It is certainly on the Mount Rushmore of the greatest popular songs of the 20th Century. “My Girl,” the iconic ballad by The Temptations, is turning 60 this month, and Motown is celebrating in a number of ways.
First Motown Museum is offering an exclusive tour and immersive “My Girl” studio experience on Saturday, December 21, from 2:00 o 5:15 pm. The tour will include a rare, seated listening experience in Studio A where the song was first recorded in 1964. Guests can explore the song like never before and engage in a Q&A with original strings arranger Paul Riser and the Motown Museum staff.
Second, In commemoration of the anniversary, the Motown Museum will launch its inaugural Legacy Vinyl Project: “My Girl” at 60 with support from Universal Music and Third Man Pressing. This project allows the Museum to create a unique, authentic listening experience for fans through a re-mixed and remastered version of the legendary recording. Side A of the record, titled “The ‘My Girl’ Interviews,” features stories of the song’s creation told by Smokey Robinson (writer), Otis Williams (Temptations), and Paul Riser (arranger), recorded in Studio A in Detroit. Side B offers a remastered version of ‘My Girl,’ created using the original multi-track master tapes. With the ability to isolate the band, vocals, and string section, fans can experience “My Girl” like never before, as if hearing it for the very first time. Legacy Vinyl Project: My Girl At 60 – Record on sale on December 21, 2024, sold exclusively at Motown Museum.
The Motown Museum is in the middle of its highly anticipated expansion project, with a planned opening date to welcome visitors during the Summer of 2026. The advance photos are simply stunning.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for this project,” says Motown Museum Chairwoman and CEO Robin Terry. “Allowing us to now share with our Detroit community and fans and visitors from around the world when they can step inside this one-of-a-kind experiential space,” Terry said. “Our expansion fundraising has now reached $70 million, nearing our final goal of $75 million. With our final campaign milestone within reach, our talented team of architects and construction planners are now fully executing and bringing our bold vision to life.”
Announced in late 2016, the Motown Museum expansion will grow the museum to a nearly 50,000-square-foot world-class entertainment and education tourist destination featuring dynamic, interactive exhibits, a performance theater, recording studios, an expanded retail experience and meeting spaces designed by renowned architects and exhibit designers. When completed, the new museum campus will have a transformative impact on the surrounding Detroit neighborhoods, providing employment, sustainability and community pride by serving as an important catalyst for new investment and tourism in the historic area.
Would you like to participate in the Motown Museum renovation? Click HERE to see how you can support the Museum. For more information, visit www.motownmuseum.org.
