Berry Gordy, the legendary founder of Motown Records, wasn’t immediately sold when his 18-year-old son, Kennedy William Gordy, played him a demo in his Los Angeles mansion in 1982. Kennedy, working under the moniker Rockwell, had crafted a pop-funk track on a humble 4-track recorder in his Hollywood apartment. Despite Gordy’s vast experience with countless hits, his feedback was lukewarm. “He said something like, ‘Yeah, yeah, that’s alright. That’s OK,’” Rockwell recounted to Rolling Stone. His father’s advice? “‘Don’t give up your day job, young man. Keep writing and you’ll come up with something one day.’ I was devastated.”
However, this initial discouragement didn’t deter Rockwell. Just a year later, under his stage name and with the invaluable addition of Michael Jackson and his brother Jermaine on background vocals, that demo transformed into “Somebody’s Watching Me.” This track became a global phenomenon, an enduring smash hit that, even three decades later, remains the quintessential paranoia-rock anthem and a Halloween playlist staple.
Navigating the music industry as the son of Berry Gordy presented a unique set of challenges and opportunities. While it might seem like an open door, Rockwell intentionally avoided using his famous surname when submitting his demo to Motown. He sought to bypass any accusations of nepotism and prove his merit on his own.
“When he found out I was signed to Motown, he called me up one day and said, ‘How did you get signed? How does that happen? What happened?’” Rockwell remembers. “I said, ‘I don’t know. I guess they liked my music.’ He seemed like he was upset about it. I still, to this day, don’t know what his reservations were for me to be signed.”
Looking back, Rockwell affirms that using the Gordy name never crossed his mind, despite the potential advantages. “I never thought of it that way,” he explained. “But I wanted it to be a family affair because Motown has always been a family. My father tried to teach us the love that the artists even had amongst themselves and his interactions with them. He was so busy with them that a lot of times he was not available for us as kids.”
Rockwell and Berry Gordy, a father and son story in the music industry.
From Prayer to Paranoia: The Genesis of a Hit Song
Before “Somebody’s Watching Me,” Rockwell admits his songwriting attempts were “mediocre at best.” Frustration mounted. In a moment of desperation, he knelt down and prayed. “I asked God to give me it,” he revealed. “The prayer was, ‘God grant me the creativity to write a song that’ll go to the top of the charts and tickle the taste buds of the music connoisseur.’ Everything came to me so easily after that prayer.” Inspiration struck swiftly. Over the next couple of days, in his bedroom, Rockwell penned “Somebody’s Watching Me,” capturing the essence of the studio version in practically a single take.
The song’s inspiration was drawn from both childhood memories and immediate experiences. He recalled childhood moments of observing a curious neighbor peering into his apartment window. Simultaneously, living with a prank-prone girlfriend provided another peculiar source of inspiration. “When she would take a shower, I would go up to the glass, wait until she was washing her hair and then press my face against the glass,” he described. “She would open her eyes, see my face and go, ‘Ahhhh!!!!’” This playful scare tactic directly inspired the iconic lyrics: “When I’m in the shower/I’m afraid to wash my hair/’Cause I might open my eyes/And find someone standing there.”
Michael Jackson’s Uncredited Vocals: A Family Affair
The inclusion of Michael Jackson on the hook of “Somebody’s Watching Me” might seem like a calculated move by Motown, leveraging a superstar to boost a new artist. However, the reality was far more familial. Rockwell and Michael Jackson shared a close bond since childhood, with Rockwell frequently spending time at the Jackson family home. When Rockwell had a demo of “Somebody’s Watching Me,” he naturally played it for the Jacksons.
Bringing a boombox and a cassette, Rockwell nervously performed the song live over the demo for the Jackson family. “I performed it about eight or nine times,” he remembered. “Michael says, ‘Hey Rebbie! Hey Janet! You gotta hear this song Kennedy did.’ Every time we stopped the song, Michael called three more people down. Afterwards, Michael pulled me to the side and says, ‘Kennedy, I gotta talk to you for a second. Who are you going to get to sing background vocals?’ I said, ‘Why don’t you do it?’ It worked just like that.” Jermaine Jackson also contributed to the track, further solidifying the family connection (Rockwell’s sister, Hazel, was married to Jermaine).
Rockwell’s involvement in “Somebody’s Watching Me” extended beyond songwriting. He co-produced and arranged almost every aspect of the track. LMFAO’s Redfoo, Rockwell’s half-brother, recounted to Rolling Stone in 2011, “He was working on his album at my dad’s house. My brother Terry and Rockwell were producing it, and I used to watch them play on the drum machine, and I always wanted a drum machine after seeing that.” Upon completing the song, Rockwell turned to prayer once more. “I said to father God, ‘I will tell everyone about you,’” he stated. “I will tell them how you did this for me and how it really happened.’”
