Janie Bradford, a songwriter credited with helping craft two of Motown’s most enduring hits and a key figure in the label’s early days, died on August 21, 2026, at the age of 87. Her songwriting contributions include co-writing “Money (That’s What I Want),” originally recorded by Barrett Strong, and “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,” a major hit for Marvin Gaye in 1969.

Born on June 2, 1939, in Charleston, Missouri, Bradford graduated from Lincoln High School before attending the Detroit Institute of Technology. Her early connection to music came through her sister, Clea Bradford, a local singer, and her acquaintance with singer Jackie Wilson, who introduced her to Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records.

Bradford joined Motown in 1959 as a receptionist shortly after Gordy founded the label. During the development of “Money (That’s What I Want),” Gordy credited Bradford with contributing a key verse to the song’s lyrics, which earned her a 50 percent writing share. The song went on to become a Motown classic and was covered by prominent artists including The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, the Supremes, and Etta James. The instrumental blend of pop and avant-garde introduced by the Flying Lizards also brought the song renewed attention in the UK in 1979.

Throughout the 1960s, Bradford helped establish the Motown sound, collaborating on several tracks alongside leading songwriters such as Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Smokey Robinson, Brian Holland, and Lamont Dozier. Notable credits include Marv Johnson’s “All The Love I’ve Got,” Stevie Wonder’s “Contract on Love,” Mary Wells’s “Your Old Standby,” and the Marvelettes’ “Tie a String Around Your Finger.” Her co-written song “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby” was originally recorded by the Temptations before becoming a transatlantic hit for Marvin Gaye.

Bradford also played a role in the early branding of Motown acts. When Berry Gordy introduced the Primettes — the group that would become the Supremes — she was tasked with generating name options, leading to the choice that would become one of Motown’s most successful acts.

Beyond songwriting, Bradford served as head of writer relations at Jobete, Motown’s publishing company. She later founded Mountain Goat Music and, with singer Marilyn McLeod, created the Twinn Records label. In addition, she co-established the Heroes and Legends Scholarship Fund alongside Mary Wilson.

Among her honors, Bradford was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame just months before her passing. She is survived by her husband, Wardean Hobbs, and their two children. Motown founder Berry Gordy remembered her as part of the “original Motown family,” a group of individuals whose belief in the label’s vision helped shape its historic legacy.