Honoring a Motown Legend
Motown Songwriting Legend Janie Bradford Hobbs Dies in Los Angeles at 87
Janie Bradford Hobbs, an early Motown songwriter who co-wrote hits including "Money (That's What I Want)" and "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby," has died at age 87 following an extended illness at a Los Angeles hospital AP News. Bradford joined the fledgling Motown operation in 1958 as one of its first creative forces and later became head of writer relations at Jobete, Motown's publishing company.
From Receptionist to Motown's First Female Songwriter
Bradford was introduced to Motown founder Berry Gordy in the late 1950s by their mutual neighbor, singer Jackie Wilson Brandon Sun. She joined the company in 1958 as its first receptionist but quickly became one of its core creative voices. Berry Gordy released a tribute stating, "Janie was there with me from the very beginning, and she will always hold a very special place in my heart."
Bradford co-wrote "Money (That's What I Want)" with Gordy in August 1959. The song, recorded by Barrett Strong, became Motown's first major national hit after the company's 1960 incorporation. It peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ranks number 288 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time WBAL. Bradford also helped name The Supremes in January 1961.
Collaborations With Motown's Greatest Artists
Beyond her work with Marvin Gaye on "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby," Bradford wrote and collaborated with some of Motown's biggest stars Winnipeg Free Press. She worked with Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Martha & The Vandellas, and Mary Wells across her career spanning more than 25 years at the label. Her songs became blueprints for the Motown sound that transformed popular music.
As director of writer relations at Jobete Publishing, Bradford became a quiet mentor and professional anchor for young Black artists navigating a highly exploitative industry Oskaloosa News. Her administrative role masked her massive creative output. Music historians now recognize her as one of Motown's "invisible architects" whose structural contributions were overshadowed by corporate framing that emphasized her secretarial duties.
The HAL Awards and Late-Career Legacy
After leaving Motown following more than 25 years with the company, Bradford founded the Heroes and Legends (HAL) Awards, which ran for approximately 30 years LMT Online. The awards focused on funding performing arts scholarships for underprivileged youth. Bradford's family emphasized that transitioning the HAL Awards remains a priority to ensure the program's continuation.
Her death underscores the urgency of preserving the stories of Motown's early female executives Houston Chronicle. The R&B Hall of Fame lamented the loss of one of the "largely unsung architects of the early Motown sound." With Bradford's passing, the music community loses one of the last living links to Motown's pre-incorporation era and its foundational creative vision.
Sentiment
NeutralPublishers
27
Articles
26
Reach
27
