Motown Giants Mark 50 Years of Music

Musical legends gathered today at Hitsville, USA—Motown Records' original headquarters—to celebrate the Detroit label's 50th anniversary, Billboard reports. The Four Tops' Abdul "Duke" Fakir was joined by musicians from bands such as the Miracles and Martha & the Vandellas to pay tribute to Barry Gordy, who started the label on an $800 loan.

"He had the whole vision, and he made it come true," Fakir said. The merriment will continue this year for Motown fans, who can expect a feature-film documentary, a series of DVDs, and archival album releases. "God bless the dream," said Ivy Joe Hunter in closing today's festivities. "God bless the dreamer. God bless the result."
(More Motown stories.)