The Story Of Marv Gaye's 'What's Gog On' : NPR

why is marvin gaye in a song

List of songs wh Songfacts entri for Marv Gaye

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MARV GAYE

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.’ * why is marvin gaye in a song *

Blsed wh an exceptnally wi range that enpassed three distct vol styl—a piercg falsetto, a smooth mid-range tenor, and a ep gospel growl—Gaye bed great technil prows wh rare mil dividualy. Gaye also displayed dazzlg virtuosy by overdubbg (buildg sound track by track onto a sgle tape) his own voice three or four tim to provi his own rich harmony, a technique he would employ for the rt of his reer.

Here, My Dear (1979) brilliantly alt wh Gaye’s divorce om Gordy’s sister Anna (the first of the sger’s two tumultuo divorc)’s growg addictn to e exacerbated his psychologil stggl.

Gaye, who ced his chief fluenc as Ray Charl, Cly McPhatter, Rudy Wt (lead sger for the doo-wop group the Five Keys), and Ltle Willie John, was ducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1987. He received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement an artist who employed urban soul mic to exprs social and personal ncerns, as well as a sger of exquise sensivy and romantic grace, Gaye left a legacy that has wined sce his mise, and his mic has bee a permanent fixture Amerin pop.

THE STORY OF... 'WHAT'S GOG ON' BY MARV GAYE

Marv Gaye by Charlie Puth (featurg Meghan Traor) song meang, lyric terpretatn, vio and chart posn * why is marvin gaye in a song *

Asked by Billboard how the llaboratn me about, he replied: "Meghan and I were at a party one night, and we were exchangg the new mic, and she heard 'Marv Gaye; and asked, 'Who else is sgg on this?

Marv Gaye's prott anthem 'What's Gog On' was a powerful and groundbreakg song at the time of s release 1971, but fast forward 50 years later and is sadly still jt as relevant for the world 2021. Wh the huge spark of protts the US and around the world agast racism followg the ath of Gee Floyd a year ago, the subject of police btaly and racial jtice is beg discsed as much today as was back Gaye -wrote 'What's Gog On' about the issu of the time, but ltle did he know that over 30 years after his ath, tragilly still sounds as if uld have been wrten 's the history of one of the most important songs of the 20th century, 50 years on:.

THE REAL MEANG BEHD MARV GAYE'S 'WHAT'S GOG ON'

Marv Gaye's prott anthem 'What's Gog On' was a powerful and groundbreakg song at the time of s release 1971, but fast forward 50 years later and is sadly still jt as relevant for the world 2021." name="scriptn * why is marvin gaye in a song *

The song was -wrten by Renaldo 'Obie' Benson, Al Cleveland, and Marv Gaye, and produced by Gaye song marked Gaye's parture om the Motown Sound of his prev output, towards more personal was the tle track of his album What's Gog On?, released May 1971. '"In 1970, Benson gave the untled song to Marv Gaye, who add a new melody and changed the song and add his own later said Gaye "add some thgs that were more ghetto, more natural, which ma seem like a story than a song... '"He was also fluenced by emotnal nversatns shared between him and his brother Frankie, who had returned om three years at the Vietnam War, and his Marv's ath while servg phone nversatns wh Motown boss Berry Gordy, who was on holiday the Bahamas at the time, Gaye told Gordy that he wanted to rerd a prott album, to which Gordy said: "Marv, don't be ridiculo.

Marv Gaye was spired by recent succs of his productns for The Origals, and cid to produce the song brought origal Motown -hoe stud micians such as Jam Jamerson and Eddie Brown, wh micians he reced openg saxophone le, by mician Eli Fontae, was not origally tend for the song. However, the night Jamerson me to rerd the bass l, he uld not s properly his seat and laid on the floor playg his bass Annie Jamerson later said that when he returned home that night, he clared that the song was a "masterpiece" also provid piano and keyboards, and also played a box dm to help alongsi Chet Fort's also ved the Detro Lns players Mel Farr and Lem Barney to the stud and, along wh Gaye and the Funk Brothers, add var vol chatter the background, a mock nversatn. When Gordy heard the song, he turned down Gaye's requt to release , tellg Gaye he felt was "the worst thg I ever heard my life" rpond to this rejectn by refg to rerd anythg else unls the song would be released, gog on strike until Gordy saw more: The 25 greatt Motown songs, rankedThe song was released whout Gordy's knowledge, and sold over 200, 000 pi wh a eventually beme a huge succs, reachg the top of the charts wh a month, stayg at number-one for five weeks on the Billboard R&B charts.

And were signed to Gordy's legendary Motown RerdsGaye's first certified h unr his own name wouldn't e until 1962, but his early years at Motown were full of behd-the-scen succs.

