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 ANTHEM
• 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
• MARV GAYE’S INIC NBA ALL-STAR GAME NATNAL ANTHEM: ‘HE TURNED THAT THG TO HIS OWN’
• FLASHBACK: MARV GAYE GROOV UP NATNAL ANTHEM AT 1983 NBA 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
• MARV GAYE'S ALL-STAR GAME NATNAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCE: LOOKG BACK AT THE FG MOMENT OM 1983

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.

FEBARY 13, 1983: THE AFTERNOON MARV GAYE REVOLUTNIZED THE SGG OF THE NATNAL 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.

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

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. 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.

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

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.

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 ANTHEM

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.

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.

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

“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.

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

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 performs the Netherlands.

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. Thomas was surprised Gaye knew his name.

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

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 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.

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

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

There isn’t a blueprt for Gaye’s charisma. ” Gaye’s anthem was patrtic s own soulful way, but was simultaneoly bonair too. Gaye, the archbishop of swagger.

” 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. Gaye, later 1983, offered a self-diagnosis.

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

Gaye ma a song about love, cln and triumph.

As Gaye exed the floor, he pulled Ervg asi. You gon’ love , ” Gaye told Ervg.

But all the talk after the game centered on Gaye.