“You listen to Marv Gaye, this album right here, he’s sgg to you,” the acclaimed director tells Don Lemon Spike Lee was a key ponent makg CNN’s documentary “What’s Gog On: Marv Gaye’s Anthem for the Ag” a lorful and tailed retrospective on the late sger’s classic 1971 album, the show’s producer said. Lee, who is featured promently the special, told host Don Lemon — also a huge Marv Gaye fan — Gaye’s mic has impacted entire life, om disverg the rerd “What’s Gog On” as a young man to g Gaye’s mic his films. The acclaimed director told Lemon that Gaye’s mic has spired many of his movi and believ ntu to spire a new generatn of fans 50 years later. The 1970s was “the zenh of Black mic,” Lee said, potg to Don Corneli’ syndited TV show “Soul Tra” as an example. “The world we lived then, was Black Power. ‘Soul Tra,’ we jt were so betiful. The way we drsed, the way we were dancg… Black folks were gettg down,” he remembered. Lee told Lemon that he found Gaye’s “What’s Gog On” as a sophomore high school and would listen to at the Coney Island Library. “They had turntabl, so if you brought an album they had headphon, and you uld put the album on and listen to . So I would cut class and listen to this album,” Lee said. “This mojo right here is timels. You listen to Marv Gaye, this album right here, he’s sgg to you.” CNN documentary senr producer Elise Zeiger told TheWrap that Lee was a natural choice to clu the documentary. “Spike is not only a huge Marv Gaye fan, but also a passnate speaker on a range of topics so we knew he’d be an credible voice for this documentary,” she said. “We didn’t rely on him for directn but felt nfint he uld discs all the ground this inic album vered.” Zeiger add, “He’s also ed many of Marv Gaye’s songs other Spike Lee jots over the years.” Lee prevly got special permissn om the Gaye tate to e a lot of his mic his Osr-nomated film “Da 5 Bloods.” Gaye’s mic is almost s own character Lee’s Netflix film and featur a rare a pella versn of “What’s Gog On.” The “What’s Gog On” album, which turns 50 on May 21, was spired by Gaye’s upbrgg Detro and personal ti to the Vietnam War, where his brother served the ary, Lee said. “Marv was gettg a firsthand acunt of Vietnam om his brother,” Lee said. “But then, Marv was Detro, the Big D, and he’s seeg the bloods e back on hero, handipped or ffs. The song ‘What’s Happeng, Brother,’ that’s om someone who jt me back to the world — they lled the U.S. the world.” Other stars featured the special clu Smokey Robson and Stevie Wonr, who both were around Gaye when he was rerdg “What’s Gog On” Wt Hollywood and Motown stud Detro. Gaye’s tle track was origally wrten as a prott song agast the Vietnam War, but the last half-century has morphed to f other social jtice , like the Black Liv Matter movement. “‘What’s Gog On’ has been vered by so many performers over the s, and the last few years, ’s bee an anthem for the Black Liv Matter movement,” Zeiger said. “We wanted to know why this rerd still means so much to people after 50 years.” There’s been an explosn of mic documentari, doceri or specials recently, shg a spotlight on artists om The Bee Ge to Billie Eilish. There’s also a plethora of new bpic films and seri spired by the liv of micians of lor, cludg Billie Holiday (played by Andra Day, also a source CNN’s special), Aretha Frankl and Ta Turner. Zeiger attributed the rise mic-related projects to people’s growg sire to learn more about their hmakers, pecially pop mic. “Viewers seemed to be trigued by the method behd the madns, so to speak. Why do people want to unrstand the md of Phil Spector or Brian Wilson and the magic of the album ‘Pet Sounds?'” Zeiger asked. “In the se of Marv Gaye and this h album ‘What’s Gog On,’ when we observed how his mic is still gog strong today, we wonred what led Marv to wre the betiful lyrics? What was gog on the world, his life and his heart?” Marv Gaye was ducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1987 for his huge ntributn to soul mic general and the Motown sound. The “What’s Gog On” album remas No. 6 on Rollg Stone’s Top 500 albums of all-time list and ranked Gaye No. 18 on s list of the Top 100 artists of all time. He was honored wh a lifetime achievement award at the 1996 Grammy Awards. Gaye died 1984 one day before turng 45, after beg shot the cht by his father the fay’s Los Angel home. “What’s Gog On: Marv Gaye’s Anthem for the Ag” streamed live for CNN subscribers May 9 at 5 p.m. Pacific via ;s homepage. The special will also be available on mand to subscribers via ble/satelle systems, CNNgo platforms and CNN mobile apps. Read origal story Spike Lee Says the ‘Mojo’ of Marv Gaye Is Timels CNN’s Doc ‘What’s Gog On’ At TheWrap
