Marvin Gaye

• Born: April 2, 1939
• Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
• Died: April 1, 1984
• Place of death: Los Angeles, California

Singer

Although his personal life was turbulent, Gaye earned a place among the most successful Motown artists of all time. His multifaceted recordings reflect his growth from a popular entertainer to a serious social and political commentator.

Areas of achievement: Music: funk; Music: rhythm and blues; Music: soul

Early Life

Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr., was the eldest son of the Reverend Marvin Pentz Gay, Sr., and Anna Cooper, a schoolteacher. He was raised in a poor and segregated area of Washington, D.C., and his father enforced a strict religious upbringing. Marvin, Sr., often was verbally and physically abusive toward his children.

Gaye’s musical talents were cultivated as a young boy singing in his father’s church choir. As he grew older, he began developing his three-octave vocal range and also taught himself piano and drums. He became a soloist in the choir, and after leaving high school early for a brief stint in the U.S. Air Force, he pursued music more seriously with the doo-wop group the Marquees in 1957. The group later was renamed the Moonglows and experienced moderate success recording and touring. After the group disbanded, Gaye moved to Detroit with producer-singer Harvey Fuqua and caught the attention of Berry Gordy, Jr., at the budding Motown Records. He became a session drummer and backup vocalist on several Motown hit records, while also pursuing his own attempts at solo recordings. It was around this time that he added the “e” to his surname. He initially was resistant to the “grooming” provided by Motown Records for artist development, and his early solo recordings failed to sell well. In 1961, Gaye married Gordy’s sister, Anna. The next year, he had his first solo hit with “Stubborn Kind of Fellow.”

Life’s Work

Throughout the 1960’s, Gaye maintained a steady output of Motown hits, including “Pride and Joy,” “Can I Get a Witness,” and “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” In the late 1960’s, he was able to capitalize on the ladies’-man image he had cultivated by recording several romantic duets with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, and Tammi Terrell. His partnership with Terrell was particularly productive, with memorable hits such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “You’re All I Need to Get By,” and “Ain’t Nothin’ Like the Real Thing.” The partnership came to an abrupt halt in 1967 when Terrell—suffering from a brain tumor—collapsed onstage in Gaye’s arms. Gaye was deeply affected by her illness and went into musical seclusion, despite the release of the landmark Motown hit “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” in 1968.

After Terrell died in 1970, Gaye reemerged with a new sound and musical concept that manifested in the most successful solo album of his career. What’s Going On? (1971) reflects deep spirituality and an increasing concern for social and political issues. His new style featured fluid and soulful vocals over the fusion of classical and jazz influences with strong percussion and soul roots. Despite Motown Records’ initial objections to releasing the album, it was so successful that the label renegotiated Gaye’s contract in a deal that made him its highest-earning black artist. Subsequent releases reflect a shift from social concerns to a more blatant sensuality, such as in 1973’s hugely popular Let’s Get It On. Gaye continued to produce hits throughout the 1970’s in the soul, funk, and disco categories.

Meanwhile, Gaye’s personal life was in turmoil because of heavy cocaine use and his divorce from Anna Gordy in the late 1970’s. Soon, Gaye’s second marriage also was failing, and increasing financial and drug problems led him to flee to Hawaii, then to Europe. Gaye’s 1981 concept album, In Our Lifetime?, triggered a dispute with Motown Records when Gaye accused the label of editing and mixing the album without his consent. He left the label and signed with Columbia Records. His 1982 release, Sexual Healing, returned him to star status one last time before his personal problems consumed his life.

Gaye returned to live with his parents and became increasingly erratic, depressed, and suicidal. He was frequently at odds with his father, and an argument on April 1, 1984, led to Gaye being shot to death by Marvin Gay, Sr.

Significance

Gaye has influenced countless musicians with an oeuvre that represents the development of rhythm-and-blues and soul music from popular entertainment to a sophisticated vehicle for expressing not only social and political concerns but also personal spirituality and raw sexuality. His fluid singing style and remarkable vocal range also influenced vocalists, and his tenacity for pursuing creative control over his albums inspired many of his contemporaries and subsequent artists to do the same. Gaye’s twenty-six-year music career provides a window into the social and political climate of the mid- to late twentieth century, and his music endures as a touchstone in American culture.

Bibliography

Dyson, Michael Eric. Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye. New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2004. Written by one of the leading figures in black studies, this account of Gaye’s life is somewhat controversial because of its focus on “biocriticism” and because of some intriguing assertions about Gaye’s personal relationships.

Edmonds, Ben. What’s Going On? Marvin Gaye and the Last Days of the Motown Sound. Edinburgh, U.K.: Mojo Books, 2001. An account of Gaye’s life and music through the lens of one of his most acclaimed songs, set against the backdrop of America’s turbulent era of Vietnam and civil rights protests.

Turner, Steve. Trouble Man: The Life and Death of Marvin Gaye. New York: HarperCollins, 1998. Written by a London-based music journalist, this thoroughly researched account supplements previous biographies with newer information and an up-to-date discography and listings of television and concert appearances.