During the 1960s, young and old people alike began to hear a new type of music blossom over the radio, and it soon became referred to as the "Motown sound." With the help of the legendary Berry Gordy, Motown churned out dozens of hits, many of them sung by emerging stars such as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, and the Supremes. What few people knew at the time that many of the elaborate licks behind their vocals were provided by the Funk Brothers, Motown's in-house collection of amazing instrumentalists. Recently, the Funk Brothers received their due in a well-received documentary, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," in addition to receiving 2 Grammies earlier this year. Six of the original Funk Brothers are still alive, and they are currently in the process of recording new material, as well as planning a tour of both Australia and Europe.

The first link leads to a recent news story from the Washington Post about the Funk Brothers' recent accolades. The second link will take visitors to a news article from the Detroit Free Press that talks about the 2 Grammies recently won by the Funk Brothers (one for best soundtrack and the other for best traditional R&B performance). The third link is to an interesting interview with three of the six remaining Funk Brothers, located at Blackfilm.com. The fourth link features an overview of the history of the Funk Brothers, complete with information about their demanding recording sessions and the various participants who made up the ensemble over the years. The fifth link leads to the "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" homepage, where visitors can view the film's trailer and learn more about the film and its soundtrack. The final site is an excellent tribute to the classic Motown years (provided by Motown Records), where visitors can browse a timeline, listen to classic Motown songs, and learn more about the songs and artists who made up the "Motown sound."