In addition to 1960s soul music, Gaye also influenced 1970s soul music and his recordings of that era later influenced the R&B subgenresquiet storm andneo soul.[6] Several of his hit singles and albums have made several best-ofRolling Stone lists, including itsgreatest albums andgreatest songs of all time.
Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. was born on April 2, 1939, atFreedman's Hospital[8] in Washington, D.C., to church ministerMarvin Gay Sr. and domestic workerAlberta Gay (née Cooper). His first home was in a public housing project,[9] the Fairfax Apartments[10] (now demolished) at 1617 1st Street SW in theSouthwest Waterfront neighborhood.[11] Although it was one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, with many elegantFederal-style homes, most buildings were small, in disrepair, and lacking electricity and running water. The alleys were full of one- and two-story shacks, and nearly every dwelling was overcrowded.[12][13][14] Gaye and his friends nicknamed the area "Simple City", calling it "half-city, half country".[15][16][a]
Gaye was the second of the couple's four children. He had two sisters, Jeanne and Zeola, and one brother,Frankie Gaye. He also had two half-brothers: Michael Cooper, his mother's son from a previous relationship, and Antwaun Carey Gay,[18] born as a result of one of his father's extramarital affairs.[18]
Gaye started singing in church when he was four years old; his father often accompanied him on piano.[19][20][21] Gaye and his family were part of a conservative church known as the House of God that took its teachings fromPentecostalism, with a strict code of conduct.[22][23] Gaye developed a love of singing at an early age and was encouraged to pursue a professional music career after a performance at a school play at 11 singingMario Lanza's "Be My Love".[21] His home life consisted of "brutal whippings" by his father, who struck him for any shortcoming.[24] The young Gaye described living in his father's house as similar to "living with a king, a very peculiar, changeable, cruel, and all powerful king".[15] He felt that had his mother not consoled him and encouraged his singing, he would have committed suicide.[25] His sister later explained that Gaye was beaten often, from age seven well into his teenage years.[26]
Gaye attended Syphax Elementary School[27] and thenRandall Junior High School.[28][29] Gaye began to take singing much more seriously in junior high,[30] and he joined and became a singing star with the Randall Junior High Glee Club.[10]
In 1953[9][31][32] or 1954,[8][33][b] the Gays moved into the East Capitol Dwellings public housing project in D.C.'sCapitol View neighborhood.[8][35][c] Their townhouse apartment (Unit 12, 60th Street NE; now demolished) was Marvin's home until 1962.[34][d]
Gaye briefly attendedSpingarn High School before transferring toCardozo High School.[36] At Cardozo, Gaye joined severaldoo-wop vocal groups, including the Dippers and the D.C. Tones.[38] During his teenage years, his father often kicked him out of the house.[39] In 1956, 17-year-old Gaye dropped out of high school and enlisted in theUnited States Air Force.[40][41] He, like many of his peers, quickly became disenchanted with the service, which set them to menial labor instead of working on jet airplanes.[42] Gaye later said he lost his virginity to a local prostitute while in the Air Force.[43] He feigned mental illness and was given ageneral discharge; in his outgoing performance review, his sergeant wrote, "Airman Gay cannot adjust to regimentation nor authority".[44][45]
After Gaye left the Air Force, he formed a vocal quartet,the Marquees, with his good friend Reese Palmer.[46][47] The group performed in the D.C. area and soon began working withBo Diddley, who tried to persuade his own label,Chess, to sign them to a record deal. Failing that, he sent them toColumbia subsidiaryOKeh Records.[47] Diddley co-wrote the group's sole single, "Wyatt Earp"; it failed to chart and the group was soon dropped from the label.[48] Gaye begancomposing music.[48]
Moonglows co-founderHarvey Fuqua later hired the Marquees as employees.[49] Under Fuqua's direction, the group changed its name to Harvey and the New Moonglows, and moved to Chicago.[50] The group recorded several sides for Chess in 1959, including the song "Mama Loocie", which was Gaye's first lead vocal recording.[51] The group found work assession singers for established acts such asChuck Berry, singing on the songs "Back in the U.S.A." and "Almost Grown".[52] In 1960, the group disbanded. Gaye moved to Detroit with Fuqua, where he signed with Tri-Phi Records as a session musician, playing drums on several Tri-Phi releases. Soon, Fuqua got in touch withMotown presidentBerry Gordy and offered Gaye to Gordy to sign with the label's Tamla subsidiary selling half of his interest in Gaye.[53] Marvin reportedly signed on September 19, 1960.[54]
Gaye initially pursued a career in jazzstandards, rather than inR&B orrock and roll.[39] In May 1961, Tamla issued Marvin's first single, a rendition of "The Masquerade Is Over" under his original surname of "Gay".[55] The single was a limited release and shortly afterwards, Marvin added an "e" to his last name.[56] His first official single under his new name was the Gordy-pennedblues ballad, "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide", in May 1961, with the albumThe Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye, following a month later. Gaye's initial recordings failed commercially and he spent most of 1961 performing session work as a drummer for artists such asthe Miracles,the Marvelettes and blues artistJimmy Reed for $5 (US$53 in 2024[57]) a week.[58][59] While Gaye took some advice on performing with his eyes open (having been accused of appearing as though he were sleeping) and also got pointers on how to move more gracefully onstage, he refused to attend grooming school courses at the John Robert Powers School for Social Grace in Detroit because of his unwillingness to comply with its orders, something he later regretted.[60][61]
In 1962, Gaye found success as co-songwriter of the Marvelettes track "Beechwood 4-5789", on which he also played drums. His first solo hit, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow", was later released that September, reaching No. 8 on the R&B chart and No. 46 on theBillboard Hot 100 in November and December 1962 respectively.[62][63] Around the time of the song's release, Gaye joined the firstMotortown Revue; he was filmed along other Motown acts later that December at theApollo Theater.[64] In March 1963, Gaye first hit theBillboard pop top 40 with the dance song, "Hitch Hike".[65][66] "Pride and Joy" was Gaye's first top ten single on theBillboard Hot 100 on July 20, 1963.[67] Gaye's first chart album was withMary Wells on their 1964 collaborative album,Together, reaching No. 42 on theBillboard 200 and featured the double-A sided single "Once Upon a Time" / "What's the Matter with You Baby". Both sides reached the top 20 of theBillboard Hot 100 and increased Gaye's popularity.