Contents:
- 50 YEARS AFTER MARV GAYE ASKED, ‘WHAT’S GOG ON?’ AMERI STILL SEARCHG FOR AN ANSWER
- MARV GAYE ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ TV SPECIAL AIRS THIS WEEKEND
- ROLLG STONE PLAC MARV GAYE AT THE TOP OF S NEW, LS ROCK HEAVY LIST OF THE BT ALBUMS EVER
- THREAD: CNN SPECIAL REPORT WHAT'S GOG ON: MARV GAYE'S ANTHEM FOR THE AG
- MEMPHIAN JACK ASHFORD RELLS HIS WORK ON MARV GAYE'S 'WHAT'S GOG ON' NEW CNN DOC
- SPIKE LEE SAYS THE ‘MOJO’ OF MARV GAYE IS TIMELS CNN’S DOC ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’
- MARV GAYE
- WHAT'S GOG ON - MARV GAYE'S ANTHEM FOR THE AGCNN MAY 14, 2021 8:00PM-9:00PM PDT
50 YEARS AFTER MARV GAYE ASKED, ‘WHAT’S GOG ON?’ AMERI STILL SEARCHG FOR AN ANSWER
Anchored by CNN’s Don Lemon on Sunday, May 9th at 8pm, ET Promo clip: In 1971, while the Uned Stat was the midst of the Vietnam war and social unrt permeated the untry, Motown sger Marv Gaye took to the airwav wh a song of peace a... * marvin gaye cnn special *
CNN Special: “What’s Gog On”: Marv Gaye’s Anthem for the Ag Anchored by CNN’s Don Lemon on Sunday, May 9th at 8pm, ET. In 1971, while the Uned Stat was the midst of the Vietnam war and social unrt permeated the untry, Motown sger Marv Gaye took to the airwav wh a song of peace and nsc reflectn.
In the CNN Special: What’s Gog On: Marv Gaye’s Anthem for the Ag airg Sunday, May 9th at 8pmET, CNN’s Don Lemon explor the impact and geni of Marv Gaye, his unprecented album and the anatomy of several inic hs om the rerd that reflect some of the most signifint challeng and divisns the natn today. Gaye triumphed by landg a platum album and transformg the most troublg social issu to an emotnal appeal. In this documentary, Lemon nducts rare terviews wh mic legends Stevie Wonr and Smokey Robson and speaks to other Motown micians who were there wh Gaye as he rerd What’s Gog On, si the inic Hsville stud Detro.
MARV GAYE ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ TV SPECIAL AIRS THIS WEEKEND
As a child, mician Devon Gilfillian remembers his father, a profsnal weddg sger, harmonizg wh Marv Gaye’s inic “What’s Gog On” album their livg room. While the groove of the mic was palpable, the lyrics were lost on a young Gilfillian. * marvin gaye cnn special *
CNN Special: What’s Gog On: Marv Gaye’s Anthem for the Ag will stream live for subscribers on May 9th via ’s homepage and across mobile vic via CNN’s apps for iOS and Android wh a log- to a ble provir.
As a child, mician Devon Gilfillian remembers his father, a profsnal weddg sger, harmonizg wh Marv Gaye’s inic “What’s Gog On” album their livg room. In a recent terview for a new CNN documentary about Gaye’s work, tled “What’s Gog On: Marv Gaye’s Anthem for the Ag, ” the Grammy-nomated artist and activist relled redisverg the album jt before headg to a prott Nashville last summer. The special also featur terviews wh artists spired by Gaye’s masterwork cludg Maxwell, Sheila E., Spike Lee, and Lee Daniels.
What’s Gog On: Marv Gaye’s Anthem for the Ag will air this Sunday, May 9 at 8 pm EST, wh CNN’s Don Lemon as host. In 1971, while the Uned Stat was the middle of the btal Vietnam War and social unrt was spreadg throughout the untry, Motown star Marv Gaye ed his powerful voice to spread a song of peace and purposeful reflectn. In this documentary, Lemon nducts rare terviews wh mic legends Stevie Wonr and Smokey Robson and speaks to other Motown micians who were there wh Gaye as he rerd What’s Gog On si the inic Hsville stud Detro.
ROLLG STONE PLAC MARV GAYE AT THE TOP OF S NEW, LS ROCK HEAVY LIST OF THE BT ALBUMS EVER
CNN will be airg a documentary on Marv Gaye tled ‘What’s Gog On’: Marv Gaye’s Anthem For The Ag on May 9 at 8 PM EST. * marvin gaye cnn special *
CNN Special: What’s Gog On: Marv Gaye’s Anthem for the Ag will stream live for subscribers on May 9th via ’s homepage and across mobile vic via CNN’s apps for iOS and Android wh a log- to a ble provir.
