Janie Bradford, a key figure in the early days of Motown Records and co-writer of the label’s first major hit, “Money (That’s What I Want),” died on August 21 in Los Angeles. She was 87. Her family announced her death at a hospital but did not specify a cause.

Bradford joined Berry Gordy’s fledgling music company in 1959 when it was known as Tamla Records. Initially working as the front desk secretary, she took on a variety of roles, including managing contracts and artist relations, while nurturing a deep ambition to write songs. Her break came shortly after starting, when Gordy shared the initial lyrics to “Money” and Bradford contributed additional lines. Barrett Strong, a pianist and singer working nearby, joined them, and together the trio developed the song over several days.

Released in 1959 on Tamla and later on Anna Records—the label run by Gordy’s sister, Anna—the track became Gordy’s first significant success. It reached number two on the Hot R&B sides chart and number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Beatles covered “Money” in 1963 for their second album, “With the Beatles,” and the song has since been recorded by numerous artists. In 1979, the English new wave band the Flying Lizards brought the song back into the charts, reaching number five on the U.K. Singles chart.

The song’s authorship and associated royalties became a subject of dispute. Strong was originally credited as a co-writer alongside Gordy and Bradford but was removed from copyright registration three years after the song’s release. He was reinstated in 1987 and later removed again under Motown’s direction. Bradford acknowledged in a 2013 affidavit that she had initially included Strong as a co-writer in error.

Following the success of “Money,” Bradford was able to focus more on songwriting. Her credits include several songs for Mary Wells, such as “Your Old Standby,” co-written with Smokey Robinson. She also collaborated with Strong and Norman Whitfield on “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,” recorded first by the Temptations in 1966 and later by Marvin Gaye in 1969.

Born June 2, 1939, in Charleston, Missouri, Bradford grew up in a Baptist family and later lived in St. Louis and Detroit. There, she developed a connection with singer Jackie Wilson, who introduced her to Berry Gordy. Although initially presenting her poetry as lyrics, her work proved strong enough to earn her songwriting credits on Wilson’s 1959 album “Lonely Teardrops.”

Bradford married Wardene Hobbs in 1972 and is survived by Hobbs, their children Nicole Hobbs and Lance Finney, and two grandchildren. She left Motown in 1984 and pursued careers in public relations and publishing, founding Entertainment Connection magazine. She also established the Heroes and Legends Scholarship Foundation, supporting students pursuing careers in entertainment.

Recognized for her contributions to music, Bradford was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame this year. Gordy praised her as part of Motown’s “original family,” describing her as one of the pillars who helped build the label from its inception.