Febary 13, 1983: The Afternoon Marv Gaye Revolutnized The Sgg of the Natnal Anthem

Contents:

• 20 YEARS AGO, MARV GAYE TOOK 'NATNAL ANTHEM' TO NEW HEIGHTS
• FEBARY 13, 1983: THE AFTERNOON MARV GAYE REVOLUTNIZED THE SGG OF THE NATNAL ANTHEM
• THE ALL-STAR ANTHEMPJ MCQUA/;PJ MCQUA/FACEBOOKTWTERFACEBOOK MSENGEREMAILPETE CROATTOFEB 15, 2013, 03:00 AM ETFACEBOOKTWTERFACEBOOK MSENGERPTERTEMAILPRTIT WAS EARLY AFTERNOON INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 10 MUT BEFORE THE 12:30 P.M. TELEVISED START OF THE 1983 NBA ALL-STAR GAME, AND AMANDA MAYO WAS A BROOM CLOSET.TWENTY MUT EARLIER, A PANICKED LON ROSEN, THE LAKERS' DIRECTOR OF PROMOTNS, HAD ASKED THE 24-YEAR-OLD TEAM EMPLOYEE TO GET READY. THE PLANNED PREGAME ACT WAS NEARLY TWO HOURS LATE AND, SPE THE VERY HOLLYWOOD CROWD GATHERED AT THE FOM, ROSEN ULDN'T FD ANY SGERS TO FILL . SO THE HER WH PERFECT PCH, THE ACTRS'S DGHTER WHO HAD TALKED HER WAY TO THE TEAM'S ROTATN OF NATNAL ANTHEM SGERS, WOULD HAVE TO PERFORM.THE SMALL SPACE UNR THE FOM'S STAIRS WAS THE PREFERRED WARM-UP SPOT FOR MAYO, WHOSE MOTHER, JA BLAIR, WAS THE STAR OF A STRG OF MILS AND EDI THE 1940S. SHE DIDN'T MD THE LAST-SEND REQUTS. THERE WAS NO TIME TO OBSS OR WORRY, THOUGH SHE DID NTACT HER BROTHER AND LET HIM KNOW WHAT MIGHT BE G. "CALL EVERYBODY," SHE TOLD HIM.SURROUND BY NCRETE WALLS AND WH AN DIENCE OF A MOP AND BROOM, MAYO THOUGHT ABOUT THE MAGNU OF THE SCENE, AND THE EXCEMENT SURROUNDG THE MIL LEGEND SHE WAS ABOUT TO REPLACE. ONE THOUGHT, HOWEVER, LGERED ABOVE THE SPECTACLE."I REALLY WANTED HIM TO SHOW UP THE END," SHE REMEMBERS.HE DID.ROSEN LISTENED TO MARV GAYE'S TAKE ON "THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER" OM THE SRER'S TABLE AT CENTER URT. HE LOVED WHAT HE HEARD, BUT STILL HAD NCERNS. GAYE'S RENDN WAS A BREAK TRADN, AND JUDGG BY THE ENZIED RPONSE OF 17,505 ATTEN, ROSEN KNEW PLENTY OF PEOPLE MIGHT FD DISRPECTFUL. ONE THG, HOWEVER, WAS IMMEDIATELY CLEAR: NBA MISSNER LARRY O'BRIEN SURE DID.DURG THE FIRST QUARTER, O'BRIEN LET ROSEN HAVE . THE NVERSATN WAS SHORT AND "VERY LORFUL," SAYS ROSEN, WHO CLED TO GO TO SPECIFICS.MARV GAYE HAD BEEN ONE OF ROSEN'S MIL HERO. NOW ROSEN WAS SURE GAYE WAS GOG TO GET HIM FIRED. AT HALFTIME, ROSEN HAD TO CHECK WH LAKERS OWNER JERRY BS. THE WALK TO THE PRIVATE BOX WAS EXCCIATGLY LONG; FELT LIKE HE WAS HEADG TO THE PRCIPAL'S OFFICE."WHAT'S THE MATTER?" BS ASKED.ROSEN TOLD HIM."THAT WAS THE GREATT ANTHEM OF ALL TIME," BS REPLIED. "ARE YOU KIDDG?"IT'S