Rockwell (musician)

Kennedy William Gordy (born March 15, 1964), better known by his stage name Rockwell, is an American former musician and singer-songwriter who was signed to the Motown label. He is best known for his 1984 hit single "Somebody's Watching Me".

Rockwell
Birth nameKennedy William Gordy
Also known asKenneth Gordy
Born (1964-03-15) March 15, 1964
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments
Years active1983–1991
LabelsMotown

Early life

Kennedy William Gordy aka Rockwell is the son of Motown founder and CEO Berry Gordy and Margaret Norton. His father named him Kennedy William after John F. Kennedy and William "Smokey" Robinson.[1][2]

Career

To avoid the appearance of nepotism, he secured his record deal without his father's knowledge.[3] Motown actually came up with the name Rockwell and the young Gordy agreed to the change because he believed he "rocked well."

In 1984, Rockwell had his biggest single, "Somebody's Watching Me", with childhood friend Michael Jackson singing the chorus lyrics and Jermaine Jackson singing back-up.[4] "Somebody's Watching Me" became a Gold-certified million selling #2 song in the US, which also peaked at #6 in the UK. It held #1 on Billboard's R&B chart for five weeks. Follow-up singles underperformed, with "Obscene Phone Caller" being Rockwell's only other Top 40 single. It reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rockwell released two more albums before ending his musical career with Motown.

Rockwell was not the first member of the Gordy family to hit Billboard's Hot 100 as a recording artist. His uncle, Robert Gordy, reached the longer reaches of the chart in 1958 with "Everyone Was There," recording under the name of Bob Kayli.

Personal life

Rockwell is the son of Berry Gordy. Rockwell's paternal half-sister is actress Rhonda Ross Kendrick, the eldest child of Diana Ross. Rockwell is also closely related to the group LMFAO through his half-brother Redfoo (Stefan Kendal Gordy, son of Berry Gordy and Nancy Leiviska) and his nephew SkyBlu (Skyler Austen Gordy, son of half-brother Berry Gordy IV and his wife Valerie Robeson).

In July 2010, Rockwell married Nicole Moore. In 2013 he filed for divorce. The couple have no children together.[5]

On November 29, 2018, Rockwell was arrested in Hollywood for allegedly beating a female associate with a chair at the Magic Castle Hotel after she approached him and demanded payment. Rockwell was released from jail on December 1, 2018, on a $30,000 bail. On January 7, 2019, the woman, who suffered multiple injuries from the attack and had undergone surgery to repair a broken arm, filed a lawsuit against Rockwell in Los Angeles for personal injury, claiming damages exceeding $25,000.[6]

Discography

Studio albums
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
US
[7]		 US R&B
[7]		 CAN
[8]		 UK
[9]
Somebody's Watching Me
  • Release date: January 30, 1984
  • Label: Motown Records
 15 5 34 56
Captured
  • Release date: January 15, 1985
  • Label: Motown Records
 120 52 — —
The Genie
  • Release date: 1986
  • Label: Motown Records
 — 59 — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Singles
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[11]		 US R&B
[11]		 US Dan
[11]		 AUT
[12]		 CAN
[13]		 NZ
[14]		 SWI
[15]		 UK
[9]
"Somebody's Watching Me" 1984 2 1 3 14 2 5 3 6 Somebody's Watching Me
"Obscene Phone Caller" 35 — — — — — — 79
"Knife" — — — — — — — —
"He's a Cobra" 1985 108 65 — — — — — — Captured
"Peeping Tom" — — — — — — — —
"Tokyo" — — — — — — — —
"Carmé" 1986 — 46 — — — — — — The Genie
"Grow-Up!" — — — — — — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Filmography

Rockwell appeared on Soul Train on February 2, 1985 (Season 14, Episode 17).

References
  1. Gordy, Berry (1994). "Survival of the Fittest: 1960–1964". To Be Loved: The Music, The Magic, The Memories of Motown. New York: Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0-7472-1417-4.
  2. Holden, Stephen. "(The New York Times) IT TAKES STAR QUALITY TO SHARE THE JACKSON LIMELIGHT". Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  3. Rockwell at Allmusic
  4. "How Rockwell Created Paranoid Pop Classic 'Somebody's Watching Me'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  5. "R&B Singer Rockwell – Somebody's Watching Me ... Divorce My Wife". TMZ.com. EHM Productions, Inc. June 29, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  6. Trock, Gary; Walters, Liz (January 7, 2019). "Berry Gordy's Son, Rockwell, Was Arrested for Allegedly Beating Woman With a Chair During Brutal Attack". The Blast. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  7. "allmusic ((( Rockwell > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". Allmusic. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  8. "Results – RPM – Library and Archives Canada: Top Albums/CDs". RPM. Archived from the original on September 7, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  9. "Official Charts – Rockwell". The Official UK Charts Company - OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  10. "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – July 25, 2010: Rockwell certified albums". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  11. "allmusic ((( Rockwell > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Allmusic. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  12. "austriancharts.at – Austria Top 40". austriancharts.at. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  13. "Results – RPM – Library and Archives Canada: Top Singles". RPM. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  14. "charts.nz – New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  15. "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  16. "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – July 25, 2010: Rockwell certified singles". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
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