Rockwell and Michael Jackson, a collaborative friendship behind the hit song.
Chart-Topping Success and a Batshit-Crazy Video
“Somebody’s Watching Me” officially dropped in January 1984, preceding Rockwell’s debut album of the same title. Blending New Wave, R&B, and synth-pop, all punctuated by Rockwell’s affected British accent, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 on January 28th, 1984, at number 73. It enjoyed a 19-week run on the chart, peaking at Number Two, only surpassed by Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose.” Within three months of release, it achieved gold status, selling over 500,000 copies.
Contributing to the song’s immense popularity was its unforgettable, over-the-top music video. Directed by Francis Delia, the haunted house-themed clip is replete with bizarre imagery, raising questions like: Why is there a baby pig on a platter? Is a backyard graveyard legal? And why does Rockwell shower in shorts?
“I had storyboards [for the director] and I thought he was paying attention to me,” Rockwell chuckled. “I wanted it to be a little lighter. But when I went to the set to start shooting, it was all this dark stuff. There was blood and a tombstone with my name on it. He didn’t listen to anything I presented. I just had to go with it because we didn’t have time to switch it up.”
Despite the song’s release and the poorly kept secret of Jackson’s uncredited vocals, Motown intentionally downplayed Rockwell’s connection to Berry Gordy and Jackson’s feature. To further distance himself from his famous family, Rockwell adopted a British accent in recordings and interviews, jokingly claiming Portsmouth, England, as his hometown.
“I didn’t want anybody to know or people to take the credit away from me and say, ‘If it wasn’t because of Berry Gordy or Michael Jackson, you’d be nothing.’ I wanted people to think I was from some other country but I soon let that go because I didn’t want to be untruthful.”
Fatherly Pride and the Paranoia Continues
The phenomenal success of “Somebody’s Watching Me” became a source of unexpected pride for Berry Gordy, especially after his initial lukewarm reaction to the demo. Rockwell recounted a moment of vindication: “I was with my father, my girlfriend and a couple of people [after the song blew up], and all of a sudden, ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ comes on and my father goes, ‘Aw, man, you did it! You did it, man!’ He was so excited. That was a really great bonding moment for us. After that, he took me to some of his friends’ house and was like, ‘Well I’m sure you know my son Rockwell.’ [Laughs] He was parading me around.”
Capitalizing on the momentum of “Somebody’s Watching Me,” Motown quickly released “Obscene Phone Caller” as the album’s second single. This synth-pop track, reminiscent of Michael Sembello’s “Maniac” with a dash of 80s movie montage vibes, explored similar themes of paranoia, albeit with a more upbeat pop sensibility. Rockwell’s inspiration? “I always wanted women to just call me and be obscene phone callers,” he joked.
Despite somewhat questionable lyrics like, “If Alexander Bell were alive today/Would he want the telephone to be used this way?” the song achieved moderate success, spending 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at Number 35. The music video, a loose sequel to “Somebody’s Watching Me,” opens with a hotel concierge informing a bewildered Rockwell, “You had a lot of calls, but no one left a message,” before the singer embarks on a search for the mysterious caller within the hotel.
In 1985, Rockwell released his second album, Captured, featuring another paranoia-themed single, “Peeping Tom.” However, it failed to resonate on the charts. Following his 1986 album, The Genie, which also underperformed, Rockwell retreated from the public eye as swiftly as he had risen.
Rockwell in later years, reflecting on his music career and “Somebody’s Watching Me”.
Stepping Out and Back In: Rockwell’s Second Coming
“I just needed to stop ’cause it wasn’t fun anymore. It became more of a job,” Rockwell explained regarding his departure from the spotlight. “I needed more life experience. I needed to just be a regular guy, and that’s why I disappeared. I came from a king, Berry Gordy, and I’m like a prince. And I wanted to not be sheltered from average, everyday people and just wanted to live and learn.”
Despite stepping away from fame, Rockwell never stopped creating music, albeit privately. Three decades after his last album, the artist once known as “The King of Paranoia Rock” announced his return with a new album aptly titled The Second Coming. This upcoming project promises a blend of pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, and country, but will move away from the voyeuristic themes of his earlier work.
“I always had the intention of coming back, and now I’ve learned all of those things and I have the wisdom of far more years, and I have something to say now,” he shared. “I have unfinished business in the record industry. I’m coming back, y’all.”
