Black History:  Special Delivery!!

Sylvia Moy

Sylvia Moy 2006

Born in 1939, Sylvia Moy is a name you may not recognize. However, if you are a fan of the Motown sound, you are most certainly acquainted with her work! Moy was the first female producer at Motown Records. She is credited with writing or co-writing a number of chart topping hits for some of its most popular artists.

Moy was born and raised in Northeast Detroit with 8 brothers and sisters. While at Motown, she was a very influential figure. According to Berry Gordy, there was a time when he wanted to drop Stevie Wonder from the Motown label once his voice began to change. Moy persuaded Gordy not to drop him by agreeing to write a song that would better suite his voice. Some of Moy’s hits include “Uptight-Everything’s Alright” which she wrote for Stevie Wonder. His 1969 hit, “My Cherie Amour” was also produced by Moy. Moy also helped Stevie Wonder write, “I Was Made To Love Her” and “Never Had A Dream Come True”.

She also wrote music for the Isley Brothers and Marvin Gaye. In addition to writing hits for Motown Records, she also wrote several hit television themes including Blossom, The Wonder Years, and Growing Pains. She also created music for films like Dead Presidents, It Takes Two, and Mr. Holland’s Opus. Over the course of her career, she has been nominated for 6 Grammy awards. She is still active in music behind the scenes and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.