sdepasse25@nul.org

Suzanne de Passe began her career at Motown Records as the creative assistant to founder Berry Gordy and was instrumental in signing and developing artists such as the Jackson 5/Michael Jackson, the Commodores/Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, and Rick James, among others. Subsequently, Mr. Gordy promoted her to President of Motown Productions. “Motown 25,” her first project as executive producer and writer, won the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Variety Program. Ms. de Passe also served as executive producer of highly acclaimed mini-series, including “Lonesome Dove” and “The Jacksons: An American Dream.” She was nominated for an Oscar for co-writing “Lady Sings the Blues” and is the recipient of a Golden Globe, 5 NAACP Image Awards, and 3 Peabody Awards, among many other honors. She received an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Howard University, where she served as the AOL Time Warner Endowed Chair and was a visiting professor in the then Johnson School of Radio, Television and Film. In 2024, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, only the fifth woman to be so honored in the non-performing category since its inception in 1983.