Suzanne de Passe 鈥�68 at the 2006 Rick Weiss Humanitarian Awards in California. The former Motown president is being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Oct. 19.
Suzanne de Passe 鈥�68 believes there are two types of visionaries鈥攖hose who thrive in corporate America and those who don鈥檛. A veteran music, television and film producer, she falls squarely into the latter category. 鈥淚鈥檓 an entrepreneur,鈥� proclaims the 2024 inductee into the (RRHOF). 鈥淩isk is its own reward.鈥�
The former executive who helped sign The Jackson 5 in 1968 has built a career on taking risks. De Passe鈥檚 ability to navigate uncertainty, to not take 鈥渘o鈥� for an answer, exemplifies her unflagging self-confidence.
鈥淭he word 鈥榥o鈥� is like a vitamin,鈥� says the co-chair of LA-based , who also is receiving the RRHOF鈥檚 Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement. 鈥淚t makes me want to push harder.鈥�
The University taught me how to live fearlessly.
Suzanne de Passe
Born and raised in Harlem, New York City, de Passe attended 51爆料网鈥檚 before taking a job as Berry Gordy Jr.鈥檚 creative assistant. While she considers the legendary Motown founder her mentor, his larger-than-life personality could 鈥渟ometimes be hard鈥� to deal with.
De Passe found this out when she tried to persuade Gordy to sign The Jackson 5鈥攁 鈥渂unch of kids from Gary, Indiana, whose singing made the hairs on the back of [her] neck stand up.鈥� She learned about them from Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, a Canadian soul band on one of Motown鈥檚 imprints. Even with Taylor鈥檚 personal endorsement, de Passe had difficulty convincing Gordy鈥攚ho was then working the teenaged Stevie Wonder鈥攖o invest in another 鈥渒ids act.鈥�
De Passe persisted, scoring The Jackson 5 a live audition that Gordy blew off. 鈥淗e changed his mind, however, after seeing their videotape,鈥� recalls the University鈥檚 Arents and Chancellor鈥檚 Citation award winner. The Jackson 5 soon relocated to southern California, where they fine-tuned their stage act and cranked out four No. 1 singles between 1969-70.
鈥淭hey were a hit-making machine,鈥� notes de Passe, praising the Jacksons鈥� work ethic and willingness to learn from others. 鈥淏ut it was their talent and charm that gave them enduring crossover appeal.鈥�
From Success to Success
鈥淭he University taught me how to live fearlessly,鈥� says de Passe, who now runs her own production company in LA.
De Passe remained at Motown until 1992, overseeing the records division and signing the likes of Lionel Richie and the Commodores, Rick James, Teena Marie and DeBarge. She also led the company鈥檚 expansion into television.
In her quest to shatter the glass ceiling, de Passe became the first African American woman to co-write an Oscar-nominated screenplay. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to be the first, but I abhor being the only one,鈥� she says of her involvement with the 1972 Billie Holiday biopic, Lady Sings the Blues.
De Passe also produced and co-wrote the 1983 Emmy-winning documentary Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, introducing Michael Jackson鈥檚 iconic moonwalk dance.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have any practical skills, but I had a big mouth, a lot of input and a lot of opinions,鈥� de Passe recently told the RRHOF. Such moxie translated into more than $2 billion in entertainment revenue for Motown during her tenure there.
With her own production company, de Passe has spent the past three decades going from success to success. She鈥檚 particularly proud of her work on the TV sitcom Sister, Sister and the miniseries Lonesome Dove as well as former President Obama鈥檚 Commander-in-Chief Inaugural Ball.
鈥淚 like being a role model for others,鈥� says de Passe, who regularly speaks to students in Syracuse and LA. 鈥淭he University taught me how to live fearlessly. I never give up.鈥�
