He was 81 and Berry Gordy is among those lamenting his loss.

The song "Money," which was later covered by the Beatles, apparently came about while they were riffing on Ray Charles' "What'd I Say?" And even when his recording career ended, he was still a seminal Motown figure, penning Edwin Starr's "War," "Smiling Faces" for the Undisputed Truth, and a slew of Temptations classics, including "Papa Was A Rolling Stone."

Barrett Strong, First Motown Hitmaker, Dies At 81