Most of Gaye's hit recordings during this period were of interpretations of songs given to him by the label's staff writers, the first of which were the team ofHolland-Dozier-Holland, with whom he scored the hits "Can I Get a Witness" and "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)", which peaked at number six on theBillboard Hot 100 in January 1965.[68] Later in the year, Gaye released the hit singles "I'll Be Doggone" and "Ain't That Peculiar", written for him bySmokey Robinson; both songs reached theBillboard Hot 100 top ten and became his first two number one singles onHot R&B Singles chart, each selling a million copies. In 1966, during a chart lull where he failed to score a follow-up solo top ten single, Gaye returned toduet work withKim Weston, scoring a top 20 hit with "It Takes Two". Gaye's aspirations of being a pop crooner continued with the release of albums such asWhen I'm Alone I Cry,Hello Broadway andA Tribute to the Great Nat King Cole — all of whom were released to little fanfare.[69] Alive album, recorded at theCopacabana, set fora 1967 release, was shelved due to Gaye and Gordy fighting over control of the project.
Tammi Terrell died frombrain cancer on March 16, 1970; Gaye attended her funeral.[81] After a period of depression, Gaye sought out a position on theprofessional football team, theDetroit Lions, where he later befriendedMel Farr andLem Barney.[82] The Lions played along for the publicity, but ultimately declined an invitation for Gaye to try out, owing to legal liabilities and fears of possible injuries that could have affected his music career.[83][84]
On June 1, 1970, Gaye returned toHitsville U.S.A., where he recorded his new composition "What's Going On", inspired by an idea fromRenaldo "Obie" Benson of theFour Tops after he witnessed an act ofpolice brutality at ananti-war rally in Berkeley.[85] Upon hearing the song, Berry Gordy refused its release due to his feelings of the song being "too political" for radio and feared Gaye would lose his crossover audience.[86] Gaye responded by deciding against releasing any other new material before the label released it.[86] Released in January 1971, it reachedNo. 1 on the R&B charts within a month, staying there for five weeks. It also reached the top spot onCashbox's pop chart for a week and reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 and theRecord World chart, selling more than two million copies.[87][88] Mel Farr and Lem Barney participated in singing harmony vocals on the song and would later receive gold records for their participation in Gaye's project.
After giving an ultimatum to record a full album to win creative control from Motown, Gaye spent ten days recording theWhat's Going On album that March.[89] Motown issued the album that May after Gaye remixed the album in Hollywood.[86] The album became Gaye's first million-selling album launching two more top ten singles, "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "Inner City Blues". One of Motown's first autonomous works, its theme and segue flow brought theconcept album format to rhythm and blues and soul music. AnAllMusic writer later cited it as "the most important and passionate record to come out ofsoul music, delivered by one of its finest voices".[90] For the album, Gaye received twoGrammy Award nominations at the 1972 ceremony and severalNAACP Image Awards.[91] The album also toppedRolling Stone's year-end list as its album of the year.Billboard magazine named Gaye "Trendsetter of the Year" following the album's success.[92]
In 1971, Gaye signed a new deal with Motown worth $1 million (US$7,764,174 in 2024[57]), making it the most lucrative deal by a black recording artist at the time.[93] Following the deal, Gaye began recording a similar follow-up album,You're the Man. Thetitle track was only a modest hit upon release, only reaching No. 50 on theBillboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on theHot Soul Singles chart, the failure of the song led to Gaye to shelve the project, which wouldn't be released until 2019.[94] Not too long afterwards, Gaye relocated to Los Angeles and agreed to produce thesoundtrack and subsequentscore to theblaxploitation criminal thriller, "Trouble Man", which was released in November 1972. Thetitle track became Gaye's fifteenth top ten hit on theBillboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 7 in February 1973.[95]
In August 1973, Gaye released theLet's Get It On album. Itstitle track became Gaye's second No. 1 single on the Hot 100 in September 1973. The album was later hailed as "a record unparalleled in its sheer sensuality and carnal energy".[96] Other singles from the album included "Come Get to This", which recalled Gaye's early Motown soul sound of the previous decade, while the suggestive "You Sure Love to Ball" reached modest success on the R&B charts, while also managing to make the pop top 50, its success halted by radio refusing to play the sexually explicit song.[97]
In the 1970s, Gaye's sister-in-law turned her attention toFrankie Beverly, the founder ofMaze. Gaye took them on his tours, featured them as the opening acts of his concerts, and persuaded Beverly to change the band's name from Raw Soul to Maze.[98]