MARV {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}MARV GAYE WAS A SOUL SGER-SONGWRER WH MOTOWN THE 1960S AND 1970S. HE PRODUCED HIS OWN RERDS AND OFTEN ADDRSED NTROVERSIAL {LOR:#323232;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: APR 19, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;--POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} A{POSN:ABSOLUTE;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{BACKGROUND:#C92228;BOTTOM:0;PADDG:.5REM;RIGHT:0;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG:0.39REM;}}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:1REM;WIDTH:1REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:1.063REM;HEIGHT:1.063REM;}}{LE-HEIGHT:1;MARG-TOP:0.3125REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0;}}{LOR:#595959;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}PHOTO: NBCU PHOTO BANK/GETTY {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}(1939-1984){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHO WAS MARV GAYE?MARV GAYE SANG HIS FATHER'S CHURCH AND THE MOONGLOWS BEFORE SIGNG WH MOTOWN. HE RERD SONGS BY SMOKEY ROBSON BEFORE BEG HIS OWN PRODUCER ON THE PROTT ALBUM WHAT'S GOG ON (1971). GAYE'S LATER RERDS VELOPED HIS PRODUCTN STYLE AND YIELD SEVERAL HS, CLUDG "LET'S GET IT ON," "SEXUAL HEALG" AND "I HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVE." GAYE WAS KILLED 1984 DURG A DOMTIC DISPUTE WH HIS FATHER.EARLY LIFESGER MARV PENTZ GAYE, JR., ALSO KNOWN AS THE "PRCE OF SOUL," WAS BORN WASHGTON, D.C., ON APRIL 2, 1939. GAYE WAS RAISED UNR THE STRICT NTROL OF HIS FATHER, REVEREND MARV GAY SR.—MARV GAYE JR. ADD THE "E" ON THE END OF HIS NAME LATER LIFE—THE MISTER AT A LOL CHURCH, AGAST A BLEAK BACKDROP OF WISPREAD VLENCE HIS NEIGHBORHOOD. THROUGHOUT HIS CHILDHOOD, GAYE OFTEN FOUND PEACE MIC, MASTERG THE PIANO AND DMS AT A YOUNG AGE. UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL, HIS SGG EXPERIENCE WAS LIMED TO CHURCH REVIVALS, BUT SOON HE VELOPED A LOVE FOR R&B AND DOO-WOP THAT WOULD SET THE FOUNDATN FOR HIS REER. IN THE LATE 1950S, GAYE JOED A VOL GROUP LLED THE NEW MOONGLOWS. THE TALENTED SGER HAD A PHENOMENAL RANGE THAT SPANNED THREE VOL STYL AND HE SOON IMPRSED THE GROUP'S FOUNR, HARVEY FUQUA. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE GAYE AND FUQUA BOTH ME TO THE ATTENTN OF DETRO MIC IMPRAR {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}BERRY GORDY JR. AND WERE SIGNED TO GORDY'S LEGENDARY MOTOWN RERDS.MOTOWN RERDSGAYE'S FIRST CERTIFIED H UNR HIS OWN NAME WOULDN'T E UNTIL 1962, BUT HIS EARLY YEARS AT MOTOWN WERE FULL OF BEHD-THE-SCEN SUCCS. HE WAS A SSN DMMER FOR MOTOWN LEGENDS SUCH AS LTLE STEVIE WONR, THE SUPREM, THE MARVELETT AND MARTHA AND THE VANLLAS. SHOWG HIS STRIP AS MOTOWN'S RENAISSANCE MAN, GAYE WENT ON TO BREAK TO THE TOP 40 FOR THE FIRST TIME ON HIS OWN 1962 WH HIS SOLO SGLE "HCH HIKE." THROUGHOUT THE 1960S, GAYE WOULD SHOW HIS IMMENSE RANGE, CHURNG OUT SOLO DANCE HS AND ROMANTIC DUETS WH H-MAKERS LIKE DIANA ROSS AND MARY WELLS. "CAN I GET A WNS" AND "I HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVE" WERE SOME OF GAYE'S BIGGT HS OF THE PERD, THE LATTER ACHIEVG S PLACE AS MOTOWN'S BT-SELLG SGLE OF THE 1960S. FOR THREE HIGH-FLYG YEARS, GAYE AND TAMMI TERRELL WOWED THE UNTRY WH THEIR SOARG DUET PERFORMANC OF SONGS LIKE "A'T NO MOUNTA HIGH ENOUGH" AND "IF I COULD BUILD MY WHOLE WORLD AROUND YOU." UNFORTUNATELY, THEIR REIGN AS THE ROYAL COUPLE OF R&B END WHEN TERRELL SUCCUMBED TO A BRA TUMOR 1970. HIS BELOVED PARTNER'S ATH HERED A DARK PERD FOR THE SGER, WHO SWORE NEVER TO PARTNER WH ANOTHER FEMALE VOLIST AND THREATENED TO ABANDON THE STAGE FOR GOOD.POLIL MSAGEIN 1970, SPIRED BY LATG VLENCE AND POLIL UNRT OVER THE VIETNAM WAR, GAYE WROTE THE LANDMARK SONG "WHAT'S GOG ON." DPE CLASH WH MOTOWN OVER THE SONG'S CREATIVE DIRECTN, THE SGLE WAS RELEASED 1971 AND BEME AN STANT SMASH. ITS SUCCS PROMPTED GAYE TO TAKE EVEN MORE RISKS, BOTH MILLY AND POLILLY. WHEN WAS RELEASED THE SPRG OF 1971, THE WHAT'S GOG ON ALBUM SERVED TO OPEN GAYE UP TO NEW DIENC WHILE MATAG HIS MOTOWN FOLLOWG. DEPARTG OM THE TRIED AND TE MOTOWN FORMULA, GAYE WENT OUT ON HIS OWN ARTISTILLY, PAVG THE WAY FOR OTHER MOTOWN ARTISTS LIKE WONR AND MICHAEL JACKSON TO BRANCH OUT LATER YEARS. BEYOND FLUENCG HIS PEERS, THE ALBUM GARNERED WISPREAD CRIL ACCLAIM, WNG THE ROLLG STONE ALBUM OF THE YEAR AWARD.CROSSOVER SUCCSIN 1972, GAYE MOVED TO LOS ANGEL AND SOON MET JANIS HUNTER, WHO WOULD LATER BEE HIS SEND WIFE. INSPIRED PART BY HIS NEWFOUND PENNCE, GAYE RERD ONE OF THE MOST REVERED LOVE ANTHEMS OF ALL TIME, "LET'S GET IT ON." THE SONG BEME HIS SEND NO. 1 BILLBOARD H, CEMENTG HIS CROSSOVER APPEAL ONCE AND FOR ALL. