
Harvey Fuqua … singer, songwriter, record producer record label executive, talent scout … contributor to the history of Rock n’ Roll, Rhythm n’ Blues and Soul music! Harvey was the founder of the R&B/DooWop group the Moonglows, he was married to Berry Gordy’s sister Gwen Gordy who owned Anna Records and part of the early days of Motown, his uncle was a member of the Ink Spots (Charlie Fuqua). Harvey formed a singing group in Louisville, Kentucky with Bobby Lester, Alexander Graves and Prentis Barnes calling themselves the Crazy Sounds but later moved to Cleveland, Ohio and worked under the wing of Disc Jockey Alan Freed who renamed them the Moonglows, after his own nickname, Moondog. They first recorded for Alan Freed’s Champagne record label in 1953, and then for the Chance Record label in Chicago, and then signed with Chess records in 1954. In 1957 he fired the original members of the Moonglows and replaced them with a new group called the Marquees, which included a young Marvin Gaye. The New group was called Harvey and the Moonglows. Leonard Chess suggested that Harvey join Anna Records in Detroit working with Anna Gordy, Billy Davis, Lamont Dozier and Johnny Bristol. He married Anna Gordy, introduced Marvin Gaye to Gwen’s sister Anna and soon started his own labels in 1961, Tri-Phi Records and Harvey Records signing his new finds the Spinners, Junior Walker and Shorty Long. The Spinners recorded for the Tri-Phi Label and Harvey sang on some of the Spinners early records. Not long after that Harvey was hired to run Motown’s Artist Development department and worked as a producer for the company. Harvey was also responsible for bringing Tammi Terrell to the Motown family. Harvey left the Motown label and scored a production deal with RCA records and while at RCA got the idea of recording again. The birth of one of my favorite albums in my record collection … “The Return of the Moonglows!” The album is a remake of many of their hits, a new approach to their classic old recordings with a fresh new sound. I had the honors of working with and even sing with Harvey, a memory that I will never forget … the man is a legend, an Icon in the music that I love. The Return of the Moonglows … Harvey Fuqua!