Two phases of the highly anticipated Motown Museum expansion are now complete, and a star-studded celebration was held on Monday, August 8, 2022. The celebratory event marked the grand opening of Hitsville NEXT, the new educational programming and creative hub, and the newly established Rocket Plaza, thanks to a $5 million contribution from Rocket Companies and the Gilbert Family Foundation.
The festivities of the evening were highlighted by commentary from iconic Motown stars including Otis Williams, an original founding member of The Temptations who gifted microphones to the museum from his personal collection, and Smokey Robinson, who spoke about the importance of inspiration as an artist and why the expansion—and specifically Hitsville NEXT—is so meaningful because of the significance of inspiring emerging artists in the place where the Motown legacy was built. Fellow Motown alumni Duke Fakir, Shelly Berger and Martha Reeves were also in attendance to lend additional star power to the celebration.