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, MOTOWN PHED GAYE TO TOURG TO PALIZE ON HIS MOST RECENT SUCCS; RELUCTANTLY THE SGER-SONGWRER RETURNED TO THE STAGE. THROUGH MOST OF THE MID-1970S, GAYE WAS TOURG, LLABORATG OR PRODUCG. WORKG WH DIANA ROSS AND THE MIRACL, HE PUT OFF RELEASG ANOTHER SOLO ALBUM UNTIL 1976. HE NTUED TOURG AFTER THE RELEASE OF I WANT YOU (1976) AND, AFTER SRG A NO. 1 H 1977 WH THE DANCE SGLE "GOT TO GIVE IT UP," RELEASED HIS LAST ALBUM FOR MOTOWN RERDS (HERE, MY DEAR) 1978. (DES LATER, "GOT TO GIVE IT UP" WOULD BEE THE CENTER OF A BIG NTROVERSY. IN 2013, GAYE'S TATE ASSERTED THAT PRODUCER/SONGWRER PHARRELL WILLIAMS AND SGER/SONGWRER ROB THICKE HAD MTED PYRIGHT GEMENT BY TAKG MAJOR MIL ELEMENTS OM THE DIS TRACK FOR THE MEGA-H "BLURRED L." AFTER A SE WHICH THICKE TTIFIED THAT HE'D HAD LTLE TO DO WH THE WRG OF THE SONG, THE JURY LED FAVOR OF GAYE'S FAY, WHO WERE AWARD $7.3 LN DAMAG AND PROF SHAR. THE JURY ALSO LED THAT NEHER WILLIAMS OR THICKE HAD PURPOSELY MTED GEMENT.) AFTER TWO S AT MOTOWN, GAYE SIGNED WH CBS'S COLUMBIA RERDS 1982 AND BEGAN TO WORK ON HIS LAST ALBUM, MIDNIGHT LOVE. THE LEAD SGLE OM THAT ALBUM, "SEXUAL HEALG," BEME A HUGE EBACK H FOR THE R&B STAR AND EARNED HIM HIS FIRST TWO GRAMMY AWARDS AND AN AMERIN MIC AWARD FOR FAVORE SOUL SGLE.PERSONAL LIFEIN 1975, GAYE'S WIFE ANNA GORDY—BERRY GORDY'S SISTER—FILED FOR DIVORCE, AND TWO YEARS LATER GAYE MARRIED HUNTER, WHO HAD BY THEN GIVEN BIRTH TO THEIR DGHTER, NONA (BORN SEPTEMBER 4, 1974) AND THEIR SON FRANKIE (BORN NOVEMBER 16, 1975). GAYE ALSO HAD AN ADOPTED SON (MARV PENTZ GAYE III) OM HIS PREV MARRIAGE. THE SGER'S MARRIAGE TO HUNTER PROVED SHORT LIVED AND TUMULTUO, ENDG DIVORCE 1981.DEATH AND LEGACYDPE HIS SUCCSFUL EBACK THE EARLY 1980S, GAYE STGGLED BADLY WH THE SUBSTANCE ABE AND BOUTS OF PRSN THAT HAD PLAGUED HIM FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE. AFTER HIS LAST TOUR, HE MOVED TO HIS PARENTS' HOE. THERE HE AND HIS FATHER FELL TO A PATTERN OF VLENT FIGHTS AND QUARRELS THAT RELLED NFLICTS THAT HAD HNTED THE FAY FOR S. ON APRIL 1, 1984, MARV GAYE SR. SHOT AND KILLED HIS SON AFTER A PHYSIL ALTERTN; THE FATHER CLAIMED HE ACTED SELF-FENSE BUT WOULD LATER BE NVICTED OF VOLUNTARY MANSLGHTER. THREE YEARS AFTER HIS ATH, GAYE WAS DUCTED TO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME. CREATG BETIFUL ART OM A TROUBLED LIFE, GAYE AGA AND AGA BROUGHT HIS VISN, RANGE AND ARTISTRY TO THE WORLD STAGE. AT THE END OF HIS REER, HE ADMTED HE NO LONGER MA MIC FOR PLEASURE; STEAD, HE SAID, "I RERD SO THAT I N FEED PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED, WHAT THEY FEEL. HOPEFULLY, I RERD SO THAT I N HELP SOMEONE OVERE A BAD TIME."{BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;MARG:0.9375REM 0 0 0.625REM;PADDG:0 0 0 1.25REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:0.9375REM 0;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} LI{PADDG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} LI::MARKER{LOR:#323232;}NAME: MARV GAYEBIRTH YEAR: 1939BIRTH DATE: APRIL 2, 1939BIRTH CY: WASHGTON, D. C.BIRTH COUNTRY: UNED STATGENR: MALEBT KNOWN FOR: MARV GAYE WAS A SOUL SGER-SONGWRER WH MOTOWN THE 1960S AND 1970S. HE PRODUCED HIS OWN RERDS AND OFTEN ADDRSED NTROVERSIAL THEM.INDTRIPOPASTROLOGIL SIGN: ARIINTERTG FACTSBEFORE MAKG AS A SOLO ARTIST, MARV GAYE PLAYED DMS FOR ARTISTS SUCH AS STEVIE WONR AND THE SUPREM.DEATH YEAR: 1984DEATH DATE: APRIL 1, 1984DEATH STATE: CALIFORNIADEATH CY: LOS ANGELDEATH COUNTRY: UNED STATFACT CHECKWE STRIVE FOR ACCURACY AND YOU SEE SOMETHG THAT DON'T LOOK RIGHT,NTACT !CITATION INFORMATIONARTICLE TLE: MARV GAYE BGRAPHYAUTHOR: EDORSWEBSE NAME: THE WEBSEURL: ACCS DATE: PUBLISHER: A&E; TELEVISN NETWORKSLAST UPDATED: APRIL 19, 2021ORIGAL PUBLISHED DATE: APRIL 2, 2014QUOTES

