CHICAGO FIRE AIRS
LOCAL 4.
>>> DETROIT IS KNOWN FOR ITS
STARS WHETHER ON TV OR IN
THE MOVIES OR MAKING MUSIC
ON STAGE.
IN.
>> Tati: THAT'S RIGHT.
RECENTLY OUR PHOTO
JOURNALIST ALEX ATWELL
CAUGHT UP WITH ONE OF
DETROIT SPORT ICONS AND
LEARNED ABOUT HIS UNIQUELY
DETROIT STORY.
>> I'M NUMBER 20 DETROIT
LION FIRST 20 ON THE B
CATEGORY BARNEY, BILLY, AND
BARRY SANDER
I SANG WITH MARVIN GAYE ON
THE WHAT'S GOING ON ALBUM.
MEETING MAV I LEFT TRAINING
CAMP I WENT OUT BECAUSE THEY
PARK.
HE PLAYED A LOT AT PALMER
PARK.
>> YOU BRING SOME LOVING
HERE TODAY.
>> SO I SAID WHAT'S THE
CHANCE FOR ME TO GO OUT AND
MEET HIM.
AFTER MORNING PRACTICE WHERE
WE HAD OUR PRACTICE DOING
TRAINING CAMP.
I LUCKED IN CAME DOWN WOBURN
AVENUE RIGHT THERE ON THE
LEFT AS I TURNED.
IN I WENT IN AND ASKED THE
MANAGER IS MARVIN GAYE THEY
SAID NO, HE'S NOT PLAYING
TODAY, SIR.
BUT IF YOU GO DOWN ON 7 MILE
EAST SECOND BLOCK.
I HIT THE DOOR BELL AND IT'S
A CHIME AS I'M WAITING IT
STOPPED AND I WAS GETTING
READY TO HIT IT AGAIN.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THE DOOR
OPENS IT'S MARVIN.
MAN.
I SAID LOOK MR. GAYE, I SAID
I JUST COME BY TO TELL WHAT
YOU A GREAT MUSICIAN AND
ENTERTAINER I THINK YOU ARE.
ARE?
>> I SAID LEN BARNEY.
NOT THE GUY THAT PLAY IN THE
LIONS.
HE SAID NO, YOU TOO SMALL.
SMALL.
I JUST WANTED TO STOP BY TO
JUST TALK TO YOU.
I LOVE YOUR MUSIC AND I
THINK YOU'RE A GREAT, GREAT,
GREAT, GREAT SINGER, MANCH
HE SAID WELL, I LIKE THAT
MAN, I THINK YOU'RE A PRETTY
GOOD BALL PLAYER, TOO.
I SAW SOME OF YOUR
PRE-SEASON GAMES.
SO WE MUST HAVE TALKED ABOUT
AN HOUR AND A HALF ALL OF A
SUDDEN I LOOK AT MY WATCH I
GOT 35 MINUTES BEFORE THE
BE DONE.
I GOT TO LEAVE THERE AND GET
OUT TO CRANBROOK.
I MUST HAVE RAN EVERY RED
LIGHT WE EXCHANGED NUMBERS
FROM THERE WE MADE CONTACT
FROM TIME TO TIME.
MARVIN STARTED GOING TO THE
GAMES ON SUNDAY.
DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS FOR
DINNER WITH THE WIVES AND
THE TEAM.
MARVIN WOULD GO WITH US AND
SOMETIMES HE WOULD
ENTERTAIN.
ONE DAY WE WERE OVER AT
MARVIN'S AND HE WAS GOING
THROUGH WHAT HE WAS GETTING
READY TO RECORD.
LEN COME ON OVER.
WE WANT TO RECORD THIS.
I SAID OKAY, WE HAD BEEN
OVER THERE BEFORE WITH HIM
THERE WASN'T NO WE IN IT.
LEN YOU TAKE THIS PART.
NEIL YOU TAKE THIS PART.
RIGHT ON.
>> YOU GOING TO BE ON THE
RECORD.
RIGHT ON.
SO SAY BROTHER WHAT'S
HAPPENING, YEAH BROTHER LIKE
SOLID RIGHT O
IT CAME OUT TO BE A SMASH.
I DIDN'T THINK NOTHING WAS
GOING COME OUT OF IT.
US.
THEN RECEIVED A GOLD RECORD.
IT'S LIKE SUPER BOWL.
IT WAS A JOY FOR ME TO HAVE
MELT MARVIN AND THE
RELATIONSHIP THAT WE
ESTABLISHED WAS JUST LIKE A
DREAM COME TRUE.
I THINK I GOT -- BEST I DID
PROBOWLS.
ONE PLAYOFF IN MY 11 YEAR
CAREER.
ONE SINGING BACKGROUND I GOT
A GOLD RECOR
>> WHAT A GREAT STORY.
JOINING US IN STUDIO IS
ROBIN TERRY.
US.
>> WHAT A GREAT IT REALLY IS
TO BE ABLE TO PULL BACK THE
CURTAIN.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES
I HUGGED LEN BARNEY.
>> HE HAD THAT OPENING LINE.