Gaye's final duet project,Diana & Marvin, withDiana Ross, garnered international success despite contrasting artistic styles. Much of the material was crafted especially for the duo by Ashford and Simpson.[99] Responding to demand from fans and Motown, Gaye started his firstconcert tour in four years at theOakland–Alameda County Coliseum on January 4, 1974.[100] The performance received critical acclaim and resulted in the release of the live album,Marvin Gaye Live! and its single, a live version of "Distant Lover", an album track fromLet's Get It On, reached theBillboard charts, peaking at No. 12 on thesoul chart later that November.[101][102][103]
The tour helped to enhance Gaye's reputation as a live performer.[100] For a time, he was earning $100,000 a night (US$637,584 in 2024 dollars[57]) for performances.[104] Gaye toured throughout 1974 and 1975. A renewed contract with Motown allowed Gaye to build his owncustom-made recording studio.[105]
In October 1975, Gaye gave a performance at aUNESCO benefit concert at New York'sRadio City Music Hall to support UNESCO's African literacy drive, resulting in him being commended at the United Nations by then-Ambassador toGhanaShirley Temple Black andKurt Waldheim.[106][107] Gaye's next studio album,I Want You, followed in March 1976 with the title track"I Want You" reaching No. 1 on the R&B charts. The album would go on to sell over one million copies. That fall, Gaye embarked on his first European concert tour, starting off at theRoyal Albert Hall inLondon.[108] In early 1977, Gaye released the live album,Live at the London Palladium, which sold over two million copies thanks to the success of its studio song, "Got to Give It Up", which charted at No. 1. In September 1977, Gaye opened Radio City Music Hall's New York Pop Arts Festival.[109]
In December 1978, Gaye releasedHere, My Dear, inspired by the fallout from his first marriage toAnna Gordy. Recorded with the intention of remitting a portion of its royalties to her asalimony payments, it performed poorly on the charts.[110] During that period, Gaye'scocaine addiction intensified while he was dealing with several financial issues with theIRS. These issues led him to move toMaui, where he struggled to record adisco-influenced album titledLove Man, with a probable release date for February 1980, though he would later shelve the project.[111] That year, Gaye went on a European tour, his first in four years.[112] By the time the tour stopped, he had relocated to London when he fearedimprisonment for failure to payback taxes, which had now reached upwards of $4.5 million (US$17,173,061 in 2024[57]).[112][113]
Gaye then reworkedLove Man from its original disco concept to another socially-conscious album invoking religion and the possibleend time from a chapter in theBook of Revelation.[114] Titling the albumIn Our Lifetime?, Gaye worked on the album for much of 1980 in London studios such asAIR andOdyssey Studios.[115]
In the fall of that year, a master tape of a rough draft of the album was stolen from one of Gaye's traveling musicians, Frank Blair, and taken to Motown's Hollywood headquarters.[116] Motown remixed the album and released it on January 15, 1981.[117] When Gaye learned of its release, he accused Motown of editing and remixing the album without his consent, allowing the release of an unfinished production ("Far Cry"), altering the cover art and removing the album title's question mark, muting its irony.[118] He also accused the label of rush-releasing the album, comparing his unfinished album to an unfinishedPablo Picasso painting.[118] Gaye then vowed not to record any more music for Motown.[119]
On February 14, 1981, under the advice of music promoterFreddy Cousaert, Gaye relocated to Cousaert's apartment inOstend, Belgium.[120] While there, Gaye shied away from heavy drug use and began exercising and attending a local Ostend church, regaining personal confidence.[121][122] In this period, Gaye lived in the home of Belgian musicianCharles Dumolin [nl]. In March 2024, it was revealed that when he moved on, Gaye had given the family a large collection of unreleased recordings made during his stay in the country.[123]
Following several months of recovery, Gaye sought a comeback onstage, going on the short-lived Heavy Love Affair tour in England and Ostend from June to July 1981.[124] Gaye's personal attorney Curtis Shaw would later describe Gaye's Ostend period as "the best thing that ever happened to Marvin". When word got around that Gaye was planning a musical comeback and an exit from Motown,CBS Urban president Larkin Arnold eventually convinced Gaye to sign withCBS Records. On March 23, 1982, Motown and CBS negotiated Gaye's release from Motown. The details of the contract were not revealed due to a possible negative effect on Gaye's settlement to creditors from the IRS and to stop a possible bidding war by competing labels.[125]
"Sexual Healing" was written by Gaye alongside Odell Brown andDavid Ritz. Ritz said Gaye advised him to write a poem after telling the singer he needed "sexual healing" while living in Europe. The song became an international hit after its release in 1982.
