By Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Baldassare (Barney) Ales, a key executive at Motown Records during its 1960s prime and later its president, died of natural causes on Friday in Malibu, California, according to an announcement from Universal Music Group.
He was 85. Ales — pictured above right, with Marvin Gaye — was born May 13, 1934 in Detroit and as a youth worked at Chrysler’s Dodge Main plant (significantly, Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr.
took inspiration for his fledgling company from the mass-production practices of the auto industry). At age 21, he joined the stockroom of Capitol Records’ local branch, advancing during the next four years to posts in sales and promotion before joining Warner Bros.
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