BEEN 30 YEARS SCE MARV GAYE'S GROUNDBREAKG NATNAL ANTHEM, AND AT THIS POT, 'S HARD TO QUTN S IMPACT ON POP CULTURE. GAYE ME BEFORE WHNEY HOTON'S TRIUMPH TAMPA … AND FOR ROSEANNE BARR'S CROTCH-GRABBG EMBARRASSMENT SAN DIEGO. AND HIS RENDN FLUENCED THE NBA, WHOSE "HISTORY WAS BEG VENTED AS WE SPOKE," SAYS GOLN STATE WARRRS PRINT RICK WELTS, WHO WORKED THE LEAGUE OFFICE OM 1982 TO 1999 AND CREATED ALL-STAR WEEKEND. VENERABLE BASKETBALL WRER JACK MCCALLUM SAYS GAYE'S PERFORMANCE SIGNIFIED THE LEAGUE PLANTG S FLAG AS "A CULTURAL LEAR."AT THE TIME, HOWEVER, "YOU DIDN'T HEAR PASSNATE VERSNS OF 'THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER,' WHICH IS WHY 'S A MISTAKE TO HAVE AT 10,000 BASEBALL GAM," SAYS MIC WRER DAVE MARSH. "IT DILUT THE MEANG THE SONG HAS. IT'S SOMETHG THAT ALONG LIKE THE FIVE O'CLOCK TRA." GAYE'S BGRAPHER AND IEND DAVID RZ SAYS THE PERFORMANCE OFFERED A SOCIAL MENTARY AND REVEALED THE SGER'S SOUL. IT WAS A CHALLENGE TO THE AMERIN JGOISM EMBRACED BY PRINT REAGAN — AND AN SI JOKE: HERE'S A FUNKY, DISTCTIVELY BLACK VERSN THAT'S REPRENTATIVE OF WHAT'S ON THE URT.MARV GAYE'S NATNAL ANTHEMAUD CLIPS URTY OF GAYE'S GUARIST AND MIL DIRECTOR, GORDON BANKS. THE FIRST IS GAYE PRACTICG WH A DIFFERENT BEAT; THE SEND IS THE BEAT ED AT THE ALL-STAR GAME.CLICK HERE FOR D
• FLASHBACK: MARV GAYE REIMAG ‘THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER’ 1983
• MARV GAYE SGS THE U.S. NATNAL ANTHEM
• MARV GAYE SGS THE NATNAL ANTHEM
• MARV GAYE’S INIC NBA ALL-STAR GAME NATNAL ANTHEM: ‘HE TURNED THAT THG TO HIS OWN’
• MARV GAYE'S INIC PERFORMANCE OF THE NATNAL ANTHEM THAT WOWED THE WORLD
• MARV GAYE SPIC UP “THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER” AT NBA ALL-STAR GAME, ON THIS DAY IN 1983 [WATCH]
• MARV GAYE'S ALL-STAR GAME NATNAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCE: LOOKG BACK AT THE FG MOMENT OM 1983
• MARV GAYE | AMERIN NATNAL ANTHEM
• MARV GAYE NATNAL ANTHEM
• MARV GAYE’S NATNAL ANTHEM
• MARV GAYE SGS THE NATNAL ANTHEM
• FLASHBACK: MARV GAYE REIMAG ‘THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER’ 1983
• MARV GAYE'S ALL-STAR GAME NATNAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCE: LOOKG BACK AT THE FG MOMENT OM 1983
• MARV GAYE'S LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE OF THE NATNAL ANTHEM THAT WOWED THE WORLD
• MARV GAYE'S SOULFUL 'THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER' AT 1983 NBA ALL-STAR GAME IS NATNAL HEALG
• MARV GAYE NATNAL ANTHEM

