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

marvin gaye national anthem all star game

We remember the memorable performance of the Natnal Anthem by sger Marv Gaye at the 1983 NBA All-Star game.

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

It was 20 years ago, at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, that Marv Gaye stole the show wh his sgular rendn of the Natnal Anthem, set to a sultry rhythym-and-blu beat. * marvin gaye national anthem 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.

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

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. After * marvin gaye national anthem all star game *

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.

Fans claimed all of , the angelic croong and the flawed the early ’80s, Gaye had aga fallen to prsn.

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

Marv Gaye gave "The Star-Spangled Banner" the soulful remix served at the 1983 N.B.A. All-Star Game Los Angel. * marvin gaye national anthem all star game *

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.

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

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

The Star-Spangled Banner (Live at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game) Lyrics: Now along wh the Uned Stat Mare Color Guard / To sign the natnal anthem / Famed rerdg artist Marv Gaye / O say n you see / By the dawn's early light / What so * marvin gaye national anthem all star game *

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.

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

FLASHBACK: Marv Gaye Delivers Inic Anthem At 1983 NBA All-Star Game * marvin gaye national anthem all star game *

”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. 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.

THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER (LIVE AT THE 1983 NBA ALL-STAR GAME)MARV GAYETRACK 16 ON A MIL TTAMENT 1964-1984 PRODUCED BYMARV GAYE19881 VIEWER3 CONTRIBUTORSTHE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER (LIVE AT THE 1983 NBA ALL-STAR GAME) LYRICS[INTRO]NOW ALONG WH THE UNED STAT MARE COLOR GUARDTO SIGN THE NATNAL ANTHEMFAMED RERDG ARTIST MARV GAYE[VERSE]O SAY N YOU SEEBY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHTWHAT SO PROUDLY WE HAILEDAT THE TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMGWHOSE BROAD STRIP AND BRIGHT STARSTHROUGH THE PERILO FIGHT, OH, LORDOH, THE FIGHTO'ER THE RAMPARTS WE WATCHEDWERE SO GALLANTLY, YEAH, STREAMG?AND THE ROCKETS RED GLARETHE BOMBS BURSTG AIRGAVE PROOF THROUGH THE NIGHTTHAT OUR FLAG WAS STILL THEREO SAY DO THY STAR-SPANGLED BANNER YET WAVEFOR THE LAND OF THE EEAND THE HOME OF THE, HOME OF THE BRAVEOH, LORD, WOOYOU MIGHT ALSO LIKEEMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT

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.

”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 ALL-STAR GAME NATNAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCE: LOOKG BACK AT THE FG MOMENT OM 1983

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. 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. 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.

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

But for this game, Gaye took the anthem to a new level. He says Gaye's one rehearsal was bumpy.

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.

MARV GAYE ANTHEM

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. 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.

Sadly, was one of Gaye’s fal great moments. Marv Gaye uld not have looked more qutsentially Marv Gaye if he’d tried.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* MARVIN GAYE NATIONAL ANTHEM ALL STAR GAME

Marv Gaye's All-Star Game natnal anthem performance: Lookg back at the fg moment om 1983 .

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