Janie Bradford, Pioneering Motown Songwriter Behind ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’, Passes Away at 87

Janie Bradford, the pioneering Motown songwriter and co-writer of the landmark hit “Money (That’s What I Want),” has passed away at the age of 87.

Her family confirmed the news, announcing that she passed away at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles on August 21, following an extended illness.

Motown founder Berry Gordy paid tribute to her in a statement, noting, “Janie was there with me from the very beginning, before there was even a Motown.”

“Janie was smart, clever, witty, and fun. She was also incredibly talented and determined. In those early days, everybody did what was needed to keep the company running, and Janie was no exception. She became Motown’s first receptionist, but her creative talents quickly took her far beyond the desk,” he added.

Born in Charleston, Missouri, in 1939, Bradford later moved to Detroit, where her neighbor, the legendary singer Jackie Wilson, introduced her to Gordy. Wilson had already recorded several hits penned by Gordy, including “Reet Petite” and “Lonely Teardrops.”

Bradford began working with Gordy in 1958, prior to the official founding of the Motown label. While working as a secretary, she quickly became integral to the company’s creative process.

While Gordy was developing “Money (That’s What I Want)” at the piano in 1958, Bradford helped complete the iconic song by contributing an additional verse. The finished composition was recorded by Barrett Strong and went on to become Motown’s first breakthrough hit single.

The song later reached a wider audience thanks to a cover version by The Beatles, which appeared as the closing track on their 1963 album “With the Beatles,” as well as a version recorded by The Rolling Stones on their debut EP in 1964.

Bradford went on to co-write several other hit songs, including “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby” alongside Strong and Norman Whitfield. The song was first recorded by The Temptations in 1966, before Marvin Gaye scored a major hit with it three years later.

She also received songwriting credits on other notable tracks, including Mary Wells’ “Your Old Standby,” Stevie Wonder’s “Contract On Love,” The Supremes’ “Time Changes Things,” Diana Ross’ “I Am Me,” and The Marvelettes’ “All The Love I’ve Got.”

After leaving Motown, Bradford founded the Heroes And Legends Awards, which established a scholarship fund in the 1990s to honor figures from the music industry and support young people pursuing careers in the performing arts. Earlier this year, she was also inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

She is survived by her husband, Wardean Hobbs, her daughter, Nicole Hobbs, her son, Lance Finney, and two grandsons.

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