Berry Gordy speaks onstage during the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean"Diddy" Combs on Jan. 25, 2020 in Beverly Hills, Calif.has pledged $5 million to establish The UCLA Berry Gordy Music Industry Center. The center — launched in affiliation with The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music — will open during the 2024/2025 academic year.
“I’m thrilled to create a center that provides opportunities for students at UCLA to prepare for careers in the music industry,” said Gordy in a news release. “Music is powerful, inspiring, universal, crossing over political, cultural, social and economic barriers. It reaches ALL people and has been the guiding force in my life. These students will be the future innovators, artists, and executives that will lead us through the twenty-first century.
Under Gordy’s direction, Motown Records became one of the music industry’s most successful and influential independent record companies. Its legendary roster of hitmakers includes Smokey Robinson, The Miracles, Diana Ross, The Supremes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five, among a host of others.
“I’ve always known Berry as generous and gracious,” commented Robinson. “At the start of my career, I benefitted from Berry’s mentorship. He was always a teacher at heart. What I love about this center is that it is guided by his philosophy that truly great music comes from nurturing young talent and getting them to think holistically about their art and their careers.