Suzanne de Passe Event - September 2009 - Universal City Sheraton

MOTOWN, MICHAEL AND MORE

On a warm, balmy southern California evening, the legendary Suzanne de Passe spoke to the joint studio mixer group at Universal Studios, Hollywood. Engaging and ever graceful, de Passe spoke of the great years – Motown, Michael and Berry. A trailblazer, de Passe encouraged the crowd to continue in the tradition and focus on making great art.

Suzanne de Passe is an American entertainment executive; the CEO of television production company de Passe Entertainment; and the first African-American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for screen writing. In February 2008 Essence Magazine bestowed the first Black Women In Hollywood: Visionary Award on Ms. de Passe acknowledging her contribution as a trailblazer. She currently serves as Visiting Professor at Emerson College in Boston.

De Passe first became notable as an executive for Motown Records, a company which she joined in 1968 after being introduced to Motown chief Berry Gordy by Supremes member Cindy Birdsong. At Motown, de Passe helped to produce television specials such as TCB and G.I.T. on Broadway, both starring Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations, and was responsible for signing, coaching, and developing Motown's most popular act of the 1970s, The Jackson 5. She first became notable as an executive for Motown Records, a company which she joined in 1968 after being introduced to Motown chief Berry Gordy by Supremes member Cindy Birdsong. At Motown, de Passe helped to produce television specials such as TCB and G.I.T. on Broadway, both starring Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations, and was responsible for signing, coaching, and developing Motown's most popular act of the 1970s, The Jackson 5.

In 1973, both she and Lonne Elder III became the first African-Americans to be nominated for an Academy Award for writing. She was nominated for co-writing the screenplay for the Berry Gordy-produced Lady Sings the Blues starring Diana Ross as singer Billie Holiday, while Elder was nominated for Sounder. De Passe co-wrote Lady Sings the Blues with Terence McCloy and Motown recording artist Chris Clark. De Passe continued to work for Motown, mostly producing television specials such as Motown 25 for the company's Motown Productions film/TV division into the 1980s. In 1989, Berry Gordy sold Motown Productions to de Passe, who renamed it de Passe Entertainment. The company has since produced such television shows and feature films as Class Act, Sister, Sister, Smart Guy, and Showtime at the Apollo. Additionally de Passe produced a spate of Awards shows including multiple "NAACP Image Awards," "Essence Awards" and the critically acclaimed "Black Movie Awards."

A number of de Passe Entertainment productions harken back to de Passe's Motown days, including the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream and The Temptations, and Motown 40: The Music is Forever. De Passe also was executive producer for the miniseries Lonesome Dove, Buffalo Girls, Streets of Laredo and Dead Man's Walk, along with the syndicated series Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years. All of these projects were based on the writings of Larry McMurtry. She has won Emmy Awards for producing the Motown 25 and Motown Returns to the Apollo specials which won for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program.

In addition, she received Emmy nominations for Lonesome Dove, Buffalo Girls, The Jacksons: An American Dream, The Temptations and the Farrah Fawcett crime miniseries Small Sacrifices. All these nominations were in the Outstanding Miniseries category. De Passe was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1990. She is currently working with best-selling urban adult entertainment author, Zane, on the Cinemax series Zane's Sex Chronicles.