Bertha Barbee McNeal was a founding member of the Motown girl group the Velvelettes.
- Died: Thursday, December 15, 2022. (Who else died on December 15?)
- Details of death: Died from colon cancer at the age of 82.
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The Velvelettes
Bertha Barbee McNeal co-founded the all-girl Motown group the Velvelettes. McNeal and Mildred Gill were attending Western Michigan University and they added Gillās younger sister Cal and her friend Betty White, both high school students, along with Berthaās cousin Norma Barbee to form the original line-up. After winning a local singing competition, the group auditioned for Motown. They signed to Motown in 1962 and had their first hit song in 1964 when āNeedle in a Haystack,ā produced by Norman Whitfield, made the top 50. Their follow-up single āHe Was Really Sayinā Somethingā was a minor hit for them but was a major influence on other female artists. British group Bananarama covered the song in 1982, reaching number 5 in the UK. The group disbanded in the 1970s but reunited in 1984 and continued to perform live shows as recently as this past summer. Barbee McNeal had a degree in music and taught piano in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Notable Quote
āI was in awe of the other Motown groups.ā āThese people like Stevie Wonder would walk through the studio, and we were happy to be there. I donāt know if itās because we were from out of town, but we put them up on a pedestal. We were definitely in awe of Marvin Gaye.ā – The Detroit News
Tributes to Bertha Barbee McNeal
Full Obituary: The Detroit News