Assigned to CBS'sColumbia subsidiary, Gaye worked on his first post-Motown album titledMidnight Love. The first single from the album, "Sexual Healing", which was written and recorded in Ostend in Freddy Cousaert's apartment, was released in November 1982, and became Gaye's biggest career success, spending ten weeks at No. 1 on theHot Black Singles chart. The single took just four weeks to rise up the charts, the fastest since 1977. The song also became Gaye's eighteenth and final top 10 single on theBillboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 3 in January 1983, while reaching the top ten in several international markets including the UK, Australia and Belgium and topping the charts in Canada and New Zealand. It would sell more than two million copies in the U.S. alone, becoming Gaye's most successful single to date. The video for the song was shot at Ostend's Casino-Kursaal.[126]
"Sexual Healing" won Gaye his first twoGrammy Awards includingBest Male R&B Vocal Performance, in February 1983, and also won Gaye anAmerican Music Award in theR&B category.People magazine called it "America's hottest musical turn-on sinceOlivia Newton-John demanded we get 'Physical'". On its year-end chart,Billboard ranked "Sexual Healing" the top ranked R&B song of 1983, resulting in Gaye winning aBillboard Number-One Award.Midnight Love was released to stores less than a week after the single's release, and was equally successful, peaking at the top 10 of theBillboard 200 and becoming Gaye's eighth No. 1 album on theTop Black Albums chart, and was his first album in his career to be certified, goingplatinum in December 1982.[127][e] Sales eventually reach three million units, going triple-platinum posthumously in 2000, becoming his most successful album to date.[127] The album's subsequent singles "'Til Tomorrow" and "Joy" failed to chart on the Hot 100 while only receiving moderate success on the R&B charts. It would be his final songs to chart prior to his death.
I don't make records for pleasure. I did when I was a younger artist, but I don't today. I record so that I can feed people what they need, what they feel. Hopefully, I record so that I can help someone overcome a bad time.
On February 13, 1983, Gaye sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at theNBA All-Star Game atThe Forum inInglewood, California — accompanied byGordon Banks, who played the studio tape from the stands.[2] It has since been regarded as one of the greatest performances of the national anthem in its history.[129][130] Ten days later, on February 23, Gaye performed "Sexual Healing" at the25th Annual Grammy Awards and later won his Grammy shortly after the performance.[131] Gaye's final television performance occurred at theMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever TV special on May 16, 1983 where, after playing the piano and delivering a speech on the history ofblack music, including Motown itself, he performed "What's Going On".
Gaye embarked on his final concert tour in North America, titled theSexual Healing Tour, on April 18, 1983, at Humphreys by the Bay inSan Diego.[132][133] The 51-date tour included 50 dates in the United States and one date in Canada. Earlier shows were received well, including several dates at theCircle Star Theater inSan Carlos, California. Gaye brokeBarry Manilow's then-record of five sold-out shows atRadio City Music Hall with six.[134] By then, however, due tococaine andPCP-triggeredparanoia[135], increasing vocal issues and illness[136][137], the tour struggled to perform well and midway through as Gaye finished the tour in thePacific Southwest, the tour began suffering from ticket losses before ending on August 14, 1983, at thePacific Amphitheatre inCosta Mesa, California.[133][138] In February 1984,Midnight Love was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category, his 12th and final nomination.[70]
Gaye married twice. In June 1963, Gaye marriedAnna Gordy, sister ofBerry Gordy.[139] The couple's contentious marriage ended in 1977, after a two-year divorce trial. That year, Gaye married Janis Hunter, daughter ofSlim Gaillard, with after a four-year courtship. They separated in 1979 and officially divorced in 1982.
Gaye was the father of three: Marvin III (by adoption),Nona and Frankie. Marvin III was the biological son of Anna's niece,Denise Gordy, who was 16 at the time of his birth. Nona and Frankie were born to Gaye's second wife, Janis. Gaye was a cousin ofWu-Tang Clan memberMasta Killa.[140]
In 2018, producerQuincy Jones claimed Gaye had been sexually involved with actorMarlon Brando, an allegation denied by Gaye's surviving family.[141][142][143] Gaye's sister Zeola called the producer "wicked and vindictive", following Jones' allegations while Gaye's eldest son Marvin III stated that his father "didn't have anything against homosexuals" and that Gaye was a "ladies man".[143] Jones later apologized for his comments, calling it "word vomit".[143]
During his lifetime, Gaye owned several homes. Between 1967 and 1972, Gaye and his family lived at a comfortable house near Detroit'sOuter Drive before moving to Los Angeles in 1972 where for several months they lived at a home in theHollywood Hills. After separating from his first wife, he bought a one-bedroom apartment inCulver City, California where he lived for a couple of years before he and his then live-in girlfriend Janis resettled at a home inTopanga, California. After a robbery occurred there, they moved to a mansion inHidden Hills by 1975.
After purchasing what becameMarvin's Room inWest Hollywood, Gaye made the building into his own personal recording studio, apartment complex and nightclub. There, he recorded many of his late Motown-era recordings at the complex before the building was put on foreclosure following the singer filing for bankruptcy in 1978.
During his prolonged stay in Ostend, Gaye lived at a seafront apartment at Residence Jane on the Albert-I promenade 77 where he wrote "Sexual Healing". By 1982, he had moved to a 21-room villa just outside Ostend before returning to the United States. In 1983, Gaye rented a mansion inSherman Oaks but due to his increasing debt and drug issues, he soon returned to his parents' property inWest Adams, Los Angeles.
In late 1983, Gaye convinced his bodyguard on his final concert tour, Andre White, to give his fatherMarvin Gay Sr. a.38 Special handgun, due to the singer's continued fears of being targeted.[144] In the months leading up to his death, Gaye and his fatherMarvin Gay Sr. struggled with keeping themselves separated from each other at the family house in theWest Adams neighborhood ofWestern Heights[4] in Los Angeles due to constant conflict.[145] At the same time, Gaye was dealing with a crippling drug addiction and depression. On March 31, 1984, a fight occurred between Gaye's parents at the property, leading Gaye to intervene and defend his mother.[146] That night, no further conflict arose.
