Rockwell

Genres:	R&B / Soul
Descriptive "tags":	80s • pop • drum and bass • electronic • dance • disco
Decades Active:	1980s

Biography

Kenneth Gordy, 15 March 1964, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Gordy was the son of Berry Gordy, the head of Motown Records. Nepotism was not an immediate factor in his career, as he was signed to Motown as a soloist without his father’s knowledge. Using the name of his school band, Rockwell made his debut in 1984 with the eerie funk song ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’, which featured backing vocals by Michael and Jermaine Jackson. Only after the record reached number 2 in the US charts was Rockwell’s identity revealed, as he was determined that his music should be judged on its merits, not his parentage. His second single, ‘Obscene Phone Caller’, was another Top 40 hit, but ‘He’s A Cobra’ in 1985 failed to breach the Top 100, despite a cameo appearance by Stevie Wonder. Subsequent recordings demonstrated the limitations of his synth-based arrangements and inflexible vocals.

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