Flashback: Marv Gaye Reimag ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ 1983 – Rollg Stone

Contents:

• FEBARY 13, 1983: THE AFTERNOON MARV GAYE REVOLUTNIZED THE SGG OF THE NATNAL ANTHEM
• MARV GAYE
• MARV GAYE, 30 YEARS ON
• GRAMMY REWD: WATCH MARV GAYE PERFORM ON GRAMMY STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME WH "SEXUAL HEALG" RENDN IN 1983
• FLASHBACK: MARV GAYE REIMAG ‘THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER’ 1983

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

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. 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

One year later, Marv Gaye was ad, shot by his own father. 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 birthday.If 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, 30 YEARS ON

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 father.Those feelgs spilled out for the fal time the Los Angel home of Marv Gay, Sr., and his wife Alberta. 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 shape.After 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….I uldn’t do myself, so I ma him do .”Also on This Day History April | 1.

GRAMMY REWD: WATCH MARV GAYE PERFORM ON GRAMMY STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME WH "SEXUAL HEALG" RENDN IN 1983

Marv Gaye uld not have looked more qutsentially Marv Gaye if he’d tried. But back then, Gaye was a feel-good eback story.

After a stt Europe which the sger temporarily ped mons that had nearly voured him, he was ridg high off the succs of the smash album Midnight Love, which was, turn, fueled by the Goliathan fluence of s landmark sgle “Sexual Healg.” 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. “Trouble was, whoever prted them prted backwards.” 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.

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

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.