About these Motown Bands

Are you looking for a packed dance floor at your event? Then hire the best Motown bands near to you with the Last Minute Musicians entertainment directory! Whether it is the famous grooves of Stevie Wonder, the tight harmonies of The Temptations or the smooth soul voice of Marvin Gaye, the 'Motown sound' is one of the most instantly recognisable in popular music!

If you're looking to bring a touch of that Detroit motor-city sound to your event, then browse through the 138 Motown bands currently on the Directory to find one that is perfect for your party.

"We held an event for our employer awards, where Madison Avenue UK played at the end of the awards ceremony. The 10-piece soul band were a great hit with everyone of all ages, both men and women. It’s unusual for a dance floor to be full all night - people really enjoyed themselves. The sound was amazing and the singers were stunning. An all-round fabulous band who I would recommend for any occasion. Versatile, accommodating, talented people, creating amazing entertainment. So great I have booked them for my wedding!"

April's review of Madison Avenue UK

Ideal for:

The universal appeal of Motown music means that it is suitable for young and old alike; the bands on the Motown bands on the directory will perfect for all sorts of events! Motown bands are regularly hired to perform at weddings, corporate events, birthday parties and other private functions, as well as at ticketed public events at hotels and venues.

When booking Motown Bands:

When booking a Motown band, it's important to closely study your prospective band's promotional material, as Motown bands will come in all sorts of line ups... from 5 piece funk groups to 11 piece soul bands! Many bands will offer different line ups in order to suit various budgets, so speak to your contact in the band about this in advance.

Prices for Motown Bands:

A Motown band's quote will usually be dependent on how many members are in the group - an 11 piece featuring a brass section and backing singers is going to charge more than a 4 or 5 piece funk/soul group. A 5 piece band will generally charge a minimum of £850, and will charge more depending on when and what your event is. If you're looking to cut down on travel costs, use the "advanced search" feature to find Motown bands near you.

About Motown Music:

Though it has since become a shorthand as a genre for the music it produced (and a nickname for it's hometown of Detroit!), Motown is actually the official name of the record label that was founded by Berry Gordy Jnr, in 1959, with an $800 loan from his family and some royalties he had earned as a songwriter. Though it originally began as Tamla Records, it was renamed Motown Record Corporation in 1960.

The 'Motown sound' drew from the traditions of R n' B and soul music, mixed with the strong melody of pop music. From 61' to 71', Motown had 110 top ten hits. It went on to be valued with a net worth of $61 Million. Many of the acts that recorded on Motown need no introduction - the music of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson (and many, many others) went on to become a huge part of popular music and cultural history.

Motown was eventually to move to Los Angeles, and remained independent until 1992. Since bought and sold several times, it continues to exist to this day as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.

The Motown Bands featured on this page are all members of the LastMinuteMusicians.com entertainment directory. Use the refine section at the top of this page to book a live Motown band close to you. Simply choose a county or enter a post code into the "available in" box to refine the listings to your local area. Click the "visit listing" button to see the full profiles of the individual Motown Bands. With over 3300 active listings you are sure to find the perfect entertainer, musician, band or entertainment service to make your event just perfect. Don`t forget you can use our online chat (below) to get instant help with your booking.