Janie Bradford, a songwriter and music industry figure who died at age 87, played a formative role in Motown Records’ early development. While working as a receptionist at the label in 1959, the poetry-loving teenager provided lyrics to Berry Gordy Jr. for the song Money (That’s What I Want), contributing the couplet “Your love gives me such a thrill / But your love don’t pay my bills.” The track became the first recording made at Motown’s Detroit studios, known as Hitsville USA, and was performed by 18-year-old Barrett Strong. Released in August 1959, it reached the top of the R&B charts and climbed to number 23 on the pop charts, earning Bradford recognition through a shared songwriting credit.
The song gained additional prominence when British rock groups embraced it during the early 1960s. The Beatles included it on their second album in 1963, and the Rolling Stones released a version, generating publishing royalties that significantly benefited Bradford. She went on to co-write several additional compositions for Motown artists, including Too Busy Thinking About My Baby, which was later recorded as a hit by Marvin Gaye. According to Smokey Robinson of the Miracles, Bradford was one of Motown’s original six staff members.
Born in Charleston, Missouri, Bradford relocated to Detroit as a child during the Great Migration. Beyond her songwriting contributions, she took on various responsibilities within the company. In 1961, she compiled a list of potential names for a young vocal group, suggesting the name that would become the Supremes. She also collaborated with songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland on compositions for various artists.
When Gordy relocated Motown to Los Angeles in 1970, Bradford moved with the company and worked as a liaison for contracted songwriters. She departed the label at the end of that decade after two decades of involvement. In the early 1980s, Diana Ross recorded one of her compositions as a B-side to the hit Muscles, generating income during a difficult period. Bradford subsequently established the annual Heroes and Legends awards to honor music industry figures and fund educational scholarships. She is survived by her husband Wardean Hobbs, whom she married in 1971, along with a son, daughter, and two grandchildren.
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