In the early afternoon hours of April 1, 1984, Gaye once again intervened in another verbal fight between his parents. When his father refused to leave his room despite his orders, Gaye physically attacked his father,[147] who shot Gaye twice, once in the chest, piercing his heart, and then into his shoulder.[147] The shooting took place in Gaye's bedroom at 12:38 p.m. Gaye was pronounced dead at 1:01 p.m. after his body arrived atCalifornia Hospital Medical Center.[147][148] He would have turned 45 the following day.
On April 5, 1984, over 10,000 people attended Gaye's wake, followed by a funeral on April 8, attended by his former Motown colleagues such asSmokey Robinson andStevie Wonder along with comedian and friendDick Gregory. Wonder performed the ballad "Lighting Up the Candles", which he wrote for the occasion. The song was later placed as the final song on Wonder's 1991soundtrack for the film,Jungle Fever.
Over time, Gaye relied less on drums and more on piano and various keyboard instruments, more prominently as he began producing his own music in the 1970s. By the release ofWhat's Going On, Gaye had begun getting involved withsynthesizers and programming machines. Gaye notably used themellotron, a keyboard instrument, at the end of "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", a hit off theWhat's Going On album.
During the making of theMidnight Love album in 1982, Gaye was using theTR-808, adrum machine that became prominent in the early '80s. The synthesized electro-funk sound led to severalR&B andhip-hop artists to use the machine for their own music.[153]
Clyde McPhatter (left) and Ray Charles (right) were among Marvin Gaye's major musical influences growing up.
As a child, Gaye's main influence was his minister father, mentioning that his father's sermons greatly impressed him. His early musical influence as a child was gospel singerMahalia Jackson.
His first major musical influences outside of gospel music weredoo-wop groups such asThe Moonglows andThe Capris. Gaye'sRock & Roll Hall of Fame page lists the Capris' song, "God Only Knows" as "critical to his musical awakening".[154] Of the Capris' song, Gaye said, "It fell from the heavens and hit me between the eyes. So much soul, so much hurt. I related to the story, to the way that no one except the Lord really can read the heart of lonely kids in love."[155]
In addition, Gaye was also inspired byBillie Holiday[159] andJohnnie Ray, having been discovered singing Ray's hit, "Cry", by his classmates.
As his Motown career developed, Gaye took inspiration from fellow label mates such asDavid Ruffin ofThe Temptations andLevi Stubbs of theFour Tops, whose grittier voices led to Gaye and his producer seeking a similar sound in recordings such as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "That's the Way Love Is". Later in his life, Gaye reflected on the influence of Ruffin and Stubbs, stating: "I had heard something in their voices something my own voice lacked."[160] He further explained, "theTempts andTops' music made me remember that when a lot of women listen to music, they want to feel the power of a real man."[160]
Gaye had a four-octavevocal range.[161] From his earlier recordings as member of the Marquees and Harvey and the New Moonglows, and in his first several recordings with Motown, Gaye recorded mainly in thebaritone andtenor ranges. He changed his tone to a rasp for his gospel-inspired early hits such as "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" and "Hitch Hike". As writerEddie Holland explained, "He was the only singer I have ever heard known to take a song of that nature, that was so far removed from his natural voice where he liked singing, and do whatever it took to sell that song."[162]
In songs such as "Pride and Joy", Gaye used three vocal ranges: his baritone range at the beginning, bringing a lighter tenor in the verses, and reaching a gospel mode in the chorus. Holland said Gaye had "one of the sweetest and prettiest voices you ever wanted to hear".[163] He said that Gaye's "basic soul" was ballads and jazz, but he "had the ability to take a roughhouse, rock and roll, blues, R&B, any kind of song and make it his own". Gaye, he said, was the most versatile vocalist he had ever worked with.[163]
Gaye changed his vocal style in the late 1960s, when he was advised to use a sharper, raspy voice—especially in Norman Whitfield's recordings. Gaye initially disliked the new style, considering it out of his range, but said he was "into being produce-able".[164] After listening to David Ruffin and Levi Stubbs, Gaye said he started to develop what he called his "tough man voice"—saying, "I developed a growl."[160] In the liner notes of his DVD set,Marvin Gaye: The Real Thing in Performance 1964–1981, Rob Bowman said that by the early 1970s, Gaye had developed "three distinct voices: his smooth, sweet tenor; a growling rasp; and an unrealfalsetto."[165] Bowman further wrote that the recording of theWhat's Going On single was "...the first single to use all three as Marvin developed a radical approach to constructing his recordings by layering a series of contrapuntal background vocal lines on different tracks, each one conceived and sung in isolation by Marvin himself."[165] Bowman found that Gaye's multi-tracking of his tenor voice and other vocal styles "summon[ed] up what might be termed the ancient art of weaving".[165]
Before recording theWhat's Going On album, Gaye recorded a cover of the song "Abraham, Martin & John", which became a UK hit in 1970. Despite some political music and socially conscious material recorded byThe Temptations, Motown artists were often told to not delve into political and social commentary, for fear of alienating pop audiences. Early in his career, Gaye was affected by social events including the 1965Watts riots and once asked himself: "with the world exploding around me, how am I supposed to keep singing love songs?"[166] When Gaye called Gordy in the Bahamas about wanting to doprotest music, Gordy told him: "Marvin, don't be ridiculous. That's taking things too far."[89]