20 YEARS AGO, MARV GAYE TOOK 'NATNAL ANTHEM' TO NEW HEIGHTS

20 Years Ago, Marv Gaye Took 'Natnal Anthem' To New Heights. It was 20 years ago, at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, that Marv Gaye stole the show wh his sgular rendn of "The Star-Spangled Banner.

But for this game, Gaye took the anthem to a new level.

FEBARY 13, 1983: THE AFTERNOON MARV GAYE REVOLUTNIZED THE SGG OF THE NATNAL ANTHEM

He says Gaye's one rehearsal was bumpy.

By this pot his life, Gaye was battlg a ser dg addictn.

THE ALL-STAR ANTHEMPJ MCQUA/;PJ MCQUA/FACEBOOKTWTERFACEBOOK MSENGEREMAILPETE CROATTOFEB 15, 2013, 03:00 AM ETFACEBOOKTWTERFACEBOOK MSENGERPTERTEMAILPRTIT WAS EARLY AFTERNOON INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 10 MUT BEFORE THE 12:30 P.M. TELEVISED START OF THE 1983 NBA ALL-STAR GAME, AND AMANDA MAYO WAS A BROOM CLOSET.TWENTY MUT EARLIER, A PANICKED LON ROSEN, THE LAKERS' DIRECTOR OF PROMOTNS, HAD ASKED THE 24-YEAR-OLD TEAM EMPLOYEE TO GET READY. THE PLANNED PREGAME ACT WAS NEARLY TWO HOURS LATE AND, SPE THE VERY HOLLYWOOD CROWD GATHERED AT THE FOM, ROSEN ULDN'T FD ANY SGERS TO FILL . SO THE HER WH PERFECT PCH, THE ACTRS'S DGHTER WHO HAD TALKED HER WAY TO THE TEAM'S ROTATN OF NATNAL ANTHEM SGERS, WOULD HAVE TO PERFORM.THE SMALL SPACE UNR THE FOM'S STAIRS WAS THE PREFERRED WARM-UP SPOT FOR MAYO, WHOSE MOTHER, JA BLAIR, WAS THE STAR OF A STRG OF MILS AND EDI THE 1940S. SHE DIDN'T MD THE LAST-SEND REQUTS. THERE WAS NO TIME TO OBSS OR WORRY, THOUGH SHE DID NTACT HER BROTHER AND LET HIM KNOW WHAT MIGHT BE G. "CALL EVERYBODY," SHE TOLD HIM.SURROUND BY NCRETE WALLS AND WH AN DIENCE OF A MOP AND BROOM, MAYO THOUGHT ABOUT THE MAGNU OF THE SCENE, AND THE EXCEMENT SURROUNDG THE MIL LEGEND SHE WAS ABOUT TO REPLACE. ONE THOUGHT, HOWEVER, LGERED ABOVE THE SPECTACLE."I REALLY WANTED HIM TO SHOW UP THE END," SHE REMEMBERS.HE DID.ROSEN LISTENED TO MARV GAYE'S TAKE ON "THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER" OM THE SRER'S TABLE AT CENTER URT. HE LOVED WHAT HE HEARD, BUT STILL HAD NCERNS. GAYE'S RENDN WAS A BREAK TRADN, AND JUDGG BY THE ENZIED RPONSE OF 17,505 ATTEN, ROSEN KNEW PLENTY OF PEOPLE MIGHT FD DISRPECTFUL. ONE THG, HOWEVER, WAS IMMEDIATELY CLEAR: NBA MISSNER LARRY O'BRIEN SURE DID.DURG THE FIRST QUARTER, O'BRIEN LET ROSEN HAVE . THE NVERSATN WAS SHORT AND "VERY LORFUL," SAYS ROSEN, WHO CLED TO GO TO SPECIFICS.MARV GAYE HAD BEEN ONE OF ROSEN'S MIL HERO. NOW ROSEN WAS SURE GAYE WAS GOG TO GET HIM FIRED. AT HALFTIME, ROSEN HAD TO CHECK WH LAKERS OWNER JERRY BS. THE WALK TO THE PRIVATE BOX WAS EXCCIATGLY LONG; FELT LIKE HE WAS HEADG TO THE PRCIPAL'S OFFICE."WHAT'S THE MATTER?" BS ASKED.ROSEN TOLD HIM."THAT WAS THE GREATT ANTHEM OF ALL TIME," BS REPLIED. "ARE YOU KIDDG?"IT'S BEEN 30 YEARS SCE MARV GAYE'S GROUNDBREAKG NATNAL ANTHEM, AND AT THIS POT, 'S HARD TO QUTN S IMPACT ON POP CULTURE. GAYE ME BEFORE WHNEY HOTON'S TRIUMPH TAMPA … AND FOR ROSEANNE BARR'S CROTCH-GRABBG EMBARRASSMENT SAN DIEGO. AND HIS RENDN FLUENCED THE NBA, WHOSE "HISTORY WAS BEG VENTED AS WE SPOKE," SAYS GOLN STATE WARRRS PRINT RICK WELTS, WHO WORKED THE LEAGUE OFFICE OM 1982 TO 1999 AND CREATED ALL-STAR WEEKEND. VENERABLE BASKETBALL WRER JACK MCCALLUM SAYS GAYE'S PERFORMANCE SIGNIFIED THE LEAGUE PLANTG S FLAG AS "A CULTURAL LEAR."AT THE TIME, HOWEVER, "YOU DIDN'T HEAR PASSNATE VERSNS OF 'THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER,' WHICH IS WHY 'S A MISTAKE TO HAVE AT 10,000 BASEBALL GAM," SAYS MIC WRER DAVE MARSH. "IT DILUT THE MEANG THE SONG HAS. IT'S SOMETHG THAT ALONG LIKE THE FIVE O'CLOCK TRA." GAYE'S BGRAPHER AND IEND DAVID RZ SAYS THE PERFORMANCE OFFERED A SOCIAL MENTARY AND REVEALED THE SGER'S SOUL. IT WAS A CHALLENGE TO THE AMERIN JGOISM EMBRACED BY PRINT REAGAN — AND AN SI JOKE: HERE'S A FUNKY, DISTCTIVELY BLACK VERSN THAT'S REPRENTATIVE OF WHAT'S ON THE URT.MARV GAYE'S NATNAL ANTHEMAUD CLIPS URTY OF GAYE'S GUARIST AND MIL DIRECTOR, GORDON BANKS. THE FIRST IS GAYE PRACTICG WH A DIFFERENT BEAT; THE SEND IS THE BEAT ED AT THE ALL-STAR GAME.CLICK HERE FOR D