Marv Gaye was a soul sger-songwrer wh Motown the 1960s and 1970s. He produced his own rerds and often addrsed ntroversial them. * why is marvin gaye in a song *

For three high-flyg years, Gaye and Tammi Terrell wowed the untry wh their soarg duet performanc of songs like "A't No Mounta High Enough" and "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You.

Departg om the tried and te Motown formula, Gaye went out on his own artistilly, pavg the way for other Motown artists like Wonr and Michael Jackson to branch out later years. In 2013, Gaye's tate asserted that producer/songwrer Pharrell Williams and sger/songwrer Rob Thicke had mted pyright gement by takg major mil elements om the dis track for the mega-h "Blurred L. Personal LifeIn 1975, Gaye's wife Anna Gordy—Berry Gordy's sister—filed for divorce, and two years later Gaye married Hunter, who had by then given birth to their dghter, Nona (born September 4, 1974) and their son Frankie (born November 16, 1975).

‘I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVE’: HOW MARV GAYE CLAIMED A SOUL CLASSIC

On October 30, 1968, Marv Gaye's ver of ‘I Heard It Through The Grapeve’ was released, on s way to toppg the Hot 100. * why is marvin gaye in a song *

The sger's marriage to Hunter proved short lived and tumultuo, endg divorce and LegacyDpe his succsful eback the early 1980s, Gaye stggled badly wh the substance abe and bouts of prsn that had plagued him for most of his life.