Gaye was inspired by theBlack Panther Party and supported the efforts they put forth such as giving free meals to poor families door to door. However, he did not support the violent tactics the Panthers used to fight oppression, as Gaye's messages in many of his political songs werenonviolent. The lyrics and music ofWhat's Going On discuss and illustrate issues during the 1960s/1970s such as racism, police brutality, drug abuse, environmental issues, anti-war, and black power issues.[167] Gaye was inspired to make this album because of events such as theVietnam War, the1967 race riots in Detroit, and theKent State shootings, as well as the assassinations ofMartin Luther King Jr. andRobert F. Kennedy.[168]
Once Gaye presented Gordy with theWhat's Going On album, Gordy feared Gaye was risking the ruination of his image as a sex symbol.[86] Following the album's success, Gaye tried a follow-up album,You're the Man. Thetitle track only produced modest success, however, and Gaye and Motown shelved the album. Several of Gaye's unreleased songs of social commentary, including "The World Is Rated X", would be issued on posthumous compilation albums.What's Going On would later be described by anAllMusic writer as an album that "not only redefined soul music as a creative force but also expanded its impact as an agent for social change".[169]You're the Man was finally released on March 29, 2019, throughMotown,Universal Music Enterprises, andUniversal Music Group.[170]
TheWhat's Going On album also provided another first in both Motown and R&B music: Gaye and his engineers had composed the album in asong cycle, segueing previous songs into other songs giving the album a more cohesive feel as opposed to R&B albums that traditionally includedfiller tracks to complete the album. This style of music would influence recordings by artists such asStevie Wonder andBarry White making the concept album format a part of 1970s R&B music. Although Gaye was not politically active outside of his music, he became a public figure for social change and inspired/educated many people through his work.[168]
Gaye has been called "the number-one purveyor of soul music".[19] In his bookMercy Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye,Michael Eric Dyson described Marvin as someone "who transcended the boundaries ofrhythm and blues as no other performer had done before".[171] Following hisdeath,The New York Times described Gaye as someone who "blended the soul music of the urban scene with the beat of the old-time gospel singer and became an influential force in pop music".[172] Further in the article, Gaye was also credited with combining "the soulful directness of gospel music, the sweetness of soft-soul and pop, and the vocal musicianship of a jazz singer".[172] His recordings for Motown in the 1960s and 1970s shaped that label's signature sound. His work with Motown gave him the titlesPrince of Soul andPrince of Motown.[173][174]
Critics stated that Gaye's music "signified the development ofblack music from raw rhythm and blues, through sophisticated soul to the political awareness of the 1970s and increased concentration on personal and sexual politics thereafter".[175] As a Motown artist, Gaye was among the first to break from the reins of its production system, paving the way forStevie Wonder.[19][176][177][178] Gaye's 1970s recordings influenced forms of R&B predating the subgenresquiet storm andneo-soul while his 1980s recordings influencedcontemporary R&B.[6]
David Ritz wrote in a 1991 revision ofhis biography of Gaye, "since 1983, Marvin's name has been mentioned—in reverential tones—on no less than seven top-ten hit records."[174] Gaye's name has been used in the title of several hits, includingBig Sean's "Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay" andCharlie Puth's debut hit, "Marvin Gaye", a duet withMeghan Trainor. The 1983 Spandau Ballet hit "True" mentions "Listening to Marvin all night long...".[180]
TheRock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him in 1987, declaring that Gaye "made a huge contribution to soul music in general and the Motown Sound in particular". The page stated that Gaye "possessed a classicR&B voice that was edged with grit yet tempered with sweetness". The page further states that Gaye "projected an air of soulful authority driven by fervid conviction and heartbroken vulnerability".[154] A year after his death, then-mayor of D.C.,Marion Barry declared April 2 as "Marvin Gaye Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund Day" in the city.[181] Since then, a non-profit organization has helped to organize annual Marvin Gaye Day Celebrations in the city of Washington.[182]
A year later, Gaye's mother founded the Marvin P. Gaye Jr. Memorial Foundation in dedication to her son to help those suffering fromdrug abuse and alcoholism; however she died a day before the memorial was set to open in 1987.[183] Gaye's sister Jeanne once served as the foundation's chairperson.[184] In 1988, a year after his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Gaye was inducted posthumously to theNAACP Hall of Fame. In 1990, Gaye received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.[185][186] In 1996, Gaye posthumously received theGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed three Gaye recordings, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "What's Going On" and "Sexual Healing", among its list of the500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.[187] American music magazineRolling Stone ranked Gaye No. 18 on theirlist of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time",[188] sixth on their list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time"[189] and No. 82 on their list ofthe "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time".[190]Q magazine ranked Gaye sixth on their list of the "100 Greatest Singers".[191]