THREAD: CNN SPECIAL REPORT WHAT'S GOG ON: MARV GAYE'S ANTHEM FOR THE AG
Jan Gaye, the former wife of Marv Gaye, jos Don Lemon to talk about her reactn to a jury awardg her fay $7.4M for pyright gement * marvin gaye cnn special *
CNN's Don Lemon explor the impact and geni of Marv Gaye, his unprecented album, and the anatomy of several of the rerd's inic hs that reflect some of the most signifint challeng and divisns the natn today. Bis the terviews wh Smokey & Stevie, they had Spike Lee, Sheila E., Funk Brother Jack Ashford, Cric Nelson Gee & Marv's Sister Zeola Gay on the show.
Grammy wner Jack Ashford who, at 86, is one of the only survivg members of Motowns famed hoe band The Funk Brothers is a key figure Whats Gog On: Marv Gayes Anthem for the Ag, which premiered May 9 on CNN and is available to stream and will be rebroadst tonight on CNN at 11 pm. Short and somewhat superficial but perfect for those who are not as faiar wh Marv Gaye or 'What's Gog On' as we are. But until then, I am very proud of my CNN Special about Marv Gaye's groundbreakg album what's gog on.
MEMPHIAN JACK ASHFORD RELLS HIS WORK ON MARV GAYE'S 'WHAT'S GOG ON' NEW CNN DOC
* marvin gaye cnn special *
MARVIN GAYE, AMERICAN SINGER-SONG WRITER: My father is a mister, and he has always been a mister. LEMON: You have a love and reverence and a nnectn to Marv Gaye that stretch -- that go back your entire life.
GAYE: I thk was around 1969 and 1970, that perd at Motown rerd, when I stop thkg so much about my erotic fantasi and I started to thk about the war Vietnam. GAYE: I know he was gog through the pa and the agony of my youngt brother Reggie, who was Vietnam at the time. GAYE: When you thk about all the sensels killg and when they break the girl's door down, we are losg people that we love for no reason at all.
SPIKE LEE SAYS THE ‘MOJO’ OF MARV GAYE IS TIMELS CNN’S DOC ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’
Marv Gaye, Amerin soul sger-songwrer-producer who, to a large extent, hered the era of artist-ntrolled popular mic of the 1970s. Among his h songs were ‘I Heard It Through the Grapeve,’ ‘A’t Nothg Like the Real Thg,’ ‘What’s Gog On,’ ‘Let’s Get It On,’ and ‘Sexual Healg.’ * marvin gaye cnn special *
GEORGE: It was Marv Gaye lookg to the world of -- jt felt like an overst day was lookg to darkns a way. (SINGING) GAYE: He started dog dgs a ltle heavier and he started hearg voic and he kept talkg about he didn't want to live anymore.
LEMON: You have a love and a reverence and a nnectn to Marv Gaye that stretch -- that go back your entire life.
MARV GAYE
Mician Ed Sheeran is facg a high-profile pyright trial about whether his sgle “Thkg Out Loud” pied the classic Marv Gaye song “Let’s Get It On.” Chloe Melas has more tails. * marvin gaye cnn special *
" ZEOLA GAYE, MARVIN GAYE'S SISTER: A lot of people feel bee of the albums they ma that they were lovers. GAYE: I thk was around 1969 and 1970, that perd at Motown Rerds when I stopped thkg so much about my erotic fantasi, and I started to thk about the war Vietnam, my brothers, Tommy wre some pretty horrible stori.
GAYE: I know he was gog through the pa and the agony of my youngt brother Reggie who was Vietnam at the time. (MARVIN GAYE SINGING) ICE DANIELS, FILMMAKER: It was easy for him to e up wh his ual Marv Gaye love songs. GAYE: When you thk about all the sensels killgs, when they break the girl's door down, we're losg people that we love for no reason at all.
(MARVIN GAYE SINGING) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When Marv's wrg the rerds, this is the Gee Floyd of that era. GEORGE: Marv Gaye lookg to the world, you know, jt feels like an overst day -- lookg to darkns a way. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [20:35:00] (MARVIN GAYE SINGING) LEE: People say that n be the zenh of black mic.
WHAT'S GOG ON - MARV GAYE'S ANTHEM FOR THE AGCNN MAY 14, 2021 8:00PM-9:00PM PDT
The jury termed that Ed Sheeran did not wrongfully py posnal elements or melodi om Marv Gaye's classic song 'Let's Get It On.' * marvin gaye cnn special *
(MARVIN GAYE SINGING) LEE: Ain-Amerins at the height of Vietnam War, as soon as you graduated, your black ass up, sent you boot mp, and before you were snappg your ggers, your ass the jungle, half way around the world.