Rockwell

Rockwell remains best remembered for his 1984 hit single "Somebody's Watching Me," released on the Motown label and featuring boyhood pal Michael Jackson.

Rockwell, born Kennedy William Gordy in Detroit, is the son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Margaret Norton. Growing up in a musical family, he was exposed to the music industry from a young age and aspired to record his own material, although his father did not encourage his efforts. In 1983, he adopted the Rockwell alias and signed to Motown (to Berry Gordy Jr.s evident surprise) to release his debut album, Somebody's Watching Me. Its title cut, featuring an unforgettable chorus from a post-Thriller Michael Jackson, spent 19 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number two.

Rockwell struggled to replicate the same level of commercial success with subsequent releases, however. His follow-up albums, Captured (1985) and The Genie (1986), received modest attention but didn't generate major hits. He eventually shifted his focus to other endeavors, working in music production and other behind-the-scenes positions.