No. 5 Norman Whitfield
Both as a writer and producer, Whitfield helped spark Motown’s transition from the smooth, pop-oriented soul of its “Hitsville”-era into the more psychedelic, topical and heavily-orchestrated sound of the late ’60s – early ’70s. Whitfield produced sonic epics for the Temptations, Edwin Starr and the Undisputed Truth before leaving the label. Under his own Whitfield imprint, he had more hits, including the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack for the 1976 film Car Wash with Rose Royce.
