Legendary Guests Help Show Off Motown Museum Expansion Project

Hitsville USA is expanding and some of Motown's legendary recording artists were on hand to unveil the progress that has been made at the iconic Detroit Museum.

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Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, and Otis Williams of the Temptations were on hand as phases one and two of the three-part construction project were revealed to the crowd. So far, about $43 million has been poured into the expansion, including a $5 million pledge from Rocket Mortgage co-founder Dan Gilbert.

Motown Museum Expanding

Two of the three buildings on West Grand Boulevard once owned by Motown Records have been linked. According to Detroit's WXYZ-TV, they feature professional recording pods, community space, and an area to facilitate the development of up-and-coming Motown talent.

Digital rendering capabilities will be available once phase three of the project is completed.

Motown Legends Weigh in

At a ceremony held Monday night (8/8), a young Motown group who calls themselves The Fab 5 entertained the crowd.

Detroit stalwart Smokey Robinson looked on, excited to welcome the next generation of Motown performers to the legendary studio that launched his career.

"We see these young people now learning to sing and write and produce and to do all those things that we learned, so the legacy is being carried on," Robinson said. "We talk about how powerful it is here in Detroit, but I've been all over the world and people know about it everywhere I go."

Motown star Martha Reeves says she's excited about the expansion because it will preserve the spirit of Motown that's always been present in those buildings.

"I learned how to sing in a church, but when I got here, I learned how to sing with the community and all the songs were about love," Reeves said.