20 Years Ago, Marv Gaye Took 'Natnal Anthem' To New Heights : NPR

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
• FLASHBACK: MARV GAYE REIMAG ‘THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER’ 1983
• THE PLAYERS’ ANTHEM: WHEN MARV GAYE SANG ‘THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER’ AT THE 1983 ALL-STAR GAME
• MARV GAYE SPIC UP “THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER” AT NBA ALL-STAR GAME, ON THIS DAY IN 1983 [WATCH]
• MARV GAYE'S SOULFUL 'THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER' AT 1983 NBA ALL-STAR GAME IS NATNAL HEALG
• MARV GAYE’S INIC NBA ALL-STAR GAME NATNAL ANTHEM: ‘HE TURNED THAT THG TO HIS OWN’
• MARV GAYE ANTHEM
• MARV GAYE’S NATNAL ANTHEM
• MARV GAYE'S ALL-STAR GAME NATNAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCE: LOOKG BACK AT THE FG MOMENT OM 1983
• FLASHBACK: MARV GAYE GROOV UP NATNAL ANTHEM AT 1983 NBA ALL-STAR GAME
• 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
• REVIS MARV GAYE'S REVOLUTNARY 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

By this pot his life, Gaye was battlg a ser dg addictn. But then the lights dimmed, and Gaye ma history.

One year later, Marv Gaye was ad, shot by his own father. 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. See Where Marv Gaye Ranks Among the 100 Greatt Sgers.

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

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 uld not have looked more qutsentially Marv Gaye if he’d tried.

THE PLAYERS’ ANTHEM: WHEN MARV GAYE SANG ‘THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER’ AT THE 1983 ALL-STAR GAME

But back then, Gaye was a feel-good eback story. ” Gaye would e the NBA’s center stage to propel him to the Grammys jt 10 days later. Gaye, a lchp of swagger, walked to center urt at The Fom a ep blue su — jacket buttoned — wearg dark shas urty of an NBA gift package that had been distributed to all media and VIP guts.

” Gaye eher didn’t know, didn’t show or didn’t re.

The honor guard of nearby Edwards Air Force Base was behd Gaye wh the Amerin and California flags raised.

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

Gaye had tertwed his way to the sports world before. Four years earlier, 1979, Gaye sang at the send Larry Holm-Earnie Shavers fight at Caars Palace Las Vegas.

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

Gaye was an avid sports fan — he even once tried out for the Detro Lns. Whether or not he knew , though, as much as Gaye found spiratn the athlet who stood behd him on The Fom’s urt, they found as much if not more him. “I’ve gone on the rerd many tim sayg that Marv Gaye was my favore artist.

Readg Divid Soul: The Life of Marv Gaye, ’s kd of gut-wrenchg. Gaye was a tortured spir whose life oftentim played out publicly — spe the sger’s natural shyns. Gaye attempted suici by e overdose Hawaii 1980.

By the time of the 1983 All-Star Game, Gaye had long sce returned om his self-imposed European exile. While there, Gaye -wrote (wh Oll Brown and David Rz) 1982’s sultry “Sexual Healg.

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

The two-time NBA champn and Fals MVP lghs at the memory of first meetg Gaye Hollywood — alongsi Johnson — at the famo and famo The Palladium.

Abdul-Jabbar, on a break om the book tour for his Beg Kareem: On and Off the Court, rells nng to Gaye at stud ssns for his iend Stevie Wonr’s 1976 Songs In The Key of Life.

MARV GAYE ANTHEM

“Marv Gaye was absolutely on the foreont of [artists tacklg societal issu]. Que possibly the most exced for Gaye’s performance wasn’t a player but a ach.

” But as for Gaye himself: “What happened the late ’60s was a lot of what’s gog on our society today. All durg the day, and right before the early afternoon tipoff, Gaye was nowhere to be found.

Arrivg only moments before showtime, Gaye ma his way to the floor.

MARV GAYE’S NATNAL ANTHEM

It was a simple beat dubbg a dm track done by Gaye’s guarist and mil director Gordon Banks and a keyboard track that Gaye laid down himself. ” Gaye’s anthem was patrtic s own soulful way, but was simultaneoly bonair too.

” For a two-mute stretch, the basketball world revolved around Marv Gaye and wh his gravatnal pull were MVPs, world champns, former Rooki of the Year, future Hall of Famers and 17, 505 people the stands. A roar had risen by the time And the home of the brave pped off Gaye’s rendn. But all the talk after the game centered on Gaye.

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

“I remember the nversatn beg the game was great, ” said Ths, “but that wasn’t anywhere near as good as Marv Gaye. For those who stood on the floor that day 1983, they rema nnected to Gaye’s rendn.

The versn sung by Whney Hoton at the 1991 Super Bowl is the only other anthem close to a parison to Gaye’s rendn, their ey. Blige, John Legend, Brian McKnight and more, Marv Gaye remas on the NBA’s mil Mount Rhmore.

FLASHBACK: MARV GAYE GROOV UP NATNAL ANTHEM AT 1983 NBA ALL-STAR GAME

But how do Gaye’s anthem f to the current nversatn around ? Many of the issu Gaye addrsed his mic n parallel to Col Kaepernick’s origal msage.

“Marv Gaye’s rendn of the natnal anthem supersed and surpassed any negativy that was anyone’s md, ” he said. Ten days after the All-Star Game, for “Sexual Healg, ” Gaye was award the only two Grammys of his reer.

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

” Gaye embarked on what would be his fal tour the summer of 1983. In a figurative sense, Gaye stood between heaven and hell throughout his Midnight Love tour. “I expose myself bee the fans mand , ” he told his ex-wife Jan Gaye.

“After the performance, we got back to the drsg room, ” Mel Farr relled of his fal meetg wh Gaye. Four hundred and fourteen days after his anthem, on April 1, 1984, Gaye was murred by his father, Marv Gay Sr., a day shy of what would have been Marv Jr. Toward the end of his life, as he battled voic his head, Gaye still unrstood the importance of Feb.

REVIS MARV GAYE'S REVOLUTNARY NATNAL ANTHEM

He most certaly moved Riley, who keeps hours upon hours upon hours of Gaye’s and Motown’s greatt hs near him at all tim. The Miami Heat print still keeps a amed picture of himself, Abdul-Jabbar and the Wtern Conference All-Stars led up watchg Gaye. Ameri’s natnal anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”, has given mic fans many reasons to lgh, cry, cheer, or even kneel over the years, but no one turned the performance of the patrtic tune to one hell of a sexy time que like Marv Gaye did durg the 1983 NBA All-Star Game at The Fom Inglewood, CA.

Unbeknownst to those attendance that night, all would eventually leave the game as wners after experiencg Gaye’s sensualized rendn of “The Star-Spangled Banner”. Acpanied by only a dm-mache (high-tech equipment 1983) Gaye turned all of The Fom to a baby-makg palace of soul wh his pre-game performance that still has yet to be topped.