But then the lights dimmed, and Gaye ma history. One year later, Marv Gaye was ad, shot by his own father.

"I really wanted him to show up the end, " she listened to Marv Gaye's take on "The Star-Spangled Banner" om the srer's table at center urt. Gaye's rendn was a break tradn, and judgg by the enzied rponse of 17, 505 atten, Rosen knew plenty of people might fd disrpectful. The nversatn was short and "very lorful, " says Rosen, who cled to go to Gaye had been one of Rosen's mil hero.

Now Rosen was sure Gaye was gog to get him fired. "It's been 30 years sce Marv Gaye's groundbreakg natnal anthem, and at this pot, 's hard to qutn s impact on pop culture. Gaye me before Whney Hoton's triumph Tampa … and for Roseanne Barr's crotch-grabbg embarrassment San Diego.

FLASHBACK: MARV GAYE REIMAG ‘THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER’ 1983

Venerable basketball wrer Jack McCallum says Gaye's performance signified the league plantg s flag as "a cultural lear. " Gaye's bgrapher and iend David Rz says the performance offered a social mentary and revealed the sger's soul.

MARV GAYE SGS THE U.S. NATNAL ANTHEM

It was a challenge to the Amerin jgoism embraced by Print Reagan — and an si joke: Here's a funky, distctively black versn that's reprentative of what's on the clips urty of Gaye's guarist and mil director, Gordon Banks. The first is Gaye practicg wh a different beat; the send is the beat ed at the All-Star here for d"We did a mo, " Banks says.

"He [Gaye] had some mic him, so what out is what out. "He knew what he was gog to do, " said Banks, who thks 's possible Gaye was late for the game bee he wanted to avoid further cricism over the song's players who participated the 1983 NBA All-Star Game were foced elsewhere that afternoon.

Gaye, all Motown ol his dark su and manhole-size sunglass — lookg "rplennt, " acrdg to Rosen — walked to center urt. "I asked God that when I sang , " Gaye later told an terviewer, "would He let move men's souls.

MARV GAYE SGS THE NATNAL ANTHEM

" "I don't thk anyone had a clue what was about to e, " says Josh Rosenfeld, then the Lakers' director of public simple two-beat pattern me urty of Gaye and his guarist and mil director, Gordon Banks, who created Banks's stud — a 4-by-4 closet. Then Gaye opened his players looked at each other, Johnson rells, and their exprsns said the same thg: Oh, sh, here we go.

