Anna Gordy Gaye
| Anna Gordy Gaye | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Anna Ruby Gordy January 28, 1922 Oconee, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | January 31, 2014 (aged 92) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place |
Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S., Courts of Remembrance, Sanctuary of Enduring Protection, Private Family Room 34°08′59″N 118°19′13″W / 34.1496°N 118.3202°W |
| Occupation | Songwriter, composer, businessperson |
| Spouse(s) | Marvin Gaye (1963–77; divorced) |
| Children | Marvin Pentz Gaye III (adopted) |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives |
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| Musical career | |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, soul |
| Labels | Anna, Motown |
| Associated acts | Berry Gordy, Marvin Gaye, The Originals |
Anna Ruby Gaye (née Gordy; January 28, 1922 – January 31, 2014) was an American businesswoman, composer and songwriter. An elder sister of Motown founder Berry Gordy, she became a record executive in the mid-to-late 1950s distributing records released on Checker and Gone Records before forming the Anna label with Billy Davis and sister Gwen. Gordy later became known as a songwriter for several hits including the Originals' "Baby, I'm for Real", and at least two songs on Marvin Gaye's What's Going On album. The first wife of Gaye, their turbulent marriage later served as inspiration for Gaye's album, Here, My Dear.
Born Anna Ruby Gordy on January 28, 1922 in Oconee, Georgia, she was the third eldest of Berry Gordy Sr. (Berry Gordy II) and Bertha Ida (née Fuller) Gordy's eight children. Into her first year, Gordy's family relocated to Detroit. Following graduation from high school in 1940, Gordy relocated to California, which is where Gordy's younger brother Berry moved to after he dropped out of high school to form a boxing career. Returning to Detroit in the mid-1950s, she and younger sister Gwen became operators of the photo concession at Detroit's Flame Show Bar.
By the late 1950s, members of the Gordy clan were getting involved with the music business. In 1956, Anna began her career distributing records for Checker Records. In about 1957, she distributed a few recordings for Gone Records. In 1958, Anna and Gordy's younger sister Gwen founded the label Anna Records with musician Billy Davis, a year before Berry launched Tamla Records. Anna distributed Tamla's first national hit, Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)". Artists such as David Ruffin and Joe Tex also recorded for the label, and Marvin Gaye became a session musician with the company. After the label was absorbed as a subsidiary of Motown in 1961, Gordy joined Motown as a songwriter. Some of her early compositions were recorded by Gaye and Mary Wells. In 1965, Gordy co-wrote Stevie Wonder's "What Christmas Means to Me".
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