Music
Paul Riser
born 1943 · arranger, trombonist
Cass Tech-trained trombonist who became one of Motown's key arrangers, scoring "My Girl", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".
- Born
age 83- Detroit years
- 1950s–1970s
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Riser studied classical and jazz trombone at Detroit's Cass Technical High School, and a friend already working at Motown introduced him to Berry Gordy. He became an uncredited trombonist on many Hitsville sessions and then one of the company's main arrangers, writing the charts for the Temptations' "My Girl" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", Gladys Knight & the Pips' "If I Were Your Woman", the Miracles' "The Tears of a Clown" and Diana Ross's 1970 "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", which he called his favorite. The instrumental side of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" won him and Norman Whitfield a Grammy. After 11 years with Motown he arranged for Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole and many others, including the strings of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly".
Highlights
- Arranged "My Girl", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "The Tears of a Clown"
- Grammy for the instrumental of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (with Norman Whitfield)
- Arranged Diana Ross's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (1970)
- Musicians Hall of Fame (2009)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · 1950s
Cass Technical High School
He studied classical and jazz trombone here.
Recorded here · 1960s–1972
Motown Museum
He played trombone and wrote arrangements for sessions in Studio A.