Robert Gordy

Robert Louis Gordy -(July 15, 1931 in Detroit, Michigan – October 21, 2022), brother of [a1001680], [a229467], [a688394], [a3271840], [a360508], [a687465] and [a749192]. and American former music publishing executive, and a former recording artist under the stage name Bob Kayli.

The first Bob Kayli recording, "Everyone Was There," came out in 1958. Berry leased it to Carlton Records and it sold well until Kayli made personal appearances and the public discovered he was black. Record sales screeched to a halt, and Berry didn't receive any further requests for appearances.

He worked at the Post Office until Motown started hitting on all cylinders. He left the government job for an entry-level position in Motown's engineering department. He didn't record again until the November 1961 single "Small Sad Sam" (b/w "Tie Me Tight"), an answer to Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John" that failed upon release.

Motown didn't release any more Bob Kayli recordings. When his sister Loucye died in the mid-'60s, he became the head of Jobete Music, and apparently ran the publishing company like a military platoon.