Barrett Strong

February 5, 1941 – January 28, 2023

The co-composer of some of the best-loved songs in popular music, Barrett Strong has died of undisclosed cause. He was 81 years old. Along with writing partner Norman Whitfeld, who passed in 2008, Strong wrote a string of timeless hits that include Money (That’s

What I Want), I Heard It Through

The Grapevine, Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone, War and Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home). Those and other Strong and Whitfield songs were recorded by The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Gladys Knight & The Pips and many more.

Berry Gordy, whose company

Motown Records handed the duo their big break, commented: “Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work.”

Strong was born in West Point, Mississippi, and later moved to Detroit, the home of Motown. After his name was removed from the credits for Money (That’s What I Want), Gordy claiming to have written the song himself, he spent years fighting the label for his share of the song’s royalties.

In 2013, Strong observed that his work would “outlive” him, adding: “Once you’re gone, those songs will still be playing.”