight, his children have followed in their grandfather’s footsteps.
Terry James Gordy, 66
Terry James Gordy was born in August 1956 to Berry and Thelma. He grew up in Beverly Hills, California, with his two older siblings.
He met his wife, entertainment lawyer Desiree Thomas Gordy, when they were both students at Beverly Hills High School, according to Desiree’s bio atDakia Global. Aside from that, not much is known about Terry. Of all the Gordy children, Terry has maintained the most privacy.
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In 1959, Berry founded Tamla Records, which later became Motown. That same year, he welcomed a son with Raynoma Mayberry Liles (later Raynoma Singleton), whom he married in 1960. They divorced in 1964.
Medina eventually moved into the Gordys' Bel-Air home. His life story — he was born and raised in west Philadelphia — was the loose basis forThe Fresh Prince of Bel-AirandWill Smith’s character; Kerry was partially the inspiration forAlfonso Ribeiro’s character Carlton Banks, as he toldThe Marshall Project.
Kerry added that his lineage comes with “certain stigmas attached,” namely with funding — people assume Berry is financially backing his projects.
He and his wife, Karen Longley Gordy, have one daughter, Juliet Gordy, a model and actress born in 2000.
Sherry Jackson Gordy, 60
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Sherry Jackson Gordy was born in Detroit in May 1963 to Berry and songwriter Jeana Jackson. She grew up in California with her siblings.
“My father’s love is the cornerstone of my success,” she said in an interview withLas Vegas Black Image.“His love lets me know that he will always be there for me. His leadership impacts my life and shows me that, as his daughter, those same skills lie within me.”
In 2004, she created theSherry Jackson Foundationto help underprivileged youth with educational goals and employment opportunities. She is also a CEO, producer and real estate entrepreneur.
As for her personal life, she is a wife and mother. In 2019, she married Dexter Jasper. Sheshared a snapshoton Instagram of her dancing with Berry on her wedding day and wrote, “Our #fatherdaughter dance was a hit!”
Kennedy William Gordy, 59
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In March 1964, Berry welcomed his fourth son, Kennedy William Gordy, with then-girlfriend Margaret Norton.
Kennedy is a singer who performs under the name Rockwell. He’s best known for his 1984 hit single “Somebody’s Watching Me” featuring Jermaine andMichael Jackson. Despite his family ties, Kennedy didn’t tell anyone who his father was while trying to score a record deal. He would even sometimes use a British accent in interviews. “I didn’t want anybody to know or people to take the credit away from me,” he toldRolling Stone.
In the same interview, he said that although his father didn’t help him get a record deal — at one point, he even rejected his son’s demo — Berry was still proud of him.
“All of a sudden, ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ comes on and my father goes ‘Aw, man, you did it! You did it, man!’ He was so excited,” Kennedy recalled. “That was a really great bonding moment for us.”
Rhonda Ross Kendrick, 51
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After signing Diana Ross to Motown, Berry began a romantic relationship with the singer. Their relationship lasted from 1965 to 1970 and resulted in a child.
Speaking to theNew York Postin 2015, Rhonda said that learning about her father was more a relief than a surprise. “The bottom line was, I just looked like [Berry], and my sisters looked just like their father, a 6-foot-tall Jewish American man,” she told the outlet.
Like her parents, Rhonda works in the entertainment industry as a singer and actress. She married jazz musician Rodney Kendrick in 1996. The two have one son,Raif-Henok Emmanuel Kendrick, who was born in 2009.
Stefan Kendal Gordy, 47
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In September 1975, Berry welcomed his eighth child, Stefan Kendal Gordy, with his then-girlfriend Nancy Leiviska. The pair broke up shortly after Stefan’s birth.
In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter,Berry praised his son and grandson.
“I am so proud of the way they are as people,” he said. “Their goal is to make people happy. At a time like now, people need what they give — love, happiness, a party — and they’re doing it better than anybody I’ve seen in a long time … They’re making the world a better place.”
Although the pair disbanded in 2012, LMFAO lives on with their hit songs “Party Rock Anthem” and “Sexy and I Know It.” Most recently, Redfooappeared on season 20of ABC’sDancing with the Stars.
source: people.com