THE STORY BEHD THE MURR OF MARV GAYE

* why is marvin gaye in a song *

IndtriPopAstrologil Sign: AriIntertg FactsBefore makg as a solo artist, Marv Gaye played dms for artists such as Stevie Wonr and The Year: 1984Death date: April 1, 1984Death State: CaliforniaDeath Cy: Los AngelDeath Country: Uned StatFact CheckWe strive for accuracy and you see somethg that don't look right, ntact !

CITATION INFORMATIONArticle Tle: Marv Gaye BgraphyAuthor: EdorsWebse Name: The webseUrl: Date: Publisher: A&E; Televisn NetworksLast Updated: April 19, 2021Origal Published Date: April 2, 2014QUOTESWar is not the answer, bee only love n nquer you nnot fd peace wh yourself, you will never fd anywhere else.

50 THGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARV GAYE'S WHAT'S GOG ON

Marv Gaye started his reer as one of Motown's brightt stars, helpg to tablish the label's qutsential sound the '60s. * why is marvin gaye in a song *

So ’s strange to thk what an uncerta history the Norman Whfield/Barrett Strong posn had, how was rejected twice s fancy, and how the first h versn of was eclipsed jt a year later by the Marv Gaye terpretatn we all know as a worldwi classic. In the years sce his ath, everyone om Charlie Puth and Elton John to Thomas Rhett has ma mentn of Gaye their songs, makg clear jt how fluential Gaye was to mic as a whole.

“Y, Amy Wadge and I wrote the song ‘Thkg Out Loud, ’” he Newman/Associated PrsIn a closely watched mic pyright trial, jurors ultimately sid wh Ed Sheeran, who had been acced of pyg his Grammy-wng ballad “Thkg Out Loud” om Marv Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On.

The trial was watched closely mic and legal circl as the latt example a seri of s that have alt wh whether monplace bs of harmony or melody n be owned by any poser or are part of the public trend began 2015 when a jury found that Rob Thicke and Pharrell Williams, their h “Blurred L, ” had ged on the pyright of another Gaye tune, “Got to Give It Up, ” and they were orred to pay more than $5 ln damag. Wh progrs, 100 years we'll look back on the rerd as an album that broke down barriers and beme the blueprt on how to live harmonly wh each other and our, though, let's take a closer look at the makg of Gaye's masterpiece as the album reach s mid-life surround by a world still crisis.

THE UNTOLD TTH OF MARV GAYE

The heirs of Ed Townsend, who -wrote “Let’s Get It On” wh Marv Gaye, had acced the pop star of pyg “Thkg Out Loud.” * why is marvin gaye in a song *

The boss at Motown thought Gaye was jeopardizg his reer wh this albumIn the fall of 1970, Gaye was so exced about the prott album he had md — and the song "What's Gog On" that he'd jt fished — that he tracked down the head of Motown Rerds, Berry Gordy, who was on vatn the Bahamas, to tell him the ia. 'What's Gog On' almost beme a song for vol group the OrigalsIn mid-1970, after workg on the song wh lyricist Al Cleveland, Benson fally had a chance to play for Gaye after trackg him down on a golf urse.

Many of his fans pied his fashn sense, but Gaye later admted to bgrapher David Rz that he wore them to ver up a growg bald spot on the top of his head, and was tickled to see people wear them to look Gaye, wearg his signature toque.

Unlike most producers, Gaye sat down the Snakep wh the micians, leadg the rhythm sectn and playg piano stead of producg om behd the glass the Snakep, where What's Gog On was rerd.

THE STORY OF MARV GAYE'S 'WHAT'S GOG ON'

On May 21, Marv Gaye's 1971 album hs the half-century mark — and 's as timely as 's ever been. * why is marvin gaye in a song *

The end of 'The Sound of Young Ameri'Both the ont and rear ver shots for the album were taken the backyard of the hoe where Gaye and his wife were livg wh their son, Marv III. Jam Jamerson rerd his bass l while layg flat on his backThe story go that Gaye knew he wanted Motown ssn man and key Funk Brother Jam Jamerson to play bass on the rhythm tracks, so he followed Jamerson down to a lol Detro blu club where the bassist was playg the band.

Gaye axed him offstage and back to the stud, but Jamerson was so toxited he kept fallg off his stool durg the rerdg, so he lay flat on his back to lay down the bass riffs that were wrten out for him by arranger David Van DePte.

