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It's No Wonder

The Life and Times of Motown’s Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy

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Pub Date Feb 10 2026 | Archive Date Not set


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Description

The biography of Sylvia Moy, Motown’s first certified female in-house producer and songwriter, and one of the authors behind classic hits like “My Cherie Amour,” “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” and a slew of other time-honored tunes.

Imagine a world without the music of Stevie Wonder. A world without hits like “I Was Made to Love Her” and “Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day.” That's the world we would live in had it not been for Sylvia Moy, a woman whose legacy has been carefully tucked away within the annals of music history—until now.

It’s No Wonder examines the groundbreaking career of the pioneer who battled sexism and broke down barriers to become Motown’s first certified female in-house songwriter and producer. As the lone woman in a room full of men, the odds were stacked against Moy from the start. Amidst racial strife at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, most African American women who were allowed into the music industry could only dream of a career as a singer. Nevertheless, the Detroit native found unprecedented success as both a songwriter and producer. In addition to single-handedly saving Stevie Wonder's early career at Motown, Moy solidified herself as one of the label's most prolific composers, penning many of Wonder's classic hits as well as songs for other Motown acts like “Honey Chile,” “It Takes Two,” “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You),” “My Baby Loves Me,” “(We've Got) Honey Love,” “Forget Me Not,” “With a Child's Heart,” and countless others.

Meticulously researched and fiercely feminist, It's No Wonder is a historical corrective that restores Sylvia Moy to her rightful place at the forefront of music history.


 

The biography of Sylvia Moy, Motown’s first certified female in-house producer and songwriter, and one of the authors behind classic hits like “My Cherie Amour,” “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” and...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780306833632
PRICE $30.00 (USD)
PAGES 304

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Featured Reviews

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I loved this book I couldn't put it down. It was so detailed as well as informative. I finished the book in two days. I will not stop recommending this book to everyone I meet.

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This is a well researched, well written book about the life of one of Motown's unsung heroes. I had seen Sylvia Moy's name credited on some of my old Motown records and she was mentioned in passing in some of the books I've read, but I had no idea what a vital role she played at Motown and especially in the career of Stevie Wonder. This book not only chronicles her story as a singer, songwriter and producer but also highlights the challenges she faced as an African American woman in a predominantly male industry and her struggles to get credit for her work. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Da Capo for an advanced reader copy.

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