Marv Gaye’s inic NBA All-Star Game natnal anthem: ‘He turned that thg to his own’ - The Athletic

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

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

FLASHBACK: Marv Gaye Delivers Inic Anthem At 1983 NBA All-Star Game * marvin gaye national anthem nba 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.

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

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 nba all star game *

(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.

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

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 nba all star game *

“(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.

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 nba all star game *

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.

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

* marvin gaye national anthem nba 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.

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

Thirty years later, Marv Gaye's rendn of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' stands alone. * marvin gaye national anthem nba all star game *

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.

”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.

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

”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. 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.

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

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 ANTHEM

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.

MARV GAYE’S NATNAL ANTHEM

One year later, Marv Gaye was ad, shot by his own father.

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

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.

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, 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. We knew he was Marv Gaye.

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.

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 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.

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

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

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