MARV GAYE’S ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ IS AS RELEVANT TODAY AS IT WAS 1971

Marv Gaye's classic faced the forc shapg Amerin culture at the begng of the '70s. * why is marvin gaye in a song *

Gaye was a nervo performer at the bt of tim, but on his namake day, four years sce his last performance, sred, stoned and wh a hired band of unr-rehearsed micians, Gaye panicked and accintally started wh "Right On, " the album's first song on the send si, playg the album back to ont. SmokeThis album was the product of many wrers, among them Anna Gordy, Obie Benson, Al Cleveland, Elgie Stover, Jam Nyx and Earl Derouen, but Gaye always claimed there was one wrer on the album who didn't receive an album cred: Smokey Robson.

Those vol loops were a happy accintAnother signature sound on the album was the layerg of Gaye's vols, his abily to back his own voice and harmonize wh himself over and over.

50 YEARS LATER, WHY MARV GAYE'S SEMAL ALBUM 'WHAT'S GOG ON' ENDUR

Marv Gaye was one of the most fluential and succsful artists the history of R&B, wh untls classic albums and h sgl. * why is marvin gaye in a song *

The three had bee close iends, and 1970 Farr and Barney both helped nvce Gaye that "What's Gog On" was the perfect song for him to sg, bolsterg the early argument om Benson. 'What's Happeng Brother'The song "What's Happeng Brother" me directly out of a nversatn between Gaye and his younger brother, Frankie, who had been to Vietnam and pleted a three-year tour of duty. 'The Curse Out Man'The songs "Fly' High ( the Friendly Sky)" and "God is Love" were wrten by Gaye, his wife, Anna, and his nfidante Elgie Stover, who was nicknamed "the curse out man" at Motown.

On the album's next track, "Save the Children, " Gaye shows his two other distct voic: his macho-man style of sgg, ed on his early R&B hs, and Gaye the preacher, his reasoned, level-head spoken-word ratnal voice (which is the ma voice you hear on the track).

" Motown legend tells that was performed by sax player Thomas "Beans" Bowl, who was lled to the stud by Gaye a scramble the middle of the night to perform — but the tth is very flute on the song was played by a teenage girl named Dayna Hartwick. Most of the Motown producers found his "growlg" sax style out of date, but a late-night ssn Gaye paid Wild Bill $500 out of his own pocket to play his tenor sax across the whole album.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* WHY IS MARVIN GAYE IN A SONG

