Barrett Strong wrote hit songs for such Motown artists as the Temptations, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye. As a performing artist, he had only one hit: "Money (That's What I Want)," which is the featured song in this tribute. The Beatles covered it early in their career.
This is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them.
To hear "Money (That's What I Want)," please go to YouTube. Strong may not be a household name, but take a look at the comments below the video. They're wonderful, and they really speak to Strong's impact on listeners' lives.
Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on the Song of the Day subscriber list, emailshzoldan@comcast.netwith the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
In this episode's chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.
Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love.
This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.
