ORIGINAL MOTOWN LEGEND LAUNCHES COMPANY

The man behind much of the music on the Grammy-nominated Standing in the Shadows of Motown soundtrack, and the label’s very first A&R Director, William "Mickey" Stevenson, is starting a new entertainment company.

Stevenson International Entertainment Group (SIE Group) will include Mikim Music, a publishing company and recording studio; B&W Management, a talent company; and Stevenson Productions, a producer of live shows

Stevenson was one of the first executives at the legendary Detroit label founded by Berry Gordy. He assembled the mostly unknown studio musicians behind the famed Motown hit factory, the Funk Brothers, who star in the film, including the sound’s architect, bassist James Jamerson.

In making the announcement, says Stevenson, an original A&R director/Vice President at Motown: "In business, I have always been driven by the creative process. With SIE Group, I am working to merge the traditional ways of nurturing talent, as we did at Motown, with the current business opportunities available today, such as branding and licensing.

Gordy called Mickey in his autobiography, To Be Loved, "a guy with a kind of talent that I wanted… I will always remember him for his loyalty and dedication. He was one of the greatest creative forces during our formative years."

Stevenson left Motown to form his own label People, and subsequently worked at MGM, spearheading the studio’s entry into the record business.

Stevenson recently partnered a deal with the Stronghold Group to represent Motown music legends in the licensing of their names and images in Universal Music Enterprises’ recently announced merchandising program.

Jay-Z recently licensed a sample from Stevenson’s publishing catalog on his latest album.

B&W represents Rawkus/MCA act Novel, and Stevenson’s son Novel, the grandson of Rock Hall of Famer Solomon Burke, among others.