50 Years Later, Why Marv Gaye's Semal Album 'What's Gog On' Endur | Here & Now</tle><lk rel="nonil" href="><lk rel="alternate" type="applitn/rss+xml" tle="RSS" href="/wbur/rss"/><meta name="scriptn" ntent="Five s later, we're still to "What's Gog On." That's bee them om Gaye's album reflect some of the most signifint challeng and divisns we face as a society today."/><meta property="og:type" ntent="webse"/><meta property="og:tle" ntent="50 Years Later, Why Marv Gaye's Semal Album 'What's Gog On' Endur"/><meta property="og:scriptn" ntent="Five s later, we're still to "What's Gog On." That's bee them om Gaye's album reflect some of the most signifint challeng and divisns we face as a society today."/><meta property="og:url" ntent="><meta property="og:image" ntent="><meta property="og:image:alt" ntent="Marv Gaye performs on stage at De Doelen, Rotterdam, Netherlands, July of 1980. 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(Rob Verhorst/Redferns)" style="object-posn:50% 50%"/></picture><figptn class="article-fig-ptn">Marv Gaye performs on stage at De Doelen, Rotterdam, Netherlands, July of 1980. (Rob Verhorst/Redferns)</figptn></figure></sectn><sectn class="article-sectn--ntent hang-punctuatn article-sectn--first article-sectn--centered article-sectns"><p class=""><em>Edor's note: This story was rebroadst on May 31, 2021. Fd that d <a href=">here</a>.</em></p><p class="">When Marv Gaye's rerd "What's Gog On" me out 1971, unemployment was at a high of 6%, people were prottg police btaly, and Amerins were angry over the Vietnam War.</p><p class="nt-medium">"What's Gog On" reflected those tim wh laser-sharp precisn, and 's gone on to bee Motown's biggt mercial succs. And 50 years later, the them of the album still reflect some of the most signifint challeng and divisns we face as a society.</p><p class="">But many people may be surprised to learn that this pivotal album almost never existed. Motown founr Berry Gordy was aaid would Gaye’s reer.</p><p class="nt-medium">“Motown was not a pany that was built on any kd of personal statements,” says Nelson Gee, a mic journalist, thor and cultural cric who terviewed Gaye durg the sger-songwrer’s lifetime.</p><p class="">By the 1970s, Motown Rerds was known for s “superb productn le,” which clud the stud band, The Funk Brothers, Gee says. The rerd pany aimed to make pop mic that ptured “the sound of young Ameri.”</p><p class="nt-medium">“That kd of polil, social, personal work was not a signature of the pany,” Gee says.</p><p class="">Durg a tour stop Berkeley, California, Renaldo “Obie” Benson of Motown giant the Four Tops was spired to wre “What’s Gog On” after wnsg a scuffle between police and monstrators at an anti-Vietnam War prott.</p><p class="">When Benson brought the song to him, Gaye was reluctant to rerd . At this pot his reer, Gaye was famo for his pop duets and love ballads, such as “A't No Mounta High Enough” wh Tammi Terrell and “I Heard It Through the Grapeve.”</p><div class=""><div class="article-sectn--youtube article-sectn--embed wiscreen"><div class="youtube" id="yt-embed-1"><picture><img src="></picture><div class="play-button"></div></div></div></div><p class="">Gaye thought the song was better sued for a band lled The Origals, but he agreed to rerd himself after Benson allowed him to rewre some parts of . One of the most notable chang Gaye ma was the fal versn of the song, there was no qutn mark the tle.</p><p class="">The song illtrat the challeng society durg the 1960s — “spirualy, brotherhood, the onens of man” — and speaks to what Gaye thks are solutns, Gee explas.</p><p class="nt-medium">“It wasn't a qutn. It was a statement a sense, and the rerd self tri to actually provi answers,” he says. “So I don't thk you need a qutn mark for that. It was a statement — what's gog on — and here are some of the answers.”</p><p class="">When “What’s Gog On” me out January of 1971, was an stant h, and Gordy sisted Gaye rerd an entire album to back up the sgle. In the five s sce the song was released, “What’s Gog On” has been ed throughout the world monstratns agast totalarian regim, as a ll for peace the Middle East and durg recent Black Liv Matter protts.</p><p class="nt-medium">“Ultimately, the world me back to this album, and I thk that's one of the thgs that happened the last few years wh all the turmoil over race relatns, the entire chaos and the agmentatn,” Gee says. “The are all ias and nversatns we're havg right now 2021 that Marv was havg, and so the them of the album have proved to be endurg.”</p><span><h3><b>Gaye Captured A ‘Sense Of Confn And Sadns’</b></h3></span><p class="">The send song on the album, “What's Happeng Brother” was wrten for Gaye's brother, Frankie, who had jt returned om a tour Vietnam and was stgglg to fd a job.</p><p class="">In 1971, the Amerin people were learng through the Pentagon Papers how the U.S. ernment had basilly lied to them about the Vietnam War. This song spoke exactly to the sentiment of hundreds of thoands of Amerins impacted by loved on servg the war.</p><p class="">Gee says when he listens to this song particular, he don’t jt hear , he se . As a child growg up New York Cy, Gee remembers all of the men returng om the war who would wear Army jackets. He says “What’s Happeng Brother” reflects the “sense of nfn and sadns” that many Vietnam veterans felt when they returned home.</p><p class="nt-medium">“You had this return of all the brothers who had been the war, and they weren't celebrated,” Gee says. “There was a lot of prott about the war, so wasn't like the World War II people where everyone was pattg them on the back. So [there was] that sense of displacement, disillnment, the feelg of beg ed by the ernment as nnon fodr.”</p><p class="nt-medium">“Mercy Mercy Me (The Elogy),” another popular song om the album, is a direct tth-tellg about how we impact our environment. The song rose to No. 4 on the Billboard pop sgl chart and even had a rare appearance for Gaye on the adult ntemporary charts.