Rick James

This profile of legendary funk/R&B icon Rick James captures the peaks and valleys of his storied career to reveal a complicated and rebellious soul, driven to share his talent with the world.

Motown legend Rick James comes alive in this comprehensive retrospective of his funky and controversial career, featuring interviews, music videos and performances from television shows such as "Soul Alive" and "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve." Catch James gets his groove on in classic videos such as "Super Freak" and "Ebony Eyes" and in previously unreleased videos for "Throwdown," "She Blew My Mind (69 Times)" and "Hard to Get."

Two men in 1930s Mississippi become friends after being sentenced to life in prison together for a crime they did not commit.

Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever is a 1983 television special produced by Suzanne de Passe for Motown Records, The show was also co-written by de Passe along with Ruth Adkins Robinson who would go on to write shows with de Passe for the next 25 years, including the follow up label tributes—through "Motown 40," Buz Kohan was the head writer of the threesome. The program was taped before a live studio audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California on March 25, 1983,[1] and broadcast on NBC on May 16. Among its highlights were Michael Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean", a Temptations/Four Tops "battle of the bands", Marvin Gaye's inspired speech about black music history and his memorable performance of "What's Going On", a Jackson 5 reunion.

R&B legend Rick James was one of the most influential black musicians of all time. As an artist, songwriter and producer, James provided the funky hits that resuscitated Motown Records in the late ‘70s. His Punk Funk sound updated the label’s style and saw it through the mid-’80s. By 1981, Rick was at the peak of his commercial success with the platinum selling Street Songs album and the hit singles "Super Freak" and "Give It to Me Baby." The following year, Rick James & the Stone City Band took the stage in Essen, Germany to open the 10th Rockpalast-Festival. This 1982 performance was the first time James played in Europe, bringing his brand of American Punk Funk to a whole new audience. Together with the Stone City Band, James did not disappoint, burning up the stage with his trademark sound and special effects.

Archival music performances and contemporary interviews cover some of the history of Motown Records and Productions.