SO COOL.
>> NOW THIS ALMOST DIDN'T
HAPPEN, RIGHT?
>> WHAT'S INTERESTING I
CALLED MY UNCLE BARRY GORDY
YESTERDAY I SAID I'M DOING
THIS INTERVIEW IT'S THE 45
YEAR INTERVIEW OF WHAT'S
GOING ON.
TELL ME WHAT YOU REMEMBER
ABOUT THAT RECORDING.
HE SAID HE SAID YOU KNOW I
REMEMBER MARVIN COMING TO ME
AND SAYING HE FELT DIVINELY
GUIDED TO DO THIS ALBUM THAT
HE HAD TO WRITE THIS SONG.
AND MY UNCLE WAS TRYING TO
TELL HIM NO, YOU DON'T
NEED TO DO THIS IT'S NOT
GOOD FOR YOUR CAREER YOU'RE
MAKING GREAT SONGS WITH
GIRLS AND LOVE SONGS, WHERE
PROTEST MUSIC.
MARVIN SAID THIS IS JUST
REALLY IMPORTANT AND MY
BROTHER SAID I HAVE TO DO.
I WANT TO AWAKEN MANKIND.
I WANT TO AWAKEN THE MINDS
OF MANKIND.
WHEN HE SAID THAT TO BARRY
GORDY HE SAID YOU'VE GOT TO
DO THIS.
>> Chuck: ISN'T IT GREAT.
THIS IS A MOVIE.
>> IT'S A GREAT STORY ABOUT
A POWERFUL SONG AND LEN
BARNEY BEING APART OF IT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE NEVER
BEEN TO HITSVILLE U.S.A..
>> NO, YOU'RE RIGHT.
THERE'S SORT OF A FLIP SIDE
TO IT.
WE GET PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER
THE WORLD WHERE WE ARE
ENJOYING THE RECORD-BREAKING
ATTENDANCE.
BUT OUR DETROITERS YOU'RE
RIGHT IT'S USUALLY SOMEBODY
WHO COMES FROM OUT OF TOWN
FIRST PLACE THEY WANT TO GO
IS HITSVILLE.
BUSVILLE.
>> THIS WHOLE RENAISSANCE
THE DETROIT EXPERIENCE HAS
REALLY MADE DETROITERS IT'S
SORT OF BROUGHT THIS UNIQUE
INTEREST IN THIS UNIQUE
TREASURE WE HAVE IN OUR
BACKYARD.
>> Tati: TELL US ABOUT THE
EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING AT
HITSVILLE U.S.A..
>> IT'S AN EXCITING TIME
PROGRAMMING.
YOU HAVE BEEN VERY
SUPPORTIVE OF OUR POETRY
SERIES MOTOWN MIC WHICH HAS
BROUGHT SOME OF THE
MICHIGANDERS ACROSS THE
STATE TOGETHER TO COMPETE AT
HITSVILLE.
THEY WILL BE PARTICIPATING
IN THEIR GRAND FINALE ON
JUNE 24th AT THE GARDEN
THEATRE.
ARTISTS.
PIECES THAT ARE INSPIRED BY
MOTOWN AND THEY'RE COMPETING
ON THE 24th JUNE.
>> Chuck: THAT'S SO COOL.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S
ANY PLACE THAT I'VE SEEN A
GREAT PLACES THAT HAVE
REALLY BEEN ABLE TO CAPTURE
BE NEW AGAIN.
BECAUSE YOU WALK AROUND
THERE'S A GEE-WHIZ FACTOR IN
EVERY SINGLE DISPLAY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE WORK HARD EVERY DAY TO
CREATE PROGRAMMING THAT
CONTINUES TO MAKE IT
GENERATION.
OUR SUMMER CAMP IN AUGUST IS
WITH HIGH SCHOOL KIDS WHO
ARE PERFORMING ARTS STUDENTS
BUT NEED TO LEARN ABOUT
BUSINESS.
THERE'S SO MANY VALUES AND
WONDERFUL LESSONS THEY CAN
LEARN FROM THE WAY THAT
MARVIN GAYE AND THE OTHER
GREAT ARTISTS WHO CAME FROM
MOTOWN THE WAY THAT THEY
BUILT THEIR CAREERS TO BE
ICONIC NOT JUST POPULAR.
>> Chuck: HOW CAN PEOPLE
HELP MOTOWN MUSIC.
>> OH, WOW.
YOU CAN HELP THIS IS THE
MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
FOLKS HAVE JOINED ACROSS THE
GLOBE.
SO WE ENCOURAGE OUR
DETROITERS EVERYBODY FANS OF
MEMBERSHIP.
YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE
UP.
AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU
KNOW A WHOLE YEAR OF
BENEFITS AND ACCESS TO
HITSVILLE.
>> Chuck: UNCLE BARRY GORDY
WHEN I CALLED HIM UP IF HE
NEEDS ANYBODY ELSE FOR
BACKUP EVEN IF IT'S A DEMO
JUST LET ME KNOW.
>> THAT'S HOW IT WORKS,
>> Tati: YOU HAVE A COAT