Q&A: John Legend On Activism, His New Album, Playg Live And Marv Gaye

A socially md new project ntu the work of Gaye's landmark album "What's Gog On." * john legend marvin gaye *

Marv Gaye rerd the song “What’s Gog On? Gaye’s tenor is simultaneoly relaxed and immense, as if his nfintial purr had been expand to fill an airplane hangar. Over the ripplg rhythm of the great Motown bassist Jam Jamerson, fger snaps and Gaye’s own slappg on a jon (box dm), the sger articulat the qutn on every md the ngregatn: “What’s gog on?

What uld be more relevant today than Gaye’s plea, “Picket l and picket signs, don’t punish me wh btaly”? Many of today’s songwrers are sure they have the answer to Gaye’s qutn, but they are ually too glib and facile to have much credibily.

Gaye himself never fell to that trap; he was ls terted offerg easy answers than intifyg the issu, portrayg the nflictg sis and pturg the urgency of the stggle—and not jt words but also the jazzy, expansive mic that provid plenty of room for reflectn. Gaye was a master of what I nsir the secret of soul-mic sgg: the abily to sound vulnerable and dignified the same moment.

MARV GAYE IS SHOT AND KILLED BY HIS OWN FATHER

While wearg a whe blazer and black T-shirt wh the words "Don't Shoot," Grammy-award wng sger-songwrer John Legend performed at The Hollywood Bowl to honor Marv Gaye, while still brgg about awarens to the unrt takg place Fergon, Missouri. * john legend marvin gaye *

But artists such as Gaye, Sam Cooke, Aretha Frankl, Dnne Warwick, Smokey Robson and Luther Vandross rolved this paradox by actg as if revealg one’s hurt and doubt required an act of urage that one uld be proud of.

So where are the Marv Gay and “What’s Gog On?

Legend’s latt album, Bigger Love, remds of his immense bt to Gaye. But this one is foced on romance—more like Gaye’s unrrated In Our Lifetime album than What’s Gog On. And everythg seems to echo Gaye.

JOHN LEGEND, KENNEDY CENTER PROGRAM PAY TRIBUTE TO MARV GAYE

On April 1, 1984, legendary soul sger, Marv Gaye, was shot twice and killed by his father, Marv Gay Sr. * john legend marvin gaye *

“I remember the days when we had none/ Tryg to fight through the wav, ” he sgs Gaye-like ton on “Glory Days” over a Babyface-like atic guar and a ph-and-pull beat.

That was Gaye’s lson for all of . “You know we’ve got to fd a way, ” Gaye sang 50 years ago, “to brg some unrstandg here today. I spoke wh Legend about why was pecially important for him to support our ary durg the difficult tim, his love of playg life, how artists like Harry Belafonte, Stevie Wonr and Marv Gaye spired his mix of mic and activism and his new album.

I looked up to Marv Gaye, I looked up to the artists who ma betiful mic and were some of the most soulful and prolific and prodig micians soul mic, but also never shied away om sayg somethg when they believed was the right thg to say.

JOHN LEGEND PERFORMS MARV GAYE’S ‘INNER CY BLU’ DURG HOLLYWOOD BOWL

* john legend marvin gaye *

At the peak of his reer, Marv Gaye was the Prce of Motown—the soulful voice behd hs as wi-rangg as “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and “Mercy Mercy Me (The Elogy). ” Like his label-mate Stevie Wonr, Gaye both epomized and outgrew the crowd-pleasg sound that ma Motown famo.

That life me to a tragic end on April 1, 1984, when Marv Gaye was shot and killed by his own father one day short of his 45th the physil e of Marv Gaye’s ath was straightforward—”Gunshot wound to cht perforatg heart, lung and liver, ” acrdg to the Los Angel County Coroner—the events that led to were much more tangled.

MARV GAYE: THE MOTOWN LEGEND WHO WAS MURRED BY HIS FATHER

Marv Gay, Sr., (the “e” was add by his son for his stage name) was a preacher the Hebrew Pentestal Church and a proponent of a strict moral he enforced btally wh his four children. Clearly harbored unrolved feelgs toward his abive feelgs spilled out for the fal time the Los Angel home of Marv Gay, Sr., and his wife Alberta.

JOHN LEGEND BRGS MARV GAYE’S ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ TO HOLLYWOOD BOWL

Only one year removed om his first Grammy w and om a triumphant return to the pop charts wh “Sexual Healg, ” Marv Gaye was horrible physil, psychologil and fancial an argument between father and son lated to a physil fight on the morng of April 1, 1984, Alberta Gay was tryg to lm her son his bedroom when Marv Sr.

Marv Gaye’s brother, Frankie, who lived next door, and who held the legendary sger durg his fal mut, later wrote his memoir that Marv Gaye’s fal, disturbg statement was, “I got what I wanted…. A socially md new project ntu the work of Gaye's landmark album "What's Gog On.

John Legend, Kennedy Center Program Pay Tribute to Marv Gaye. Grammy award-wng sger John Legend surprised a high school choir Tuday at the Kennedy Center to help start a program enuragg young artists to nont social issu wh their art, honor of the late Marv Gaye. The project, “What’s Gog On … Now, ” echo Gaye’s lyrics and asks young people to exprs how thgs have changed the four s sce Gaye’s h album, “What’s Gog On.

JOHN LEGEND PROV MARV GAYE'S 'WHAT'S GOG ON' STILL RELEVANT YAHOO LIVE SET

Gaye’s groundbreakg 1971 Motown album tackled difficult social issu such as war, dg addictn and poverty, and asked dienc to reflect on the tim.

His 1972 performance at the Kennedy Center his hometown was a historic eback for Gaye – his first live performance two years sce the ath of his sgg partner and iend Tammi Terrell.

It’s also believed to be the only time Gaye sang his entire “What’s Gog On” album ncert. Legend, 33, will recreate Gaye’s performance two ncerts May wh the Natnal Symphony Orchtra and other performers.

John Legend on Marv Gaye Tribute: 'I'll Do the Bt I Can'

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JOHN LEGEND ON MARV GAYE TRIBUTE: 'I'LL DO THE BT I CAN'

FIFTY YEARS AFTER MARV GAYE, SGERS ARE STILL ASKG, “WHAT’S GOG ON?”