Berry Gordy's 8 Children: Everything to Know

Music mogul Berry Gordy is known as the father of Motown, but he's also a father to eight children.

His eldest child, Hazel, was born in 1954. Nearly 20 years later, his youngest, Stefan, was born.

"I consider all of the wonderful Motown artists as my children," he said in an interview with Las Vegas Black Image magazine. "Raising my biological children was a little more complicated, because I was working with the artists all the time. Nevertheless, my children would travel with me to different places, and the same philosophy I would teach the artists at Motown, I would teach my own children."

Berry married his first wife, Thelma Louise Coleman, in 1953 and together, the pair welcomed three children: Hazel Joy, 68, Berry IV, 67, and Terry James, 66. They divorced in 1959. That same year, Berry had a son, Kerry Ashby, 63, with his second wife, Raynoma Singleton.

During his marriage to Singleton, which lasted from 1960 to 1964, the famed record producer welcomed two more children: daughter Sherry, 60, born to songwriter Jeana Jackson, and son Kennedy William, 59, born to Margaret Norton.

Shortly after, Berry signed Diana Ross to Motown and the two dated from 1965 to 1970. She gave birth to their daughter, Rhonda Ross, 51, in 1971. In 1975, Berry welcomed his eighth child, Stefan "Redfoo" Kendal, 47, with Nancy Leiviska.

Speaking with Las Vegas Black Image, Berry shared the philosophy he passed on to his kids. "True happiness comes from being truly proud of yourself for the accomplishments you make," he said. "My dreams are my dreams, and my children can learn from my experiences — but I want them to reach their own goals and make their dreams become realities."

The Motown founder is notoriously private when it comes to his personal life, but his impact on music has kept him in the spotlight.

Here's everything to know about Berry Gordy's eight children.

Hazel Joy Gordy, 68

Prior to founding Motown, Berry served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Upon returning home, he married Thelma Coleman Gordy, and the two welcomed their first child together the next year. Hazel Joy Gordy was born in August 1954 in Detroit.

Hazel worked as a model and spent time at her father's record label, where she met Jermaine Jackson of the Jackson 5. They were both 15 years old. The pair eventually tied the knot on Dec. 15, 1973, when they were 19.

"We were able to grow up together," Hazel later told PEOPLE in 1980. "So we haven't had any problems."

Hazel and Jermaine divorced in 1988. The former couple share three children: Jermaine Jackson Jr., born in 1977; Autumn Joi Jackson, born in 1978; and Jaimy Jermaine Jackson, born in 1987. Hazel became a grandmother in 2017 when Jermaine Jr. welcomed a son, Soltan Jackson, with his longtime girlfriend Asa Soltan Rahmati.

Berry Gordy IV, 67

Berry and Thelma welcomed their first son, Berry Gordy IV, in October 1955. While Berry IV has mostly remained out of the spotlight, his children have followed in their grandfather's footsteps.

He has two kids: Skyler Austen Gordy, born in 1986, and Mahogany Cheyenne Gordy, born in 1994. Skyler is a rapper best known by his stage name Sky Blu. He was one half of the electronic dance music duo LMFAO with his uncle Stefan, though they have since disbanded. Berry IV's daughter, known professionally as Mahogany Lox, is a model and singer.