Gordy family was also a professional in bowling. His daughter Iris was married to singer Johnny Bristol. The eldest Gordy daughter, Esther (April 25, 1920 – August 24, 2011), born in Georgia, established herself early in business as a political campaigner for her husband, Detroit politician George Edwards. In the late 1950s, she formed a loan company named after her parents; in 1959, she helped her brother Berry with a $800 loan to start Tamla Records. She borrowed the proceeds from the college tuition fund their father had established for Berry. Edwards served as mentor, adviser, and vice president of Motown's main
Gwen Gordy Fuqua two years later after that and Gordy and Fuqua accepted staff jobs with Motown, with Gordy handling business affairs, while Fuqua became a staff writer and producer. Alongside sister Anna, she co-headed Motown's Artist Development course and by the mid-1960s was managing acts such as the Spinners, Shorty Long, Junior Walker & the All Stars and Tammi Terrell, who signed to Motown in 1965. Gordy convinced Motown to allow Terrell to perform duets with Gaye. In 1973, Gordy had hand in adding lyrics to Marvin Gaye's composition, "Distant Lover", which became a hit single a year later after Motown released