He took a degree in mechanical engineering at South Carolina State College, before joining the military and performing in the Navy Band entertaining troops in the Pacific.
His band, the Motley Crew, included singer and keyboardist Curley Bridges, drummer Thomas E. ‘TNT’ Tribble, and vocalist Elsie "Angel Face" Kenley (1930–1991).
His biggest commercial success came in 1963, when his version of William Bell's song "Any Other Way", which he recorded with vocalist Jackie Shane for a small label in Boston, became a regional hit, rising to number 2 on the local Toronto pop chart.
[3] He disbanded the Motley Crew in 1966 and formed a new band in Toronto, the Hitch-Hikers, at first with Shane and then with singer Earle "The Mighty Pope" Heedram.
In declining health, Motley then retired to live in Durham, North Carolina, but continued to play in local dance bands.