Major Changes Ahead at the Motown Museum in 2019 & Beyond

“It will be an epicenter for all things that are Motown,” says Motown Museum CEO Robin Terry, who is spearheading the effort to raise $50-million to expand the museum.

New Motown Museum Rendering

Click the audio player above to hear the full conversation. CultureShift airs weekdays 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on 101.9 WDETFM Detroit public radio.

The Motown Museum will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the music label all year long in 2019.

The timing of the anniversary couldn’t be better.

The museum is currently trying to raise $50-million-dollars to expand the museum and their campus.

CultureShift’s Ryan Patrick Hooper spoke with Robin Terry—the chairwoman and CEO of the Motown Museum—to find out what’s next for this piece of Detroit music history.

Terry says the house that sits on Grand Boulevard was owned by Motown founder Berry Gordy and is where the legendary label got its start.

“When they outgrew that little house…Berry Gordy bought up homes, a total of eight, on West Grand Boulevard,” explains Terry.

“We have now secured all those homes and are preserving them and restoring them and then adding some new construction behind it. What you will end up with is an exceptional campus that is a celebration of Motown music. It will be an epicenter for all things that are Motown,” she adds.

Click on the audio player above to hear the CEO of the Motown Museum Robin Terry discuss the future of a crucial piece of Detroit music history. 

Author

  • Ryan Patrick Hooper inside the WDET studio.
    Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host of "In the Groove" on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. Hooper has covered stories for the New York Times, NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste magazine.