Three of Gaye's albums –What's Going On (1971),Let's Get It On (1973), andHere, My Dear (1978) – were ranked byRolling Stone on their list of the500 Greatest Albums of All Time.What's Going On remains his largest-ranked album, reaching No. 6 on theRolling Stone list and topped theNME list of theTop 100 Albums of All Time in 1985[192] and was later chosen in 2003 for inclusion by theLibrary of Congress to itsNational Recording Registry.[193] In a revised 2020Rolling Stone list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,What's Going On was listed as the greatest album of all time. In addition, four of his songs – "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "What's Going On", "Let's Get It On" and "Sexual Healing" – made it on theRolling Stone list of the500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[194][195][196][197] In 2005, Gaye was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.[198]
Karen Bass and Gaye's family at the dedication of the Marvin Gaye Post Office in Los Angeles in 2019
In 2006, Watts Branch Park, a park in Washington that Gaye frequented as a teenager, was renamed Marvin Gaye Park.[199] Three years later, the 5200 block of Foote Street NE inDeanwood, Washington, D.C., was renamed Marvin Gaye Way.[200] In August 2014, Gaye was inducted to the officialRhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in its second class.[201] In October 2015, theSongwriters Hall of Fame announced Gaye as a nominee for induction to the Hall's 2016 class after posthumous nominations were included.[202][203] Gaye was named as a posthumous inductee to that hall on March 2, 2016.[204][205] Gaye was subsequently inducted to the Songwriters Hall on June 9, 2016.[206] In July 2018, a bill by California politicianKaren Bass to rename a post office inSouth Los Angeles after Gaye was signed into law by PresidentDonald Trump.[207] Gaye was ranked No. 20 onRolling Stone's "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time" published in January 2023.[208] In June 2025,Billboard ranked Gaye the tenth best R&B artist of all time.[209]
His1983 NBA All-Star performance[210] of the national anthem was used in aNike commercial featuring the 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team. Also, onCBS Sports' final NBA telecast to date (before the contract moved toNBC) at the conclusion of Game 5 of the1990 Finals, they used Gaye's 1983 All-Star Game performance over the closing credits. WhenVH1 launched on January 1, 1985, Gaye's 1983 rendition of the national anthem was the first video they aired. In 2010, it was used in the intro toKen Burns'Tenth Inning documentary on the game of baseball.[citation needed] The 1985Commodores song "Nightshift" was a tribute to Gaye andJackie Wilson, who both died in 1984. One verse mentions Gaye's song "What's Going On".[citation needed]
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" was played in aLevi's television advertisement in 1985.[211][212] The result of the commercial's success led to the original song finding renewed success in Europe afterTamla-Motown re-released it in the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands.[212] In 1986, the song was covered byBuddy Miles as part of aCalifornia Raisins ad campaign.[213] The song was later used forchewing gum commercials in Finland and to promote a brand ofLucky Strike cigarettes in Germany.[214][215]
In 2007, his song "A Funky Space Reincarnation" was used in theCharlize Theron–starred ad forDior J'Adore perfume. A documentary about Gaye—What's Going On: The Marvin Gaye Story—was a UK/PBS co-production, directed byJeremy Marre and was first broadcast in 2006. Two years later, the special re-aired with a different production and newer interviews after it was re-broadcast as anAmerican Masters special. Two documentaries focusing on his 1981–82 stay in Ostend, titledMarvin Gaye Transit Ostende andRemember Marvin Gaye, were released in 1989 and 2001 respectively.[219][220]
In 2008, Gaye's estate earned $3.5 million (US$5,111,515 in 2024 dollars[57]). As a result, Gaye placed 13th inForbes Magazine's "Top-Earning Dead Celebrities".[221]
On March 11, 2015, Gaye's family was awarded $7.4 million in damages following a decision by an eight-member jury in Los Angeles thatRobin Thicke andPharrell Williams had breached copyright by incorporating part of Gaye's song "Got to Give It Up" into their hit "Blurred Lines"; U.S. District Judge John Kronstadt reduced the sum later that year to $5.3 million, while adding royalties.[222][223] In January 2016, the Gaye family requested that a California judge award an additional $2.66 million in attorneys' fees and $777,000 in legal expenses.[224]
As of 2025, Gaye's estate was managed by Geffen Management Group and his legacy is protected through Creative Rights Group. Both are founded by talent managerJeremy Geffen.[225]
There have been several attempts to adapt Gaye's life story into a feature film. In February 2006, it was reported thatJesse L. Martin was to portray Gaye in a biopic titledSexual Healing, named after Gaye's1982 song of the same name. The film was to have been directed by Lauren Goodman and produced byJames Gandolfini and Alexandra Ryan. The film was to depict the final three years of Gaye's life.[226][227][228][229][230] Years later, other producers such as Jean-Luc Van Damme, Frederick Bestall and Jimmy De Brabant, came aboard and Goodman was replaced byJulien Temple.Lenny Kravitz was almost slated to play Gaye. The script was to be written by Matthew Broughton. The film was to have been distributed byFocus Features and released on April 1, 2014, the thirtieth anniversary of Gaye's death.[231][232][233][234][235][236][237] This never came to fruition and it was announced that Focus Features no longer has involvement with the Gaye biopic as of June 2013.[238][239]
In June 2008, it was announced thatF. Gary Gray was going to direct a biopic titledMarvin. The script was to be written by C. Gaby Mitchell and the film was to be produced by David Foster and Duncan McGillivray and co-produced by Ryan Heppe. According to Gray, the film would cover Gaye's entire life, from his emergence at Motown through his defiance of Berry Gordy to recordWhat's Going On and on up to his death.[240][241]
