By Corey Williams
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES – Motown songwriter Janie Bradford Hobbs, who co-wrote hits including “Money (That’s What I Want)” and “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,” has died following an extended illness at a local hospital, her family announced. She was 87.
Born in Charleston, Missouri, Bradford Hobbs later moved to Detroit and was introduced in the late 1950s to Motown founder Berry Gordy by neighbor and singer Jackie Wilson. She joined Motown as a receptionist in 1958 and — like many of the company’s employees — took part in the creative process that helped make Motown a music industry powerhouse.
She and Gordy co-wrote “Money (That’s What I Want),” which many consider Motown’s first big hit. The song was recorded in 1959 by Barrett Strong and later was covered by the Beatles and also became one of that group’s hits.
“Too Busy Thinking About My Baby” first was recorded by the Temptations and later became a hit for Motown superstar Marvin Gaye. Bradford Hobbs also wrote songs for Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas and others.
“Janie was there with me from the very beginning, before there was even a Motown, and she will always hold a very special place in my heart and in the Motown family,” Gordy said in a statement.
“Janie was one of a special group I have always thought of as the original Motown family — the unsung heroes who believed in the dream before anyone knew what Motown would become,” Gordy continued. “She was one of the people who helped make Motown what it became.”
Bradford Hobbs later became head of Writer Relations for Jobete, Motown’s publishing company. After leaving Motown, she founded the annual Heroes and Legends Awards. The event spanned about 30 years, honoring music icons and awarding scholarships, according to her family.
She is survived by her husband, Wardean Hobbs; daughter, Nicole Hobbs; son, Lance Finney; and two grandsons. Memorial services have yet to be planned.
Corey Williams writes for the Associated Press.