"As Gaye neared the climax of the performance, the song started to seem personal; he was workg through what Rz lls his "emotnal sh.

After an elongated "brave, " Gaye exhaled a breathy "Oh, Lord. The same n't be said of Game 4's pregame sger: Marv Gaye. But, he adds, "[Gaye's Game 4 approach] opened the door to me — I did my way and I ma history.

MARV GAYE’S INIC NBA ALL-STAR GAME NATNAL ANTHEM: ‘HE TURNED THAT THG TO HIS OWN’

But he wasn't exactly enamored of Gaye's terpretatn.

MARV GAYE'S INIC PERFORMANCE OF THE NATNAL ANTHEM THAT WOWED THE WORLD

Gaye, on the other hand, started a U.

"Marv Gaye wasn't Lon Rosen's first choice. Gaye, baskg the succs of "Sexual Healg, " was remend. "Once Gaye was booked, there wasn't a lot of time to prepare.

Gaye and Banks worked on the song the day before the All-Star Game, wh the sger rehearsg on Saturday between the squads' practic. Shaker watched Gaye rehearse wh a group of lleagu, cludg announcer Dick Stockton and the game's director, Sandy Grossman. '"Gaye didn't stick around for the game.

MARV GAYE SPIC UP “THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER” AT NBA ALL-STAR GAME, ON THIS DAY IN 1983 [WATCH]

About a year later, on April 1, 1984, Gaye's father, Marv Gay Sr., shot his son the cht and then aga at pot-blank range. He died that afternoon, a day before his 45th Gaye did handstands on the anthem's proper stylistic plank, Commissner O'Brien locked his ey on Brian McIntyre, then the NBA's director of public relatns. Gaye's performance om hours ago provid part of the soundtrack for a lively scene.

Marv Gaye was the middle of a pretty remarkable eback when the NBA tapped him to perform the Natnal Anthem at the 1983 All-Star Game.

While many of his Motown peers were trapped on the oldi circu, Gaye briefly seemed like he’d be a huge mercial force the MTV-era. Few people realized that Gaye’s growg e addictn was g his life to spiral pletely out of ntrol.

MARV GAYE'S ALL-STAR GAME NATNAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCE: LOOKG BACK AT THE FG MOMENT OM 1983

See Where Marv Gaye Ranks Among the 100 Greatt Sgers. Marv Gaye’s natnal anthem remas the most legendary moment of the game (and pretty much any other All-Star Game of the era). Charl Barkley and More Ballers Who Support Gay Marriage.

MARV GAYE | AMERIN NATNAL ANTHEM

Sadly, was one of Gaye’s fal great moments.

Marv Gaye sgs the Uned Stat Natnal Anthem at the 1983 NBA All Star Game. Marv Gaye Sgs the Natnal Anthem Host Tavis Sey pays tribute to Marv Gaye and his classic rendn of "The Star Spangled Banner, " performed 20 years ago at the NBA All-Star Game.

MARV GAYE NATNAL ANTHEM

Marv Gaye Sgs the Natnal Anthem.

Host Tavis Sey pays tribute to Marv Gaye and his classic rendn of "The Star Spangled Banner, " performed 20 years ago at the NBA All-Star Game. Listen to Marv Gaye sg "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game.

So much so, was nsired a big ask when then-Suns owner Jerry Colangelo went to CBS Sports print Bob Wsler 1975 requtg two mut at the top of the work’s upg broadst of the All-Star Game Phoenix so crooner Andy Williams uld sg “By The Time I Get to Phoenix” wh Henry Manci’s was to this vanilla void that stepped Marv Pentz Gay Jr., on Feb. Addg an E to his surname, Marv Gaye beme one of Motown’s biggt stars durg nearly two s wh the label, a mil leviathan whose semal 1971 album “What’s Gog On” was voted, almost 50 years later, as the greatt album of all time by Rollg Stone. But Gaye’s voice — stirrg, sultry and fiant all at once — had bee vox ’s reer was a paeon to survivg life’s tribulatns and perseverg.

MARV GAYE’S NATNAL ANTHEM

Fans claimed all of , the angelic croong and the flawed the early ’80s, Gaye had aga fallen to prsn. The album featured the h “Sexual Healg, ” which got Gaye back to the top of the charts at age 43.

