American record producer Berry Gordy Jr., founder of the Motown record label, with his sister Esther Gordy Edwards, UK, 10th October 1964. Edwards is a key executive at Motown. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
While much of the conversation celebrates the artists, there’s one name that quietly anchors every single story: Berry Gordy. And as Mason and Devon point out, you can’t talk about the Jackson 5—or Detroit music at all—without talking about Motown’s mastermind.
“Berry wasn’t just a label owner,” Mason says. “He was a visionary. He built the system that made the Jacksons possible.”
Gordy’s model was more than music. It was an assembly line of excellence, inspired by Detroit’s auto industry. He handpicked artists, molded their images, oversaw their sound, and developed them into global stars. He believed in structure, discipline, and packaging talent for mass appeal.
“He knew how to polish rough diamonds. And the Jackson 5? They were diamonds.”
Mason recalls how Gordy didn’t just sign the Jacksons—he protected Michael. He knew the kid had something unique, and he was determined to shape it, even as the brothers began to chafe under Motown’s tight grip.
“There’s a reason Michael called Berry a father figure,” Mason says. “Because Berry believed in him like a parent—sometimes too much, sometimes not enough—but always there.”
Berry Gordy also understood media. He orchestrated Diana Ross’s “introduction” of the Jacksons. He staged television specials. He made sure the Jackson 5’s first impression was flawless.
“He was playing chess while everyone else was still learning checkers.”
Even when the Jacksons left, Gordy’s imprint stayed. The lessons. The training. The sound. It was all Motown DNA—and it carried Michael into superstardom.
“You don’t get Thriller without ABC. You don’t get Bad without I Want You Back. And you don’t get any of that without Berry.”
So while Mason’s Mix celebrates the legends, it’s clear who the architect was.
“Berry Gordy didn’t just build a label. He built a legacy.”
