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Gordy’s Son, Grandson Poised to Make Family History on Billboard

*Two sons and one grandson of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy have set a new family milestone, as three generations of the musical clan have now appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, notes Reuters.

It all began in 1984, when Kennedy Gordy, the fifth of Gordy’s eight children, charted as Rockwell with an ode to paranoia, “Somebody’s Watching Me.” That Motown single (which also featured the voices of brothers Michael and Jermaine Jackson) peaked at No. 2 in March 1984.

Meanwhile, the current No. 3 song in the country is “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock. LMFAO (the duo behind “I’m In Miami B****”) is made up of Redfoo and SkyBlu. Redfoo is Berry Gordy’s youngest son, Stefan Kendal Gordy.

LMFAO’s Red Foo (Stefan Kendal Gordy) and, SkyBlu (Skyler Husten Gordy) at the 2011 Capitol Record Summertime Ball held at the Wembley Arena in London (June 12, 2011)

If “Party Rock Anthem” manages to knock off Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and prevent Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” from moving into the pole position, Stefan will have trumped his brother by one chart placing.

There’s more to this family affair: SkyBlu is Skyler Husten Gordy, Berry’s grandson and Stefan’s nephew. That makes for three generations of Gordys who have charted on the Hot 100 (with Berry charting as a writer and producer). That’s not a first, but it is a rarity.

The Gordy trifecta was preceded by the Wilsons – father Murry, sons Brian, Carl and Dennis of the Beach Boys and grandchildren Carnie and Wendy of Wilson Phillips. Murry was also a writer/producer, with Hot 100 credit for writing the Beach Boys’ 1969 single “Break Away” with Brian.

Across multiple charts, the Winans are also a three-generation musical family, starting with David and Delores Winans, who charted on Top Gospel Albums in 1990 as “Mom and Pop Winans.” They have 10 children, including charted artists Marvin, Carvin, Michael, Ronald, BeBe, Cece, Angie and Debbie. Grandchildren Michael Jr., Marvin Jr., Carvin Jr. and Juan have charted as Winans Phase2. (Mario Winans has also charted; he is the son of Vickie Winans, who was married to Marvin Winans).