Cameron Crowe had also been working on a biopic titledMy Name Is Marvin. The film was to have been aSony presentation withScott Rudin as producer. BothWill Smith andTerrence Howard were considered for the role of Gaye. Crowe later confirmed in August 2011 that he abandoned the project: "We were working on the Marvin Gaye movie which is calledMy Name is Marvin, but the time just wasn't right for that movie."[242][243][244][245][246] Members of Gaye's family, such as his ex-wife Janis and his son Marvin III, have expressed opposition to a biopic.[247][248]
In July 2016, it was announced that a feature film documentary on Gaye would be released the following year delving into his life and the making of his 1971 albumWhat's Going On. The film would be developed by Noah Media Group and Greenlight and is quoted to be "the defining portrait of this visionary artist and his impeccable album" by the film's producers Gabriel Clarke and Torquil Jones.[249] The film will include "unseen footage" of Gaye.[250] Gaye's family approved of the documentary.[249] In November 2016, it was announced that the actorJamie Foxx was billed to produce a limited biopic series on Gaye's life.[251] The series was approved by Gaye's family, including son Marvin III, who was to serve as executive producer, andBerry Gordy Jr.[251]
On June 18, 2018, it was reported that American rapperDr. Dre was in talks to produce a biopic about Gaye.[252] In June 2021, it was announced that the film Dre would be producing was greenlighted byWarner Bros. Pictures and would be directed byAllen Hughes for a projected 2023 release.[253]
In April 2025,Terrence Howard revealed that he once turned down a role portraying Gaye in a biopic as he was worried he would have to kiss another man. In an interview, Howard toldBill Maher, "That would fuck me. I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off."[254]
Gaye acted in two movies, featuring as aVietnam veteran in both roles. His first performance was in the 1969George McCowan filmThe Ballad of Andy Crocker, which starredLee Majors. The film was about a war veteran returning to find that his expectations have not been met and he feels betrayed. Gaye had a prominent role in the film as David Owens.[255] His other performance was in 1971. He had a role in theLee Frost-directed biker-exploitation filmChrome and Hot Leather, about a group of Vietnam veterans taking on a bike gang. The film starredWilliam Smith; Gaye played the part of Jim, one of the veterans.[256][257]
Gaye did have acting aspirations and had signed with theWilliam Morris Agency but that only lasted a year as Gaye was not satisfied with the support he was getting from the agency. In his interview with David Ritz, Gaye admitted being interested in show business particularly when he was hired to compose the soundtrack forTrouble Man. "No doubt I could have been a movie star, but it was something my subconscious rejected. Not that I didn't want it, I most certainly did. I just didn't have the fortitude to play the Hollywood game: to put myself out there, knowing they would eat my rear end like a piece of meat."[258]
^This area should not be confused with the present-dayBenning Terrace public housing complex in theBenning Ridge neighborhood, which today is also nicknamed "Simple City".[17]
^At least once source claims they did not move in until 1955.[34]
^MacKenzie and a wide range of sources mischaracterize this neighborhood asDeanwood.[32]
^Some sources suggest the family first moved to theBenning Ridge neighborhood after leaving Southwest. According to Zeola Gay[36] andThe Washington Post reporter Roger Catlin,[8] the Gay family moved to theBenning Terrace public housing project in the early 1950s. This is not possible, as the Benning Terrace apartments did not begin construction until late 1956,[37] a full year after Marvin Gaye had left home for the military.
^Throughout his career in Motown, the label wasn't a member of theRecording Industry Association of America until 1978. Therefore a lot of Gaye's best-selling work at the label wouldn't get certified until the advent ofCDs in the 1990s.
^Ritz 1991, p. 13: "If it wasn't for Mother, who was always there to console me and praise me for my singing, I think I would have been one of those child suicide cases you read about in the papers".
^Ritz 1991, p. 12: "From the time he was seven until he became a teenager, Marvin's life at home consisted of a series of brutal whippings".
^John Bush.What's Going On remains one of the few examples in modern music of critical acclaim and immediate commercial success occurring simultaneously.What's Going On was the first in a series of Motown albums in which albums overtook singles in commercial importance as well as cultural significance.review ofWhat's Going On, by Marvin Gaye, allmusic.com (accessed June 10, 2005)
^"Ross, Diana/Marvin Gaye – Diana & Marvin."Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 4th ed. Ed. Colin Larkin.Oxford Music Online.Oxford University Press. Web. January 28, 2017.
^"Marvin Gaye "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide"".Classic Motown. RetrievedJanuary 15, 2026.I adored that album, and wanted to do one just like it," Marvin Gaye told his biographer David Ritz. The work he was speaking about: Billie Holiday's Lady In Satin.
^Vincet, Rickey (2013).Party Music : The Inside Story of the Black Panthers' Band and How Black Power Transformed Soul Music. Lawrence Hill Books. pp. 288–289.
Banks, James G.; Banks, Peter S. (2004).The Unintended Consequences: Family and Community, the Victims of Isolated Poverty. Lanham, Md.:University Press of America.ISBN9780761828563.
Batchelor, Bob (2005).Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond. Haworth Press.ISBN0-7890-1613-3.
Whitburn, Joel (2004).The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Complete Chart Information About America's Most Popular Songs and Artists, 1955–2003. Billboard Books.ISBN0-8230-7499-4.
White, Adam (1985).The Motown Story. London: Orbis.ISBN0-85613-626-3.
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