Gordon Strozier

Shows

Gordon Strozier
Musician and Rock & Roll and R&B Star, Writer, Guitar player for "Ready for the World"
May 8, 2019 (Segment 3)

He was the guitar and bass player for one of the most iconic bands of the mid '80’s. He also co-authored a song that remains one of the most memorable and successful tunes of the era. The band was called "Ready For The World", and the song was “Oh Sheila”. The band and the song both rocketed to fame and managed to hit the MTV heavy rotation playlist at the same time. In fact, “Oh Sheila” hit hard--#1 on the "Billboard Hot 100", "Hot Black Singles", and "Hot Dance Club Play" charts in 1985.

The band came back with another #1 R&B hit in 1986 with “Love You Down”, and several other big hitters including “Tonight”, and “Ceramic Girl”. This incredible run solidified the band’s place in the Flint and metro Detroit pantheon of musical superstars that includes such worldwide sensations as Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and The Superemes, Grand Funk Railroad, Question Mark and The Mysterians, The Velevelettes, Ted Nugent, Iggy Pop, Madonna, Bob Seger, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The MC 5, MC Breed, The Dayton Family, Kid Rock, Eminem, The White Stripes, and Grammy winners Greta Van Fleet. Of course, there are far too many to mention in one article but suffice to say that Gordon and "Ready For The World" etched their name on that marker for all time, making Flint very proud, indeed.

Gordon, a Flint Northern Viking, was one of the leaders of that team, and critical in bringing the group together despite hailing from four different city high schools including Flint Northwestern, Flint Academy, and Flint Powers Catholic. He says one of the seminal moments of the band’s pinnacle was being asked to join Motown legends Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and the top people in music on stage at the America Music Awards to sing “We are the World”.

Gordon tells his stories the way we like them at "Fish and The Flint Chronicles”--the unvarnished truth, raw details, and with unapologetic candor. Oh, and for the record, there was no Sheila. “It was just a name Mel (writer and lead singer, Mel Riley Jr.) made up”, he says. It’s a helluva conversation, and definitely one worth hearing.

Gordon at the mic weaving his stories

Fish and Gordon in the studio

Ready for the World--Gordon bottom right