Bertha Barbee McNeal, whose Motown group The Velvelettes had hits with“Needle in a Haystack” and “(He Was) Really Saying Something,” died Thursday in hospice in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She was 82 and had colon cancer.
McNeal and The Velvelettes hit “He Was Really Saying Something” was covered by the British group Bananarama, and The Velvelettes were cited by singer Amy Winehouse as a major influence.
“She was an angel. I’ve lost my dearest friend,” said Cal Gill Street, lead singer for The Velvelettes, to the Detroit News. “She was the group historian, and the glue that kept us together.”
In a statement, the Motown Historical Museum lauded McNeal as “a community leader and educator. … Bertha’s passion was to inspire young girls, particularly the next generation of female talent. She was a faithful supporter of the Motown Museum and participated in many museum events including Hitsville Honors in 2019 and the...
McNeal and The Velvelettes hit “He Was Really Saying Something” was covered by the British group Bananarama, and The Velvelettes were cited by singer Amy Winehouse as a major influence.
“She was an angel. I’ve lost my dearest friend,” said Cal Gill Street, lead singer for The Velvelettes, to the Detroit News. “She was the group historian, and the glue that kept us together.”
In a statement, the Motown Historical Museum lauded McNeal as “a community leader and educator. … Bertha’s passion was to inspire young girls, particularly the next generation of female talent. She was a faithful supporter of the Motown Museum and participated in many museum events including Hitsville Honors in 2019 and the...
- 12/19/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Joe Messina, the prolific guitarist whose work with the Funk Brothers can be heard on an array of Motown classics, died Monday, April 4, the Detroit Free Press reports. He was 93.
Messina died at his home in Northville, Michigan after a lengthy battle with kidney disease. Despite his long illness, Messina’s son, Joel, said his father had not only been living on his own up until a month ago, but he was still frequently inviting fellow musicians over to jam.
“As one of the original Funk Brothers, Joe Messina leaves...
Messina died at his home in Northville, Michigan after a lengthy battle with kidney disease. Despite his long illness, Messina’s son, Joel, said his father had not only been living on his own up until a month ago, but he was still frequently inviting fellow musicians over to jam.
“As one of the original Funk Brothers, Joe Messina leaves...
- 4/5/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
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