THE
PASSENGER WAS TAKEN INTO
CUSTODY.
>>> WE
ARE JUST OVER TWO WEEKS
AWAY FROM THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE
1967 DETROIT RIOTS.
WE'VE BEEN
LOOKING BACK SO WE CAN LOOK
FORWARD WITH A SERIES OF STORIES
FOCUSING ON THE PROGRESS MADE
AND THE WORK STILL BEING DONE IN
THE CITY.
>> DAVE
LEWALLEN IS HERE WITH
HOW THE VIOLENCE IN THE STREETS
IMPACTED WHAT WE'RE KNOWN FOR
HERE.
>> MUSIC.
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
MOTOWN WAS STILL CRANKING OUT
THE HITS IN 1967.
FIVE YEARS
AFTER THE RIOTS, FOUNDER BARRY
GORDIE MADE THE DIFFICULT
DECISION TO MOVE THE MUSIC WEST
TO LOS ANGELES.
♪ ♪ [ MUSIC ] ♪ ♪
>> Reporter: FOR
TEMPTATIONS
FANS, AN UNMISTAKABLE BEGINNING
TO A CLASSIC SONG.
THE
OPENING NOTES AND CHORDS FROM
DENNIS ON JUST MY IMAGINATION IS
ONE OF HIS MANY CONTRIBUTIONS AS
A MEMBER OF THE FUNK BROTHERS.
♪ ♪ [ MUSIC ] ♪ ♪
>> Reporter: THE RHYTHM SECTION
BACKED SO MANY OF MOTOWN'S
MONSTER HITS OF THE 1960s AND
EARLY '70s.
>> I LOOK AT FUNK BROTHERS AS
THE BEST STUDIO BAND IN THE
WORLD.
AND YOU CAN JUDGE THAT BY
THE AMOUNT OF HIT RECORDS THAT
WE DID.
AND WE USUALLY DID THREE
SONGS EVERY THREE HOURS.
AND
MADE THEM HIT RECORD
>> Reporter: NOT
SURPRISINGLY
HE WAS INSIDE A RECORDING STUDIO
IN JULY, 1967, AS THE CITY
STARTED BURNING.
>> WE GOT ONE OF OUR GUYS TO GO
STAND OUTSIDE THE STUDIO AND
WATCH THE FLAMES WHILE WE
FINISHED THE SESSION HOPING THAT
THEY WEREN'T MOVING THAT FAST.
AND WE COULD GET DONE.
SO THE
GUY IS WATCHING THE FLAMES, AND
IT WAS CREEPING UP AND CREEPING
UP, AND WE GOT OUR TAPES,
FINISHED THE SESSION AND WE GOT
OUT OF THERE.
>> Reporter: NOW 76, DENNIS HAS
NEVER STOPPED WORKING AND
PERFORMING IN DETROIT.
>> THINGS
HAVE CHANGED.
BUT NOW
THEY'RE CHANGING BACK THE OTHER
WAY.
DID THAT EVENT CREATE THAT?
IT MAY HAVE.
BUT THAT IS SUCH A
COMPLEX ISSUE.
I DON'T THINK
IT'S A SIMPLE ANSWER.
>> Reporter: KEN COLEMAN IS A
HISTORIAN WHO CHRONICLES BLACK
LIFE IN DETROIT.
>> THIS IS HITSVILLE USA.
IT'S
ONLY ABOUT A HALF MILE AWAY FRO
THE EPICENTER OF THE REBELLION.
>> Reporter: WE MET IN THE
MUSEUM TO DISCUSS THE IMPACT OF
THE REBELLION ON THE ARTS IN
DETROIT, AND SPECIFICALLY MUSI
>> WE
IT TALK ABOUT A NUMBER OF
MOTOWN ARTISTS THAT GREW UP IN
DETROIT, ATTENDED DETROIT PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, AND GOT A CHANCE TO
PLAY AN INSTRUMENT.
OR TO SING
A VOCAL CHOIR.
THOSE WERE
ROBUST.
DIANA ROSS, AND SMOKY
ROBINSON, AND ARETHA FRANKLIN,
ALL TYPES OF ARTIST COME OUT OF
NORTHWESTERN HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY
GREW UP IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> Reporter: THE NEIGHBORHOOD
CHANGED AFTER THE RIOTS, AND SO
TOO DID SOME OF THE MUSIC COMING
OUT OF MOTOWN.
>> THE
67-REBELLION I THINK
INFLUENCED PEOPLE LIKE MARVIN
GAY AND STEVIE WONDER AND OTHERS
TO WRITE MUSIC THAT MIGHT AT THE
TIME HAVE BEEN CALLED PROTEST
MUSIC BUT IT WAS A RESPONSE TO
THE ENVIRONMENT THAT HAD -- THAT
REALLY HAD AN EFFECT ON THEM FOR
MAY BE YEARS.
>> THOSE SONGS MORE REFLECTIVE
OF THE TOWN, AND A DIFFERENT
SOUND THAN THE EARLIER MOTOWN
HITS, THIS MUSIC ALSO RESONATED
WITH THE AUDIENCE.
ONE OF THE
THINGS KEN COLEMAN MENTIONED
ABOUT THE ROBUST MUSIC PROGRAMS
IN THE DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOO
DURING THAT TIME, SAD THAT'S
GONE TODAY
AND THAT'S A HUGE
LOSS.
>> THERE ARE NEIGHBOR,
BUILDINGS THAT DONE SURVIVE.
AND
HERE WE ARE 50 YEARS LATER.
BUT
THE MUSIC HAS LIVED ON.
THANK