Hitsville U.S.A.
Encyclopedia : H : HI : HIT : Hitsville U.S.A.
"Hitsville U.S.A." was the nickname given to Motown Records' first headquarters. Located at 2648 West Grand Blvd. in Detroit, Michigan, Hitsville U.S.A., formerly a photographers' studio, was purchased by Motown founder Berry Gordy in 1959, and converted into both the record label's administrative building and recording studio, which was open 22 hours a day (closing from 8 AM to 10 AM every morning for maintenance).
All of the early Motown hits by artists such as Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas and The Four Tops, among others, were recorded in the studio at Hitsville, located in the back of the property. In the mid-1960s, the property at 2644 West Grand became an annex to the Hitsville building, and the Golden World Studio was purchased as a secondary studio. By 1968, Motown was successful enough to move its main operations to the Donovan building on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit (the Donovan Motown building was torn down in January of 2006), and the company eventually relocated to the Los Angeles area by 1972.
The Hitsville U.S.A. building is today the site of the Motown Historical Museum, dedicated to the legacy of the record label, its artists, and its music.
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