</p><p class="">The sound of that song has an “herent spirual dimensn” that embrac many tradns om European and Black church, Gee says. The percsn on this song — and the album as a whole — also plays a huge role how the rerd flows.</p><p class="nt-medium">“So by layerg anilly so many different kds of mic, you create an environment that is very distctive,” he says. “This album really changed Marv's reer.”</p><figure class="article-fig size-large"><a href="><picture><img class="size-large article-image" src=" alt="Marv Gaye's rerd &quot;What's Gog On&quot; me out around this time 50 years ago. (Gems/Redferns)" loadg="lazy"/></picture></a><figptn class="article-fig-ptn">Marv Gaye's rerd "What's Gog On" me out around this time 50 years ago. (Gems/Redferns)</figptn></figure><span><h3><b>‘A Betiful Piece Of Art’</b></h3></span><p class="">In the followg years after the album was released, Gaye stggled wh prsn and dg abe, survivg a suici attempt 1979. When Gee <a href=">terviewed him</a> March of 1983, Gaye was a visibly broken man.</p><p class="">He was g back to the U.S. om his self-imposed exile Europe, and he was on a eback wh his song, “Sexual Healg.” But Gaye was also “nontg his old mons” and “ght fay relatns,” Gee says. There was a sense of melancholy that permeated throughout that entire terview.</p><p class="nt-medium">“When I sat wh him, I asked him about 'What's Gog On' and whether or not the time lled for another album like that, and he was very reluctant to sort of embrace that ia,” he says. “He said took a lot of soul searchg, a lot of medatn ... whatever space that had created 'What's Gog On' had passed for him. He had moved away om the social mentary that 'What's Gog On' reprented. And I thk 's bee he spirually didn't feel nnected both to the U.S. the same way and even to some parts of his own me.”</p><p class="">A year after that terview, Gaye was shot and killed by his father. He was 44 years old.</p><p class="">Reflectg back on Gaye’s semal work 50 years later, Gee says “What’s Gog On” is a “betiful piece of art.” The fal song on the album, “Inner Cy Blu (Make Me Wanna Holler),” still hnts him to this day.</p><p class="nt-medium">“You uld put that mic over any cy scene any urban center the last 50 years and that mic would work,” he says. “The scriptns , the atmosphere of the rerd, his vol stylgs, would still feel like he's scribg right now.”</p><hr/><p class=""><em><a href=">Samantha Raphelson</a> produced and eded this terview for broadst wh <a href=">Todd Mundt</a>. Raphelson also adapted for the web. </em></p></sectn><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered"><p class=""><em>This segment aired on March 1, 2021.</em></p></sectn></article><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered"><hear class="zone"><div class="zone-ner"><h2 class="zone-hdr">Related:</h2></div></hear><ul class="article-story-group"><li class="story-group-em"><a data-ec="Article Related Lks" data-el="'A Study Of Eight' Shows Influence Black Fashn Makers Had On History, Culture" data-ea="Click" class="story-group-lk" href=">'A Study Of Eight' Shows Influence Black Fashn Makers Had On History, Culture</a></li><li class="story-group-em"><a data-ec="Article Related Lks" data-el="In 'Four Hundred Souls,' 90 Wrers Tell Their Stori Of 4 Centuri Of Ain Ameri" data-ea="Click" class="story-group-lk" href=">In 'Four Hundred Souls,' 90 Wrers Tell Their Stori Of 4 Centuri Of Ain Ameri</a></li><li class="story-group-em"><a data-ec="Article Related Lks" data-el="Rememberg Rupert Neve, The Legendary Aud Equipment Inventor Who Shaped Rock 'N' Roll's Sound" data-ea="Click" class="story-group-lk" href=">Rememberg Rupert Neve, The Legendary Aud Equipment Inventor Who Shaped Rock 'N' Roll's Sound</a></li></ul></sectn><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered"><div class="ntributor has-photo"><div class="ntributor-profile"><figure class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-photo"><a href="/si/staff/tonya-mosley"><picture><img src=" class="lazy rd-image" alt=""/></picture></a></figure><p class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-b"><a class="ntributor-name" href="/si/staff/tonya-mosley">Tonya Mosley</a> <span class="ntributor-tle">Corrponnt, Here & Now</span><br/>Tonya Mosley was the LA-based -host of Here & Now. </p><p class="ntributor-more"><a class="ntributor-lk ntributor-b-lk" href="/si/staff/tonya-mosley">More…</a></p></div></div><div class="ntributor has-photo"><div class="ntributor-profile"><figure class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-photo"><a href="/si/staff/samantha-raphelson"><picture><img src=" class="lazy rd-image" alt=""/></picture></a></figure><p class="ntributor-profile-em ntributor-b"><a class="ntributor-name" href="/si/staff/samantha-raphelson">Samantha Raphelson</a> <span class="ntributor-tle">Associate Producer, Here & Now</span><br/>Samantha Raphelson is an associate producer for Here & Now, based at NPR Washgton, D.C.</p><p class="ntributor-more"><a class="ntributor-lk ntributor-b-lk" href="/si/staff/samantha-raphelson">More…</a></p></div></div></sectn><sectn class="sectn--bo sectn--bp"><div class="uw bp--rponsive"><div class="bp-ner"><p class="bp-label">Advertisement</p><div class="bp-ntent bp-ntent--centered"><div></div><div id="adslot-372712"></div></div></div></div></sectn><div></div><div class="global-d-ponents onmand--is-playg"><div class="global-player"><d preload="to"></d><div class="global-player-bar"><div class="global-player-bar-left"><button class="global-player-bar-ntrol"><i class="in-play in-play--global-player-bar in-play--psed"><span class="in-play-shape"><span class="in-label" data-note="for-screen-rears">Rume</span></span></i></button><div class="global-player-label global-player-label--live"><div class="global-player-channel"><span>Listen Live</span></div><div class="global-player-tle"><a class="global-player-label-lk" href="/">Loadg...</a></div></div></div><div class="global-player-bar-right"><div class="global-player-x"><svg class="in in-close" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-labelledby="tle"><tle id="tle">Close.

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