Early Motown Songwriter Dies at 87

Janie Bradford Hobbs, the songwriter who co-wrote Motown's first hit "Money (That's What I Want)" and helped shape the label's early sound, has died at the age of 87. Her family confirmed Saturday that she died August 21 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles following an extended illness.

Born in Charleston, Missouri, Bradford Hobbs moved to Detroit, where she was introduced to Motown founder Berry Gordy in the late 1950s by her neighbor, singer Jackie Wilson. She joined Motown as a receptionist in 1958, and, like many of the company's employees, became part of the creative process that helped turn the fledgling label into a music industry powerhouse.

A Legendary Songwriting Career

Bradford Hobbs and Gordy co-wrote "Money (That's What I Want)," which was first recorded by Barrett Strong in 1959 and became Motown's first hit single. The song was later covered by the Beatles, who included it on their 1963 album With the Beatles, and by the Rolling Stones on their first EP in 1964. The Hollywood Reporter noted that the song peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also covered by acts including the Flying Lizards, the Supremes, Boyz II Men, and Charli XCX.

Bradford Hobbs also co-wrote "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby," which was first recorded by the Temptations and later became a No. 4 Billboard Hot 100 hit for Marvin Gaye in 1969. Her credits included songs for Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas, and Mary Wells, including "Your Old Standby" and "Contract on Love." Other songs she co-wrote included "Your Old Standby," "I Am Me" for Diana Ross, and "Time Changes Things" and "We Should Be Closer Together" for the Supremes.

The Motown Museum recalled how Bradford Hobbs contributed a memorable verse to "Money (That's What I Want)": "One day, as Gordy was working on a song, Bradford joined him by the piano to add her own verse – 'your love gives me such a thrill, but your love don't pay my bills. Gimme some money baby!'", the museum said in a tribute.

Tributes from Berry Gordy

Motown founder Berry Gordy paid tribute to Bradford Hobbs in a statement, saying, "I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Janie Bradford Hobbs. Janie was there with me from the very beginning, before there was even a Motown, and she will always hold a very special place in my heart and in the Motown family."

Gordy continued: "Janie was smart, clever, witty, and fun. She was also talented and determined. In those early days, everybody did what was needed to be done, and Janie was no exception. She became Motown's first receptionist, but her talents quickly took her far beyond that desk."

He added, "Janie was one of a special group I have always thought of as the Original Motown Family—The Unsung Heroes who believed in the dream before anyone knew what Motown would become. She was one of the people who helped make Motown what it became."

Later Career and Legacy

After more than two decades at Motown, Bradford Hobbs served as head of Writer Relations for Jobete, the label's publishing company. After leaving Motown, she founded the annual Heroes and Legends Awards, which spanned about 30 years and honored music icons while awarding scholarships to students pursuing higher education, according to her family. The New York Post also reported that she founded Mountain Goat Music and opened the Music Notes Gift Shop in Beverly Hills.

Bradford Hobbs was recently inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame in June, her family noted.

She is survived by her husband, Wardean Hobbs; daughter, Nicole Hobbs; son, Lance Finney; and two grandsons. Funeral services have not been completed.

Perspectives

Berry Gordy – Motown founder Berry Gordy remembered Bradford Hobbs as a foundational figure, saying she was "there with me from the very beginning, before there was even a Motown" and praising her as one of the "unsung heroes" of the label's early days.