Ten days after his performance at the All-Star game, Gaye won his first Grammy.

MARV GAYE SGS THE NATNAL ANTHEM

(Armando Gallo / Getty Imag)In ’83, Gaye was the send choice to sg the anthem at the All-Star game.

FLASHBACK: MARV GAYE REIMAG ‘THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER’ 1983

Instead, Rosen went to Plan B: Gaye. “(Gaye) end up sayg, ‘OK, I’ll e back tomorrow wh a shorter versn. ”Seemgly at the last mute, Gaye arrived, walkg down the center aisle of the Fom, drsed to the n, wh a ssette tape his hand.

It was the dm track that had been laid down Saturday by Gaye and his longtime llaborator, guarist Gordon Banks, at Gaye’s sister’s hoe L. He, like so many his age, was a big fan of Gaye.

He and Magic Johnson saw Gaye perform at the Palladium L. ”Thomas said they went backstage to meet Gaye after the show. It was all he uld to keep his mouth om htg the years later, he was centerstage wh Gaye at the All-Star Game.

MARV GAYE'S ALL-STAR GAME NATNAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCE: LOOKG BACK AT THE FG MOMENT OM 1983

But if Hoton’s adaptatn f neatly to the jgoistic narrative of a natn at war, Gaye’s versn spoke to a different kd of patrtism, one which Black Amerins were, still, wag for the untry to do what said was gog to do. We all loved Marv Gaye.

”In a 1987 Showtime special about his life and reer — premierg three years after Gaye was shot and killed 1984 by his father, Marv Gay Sr., followg an argument at his parents’ Los Angel home — Gaye said, “I felt that sgg wh that kd of mic the background gave me an spiratn. All-Star Game, they say, ‘That’s the Marv Gaye natnal anthem game, '” Thomas like the anthem were still sacrosanct. Gaye had sung the anthem before sportg events many tim, but wh more of the tradnal October 1968, Gaye sang the anthem Detro before Game 4 of the World Seri between the Tigers and Cardals.

When Gaye sang the anthem at the World Seri, he sang straight, at the requt of the Tigers’ legendary play-by-play man, Ernie Harwell, who was charge of pickg anthem sgers durg the Seri.

MARV GAYE'S LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE OF THE NATNAL ANTHEM THAT WOWED THE WORLD

”Years later, Gaye knew the signifince of the urt where he stood, the magnu of the players led up behd him and the timacy of the the end of the first le — which Gaye shortened to “Say, n you see, ” omtg the openg “Oh” — the crowd began gaspg and squealg. ”Gaye started rampg up towards the end of the song, turng up the passn on his lounge vibe.

”Gaye bent the song to his will and tempo, gog fast on some sectns, slowg down others.

”When Gaye fished, Rosen said, “He walked right out of the buildg, and I never saw him aga.

MARV GAYE'S SOULFUL 'THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER' AT 1983 NBA ALL-STAR GAME IS NATNAL HEALG

Rosen thought he was gog to be fired, after O’Brien, as Rosen relled, “tore me a new (one)” when Gaye was fished. Fortunately for Rosen, his immediate boss, the late Jerry Bs, the Lakers’ owner, loved Gaye’s rendn, so his job was time, what Bs regnized, what the players knew stantly, beme clearer to the mass.

MARV GAYE NATNAL ANTHEM

What happened that one night Inglewood beme the watershed moment Gaye’s performance not only legimized the A-list worths of the NBA All-Star Game and the league self, but opened the door for future artists to exprs the diversy of the U.

It’s been over 35 years that the legendary Marv Gaye exced the natn wh his rendn of “Star-Spangled Banner, ” but his performance and legacy are still beg hailed om var this day, many Amerins nsir Gaye’s rendn of the natnal anthem as one of the most origal on, but was close to not happeng. The league’s officer, was, however, not faiar wh Richie’s mic, and so the gig went to Gaye. Dpe beg nsired one of the most talented micians the 60s and 70s, there were a lot of ncerns about his the time, Gaye had been stgglg wh substance abe and addictn, pecially wh e.

Rollg Stone reported that Gaye’s rehearsals had been extraordarily shaky and anizers were bracg up for the sger to “blow ” on live televisn.