Name	Soul
Bgcolor	orange
Color	black
Stylistic origins	Rhythm and blues - Gospel - Doo-wop
Cultural origins	Late 1950s, United States
Instruments	Guitar - Bass - Piano - Organ - Drums - Horn section - Keyboards - Vocals
Popularity	International, 1960s through early 1980s
Derivatives	Funk - Disco - Contemporary R&B;
Subgenres	Blue-eyed soul - Brown-eyed soul - Motown Sound - Psychedelic soul - Smooth soul - Quiet Storm
Fusiongenres	Neo soul - Soul blues - Soul jazz - Spoken word soul - Nu jazz
Regional scenes	British soul - Chicago soul - Detroit soul - Memphis soul - New Orleans soul - Northern soul - Philly soul - Southern soul
Other topics	Soul Musicians }}

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying." Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps and extemporaneous body moves, are an important feature of soul music. Other characteristics are a call and response between the soloist and the chorus, and an especially tense vocal sound. The genre also occasionally uses improvisational additions, twirls and auxiliary sounds.

Origins

Soul music has its roots in gospel music and rhythm and blues. The ''hard gospel'' vocal quartets of the 1940s and 1950s were big influences on major soul singers of the 1960s. The term "soul music" itself, to describe gospel-style music with secular lyrics, is first attested in 1961.

Ray Charles is often cited as inventing the soul genre with his string of hits starting with 1954's "I Got a Woman". Charles was open in acknowledging the influence of Pilgrim Travelers vocalist Jesse Whitaker on his singing style. Another view has it that a decade would transpire until Solomon Burke's early recordings for Atlantic Records codified the soul style; his early 1960s songs "Cry to Me", "Just Out of Reach" and "Down in the Valley" are considered classics of the genre. Little Richard (who was the inspiration for Otis Redding), Fats Domino and James Brown originally called themselves rock and roll performers. However, as rock music moved away from its R&B; roots in the 1960s, Brown claimed that he had always really been an R&B; singer. Little Richard proclaimed himself the "king of rockin' and rollin', rhythm and blues soulin'", because his music embodied elements of all three, and because he inspired artists in all three genres. Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke are also often acknowledged as soul forefathers.

Aretha Franklin's 1967 recordings, such as "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", "Respect" (originally sung by Otis Redding), and "Do Right Woman-Do Right Man" (written by Chips Moman and Dan Penn), are considered the apogee of the soul genre, and were among its most commercially successful productions. In the late 1960s, Stax artists such as Eddie Floyd and Johnnie Taylor made significant contributions to soul music. Howard Tate's recordings in the late 1960s for Verve Records, and later for Atlantic (produced by Jerry Ragovoy) are another notable body of work in the soul genre. By 1968, the soul music movement had begun to splinter, as artists such as James Brown and Sly & the Family Stone began to incorporate new styles into their music.

Geographical origins

Many consider the birthplace of soul music to be northern United States inner cities, particularly Chicago. Other cities, such as New York, Detroit, Memphis and Florence, quickly followed, creating their own soul styles based on their regional gospel roots.

Florence, Alabama, was the home of FAME Studios. Jimmy Hughes, Percy Sledge and Arthur Alexander recorded at Fame, and Aretha Franklin recorded in the area later in the 1960s. Fame Studios (often referred to as ''Muscle Shoals'' after a nearby town) enjoyed a close relationship with the Memphis label Stax Records, and many of the musicians and producers who worked in Memphis contributed to recordings in Alabama. Another notable Memphis label was Goldwax Records, which signed O.V. Wright and James Carr. Carr's "The Dark End of the Street" (written by Chips Moman and Dan Penn) was recorded in 1967 at two other Memphis studios, Royal Recording and American Sound Studios. American Sound Studios owner Chips Moman produced "The Dark End of the Street", and the musicians were his house band of Reggie Young, Bobby Woods, Tommy Cogbill and Gene Chrisman. Carr also recorded songs at Fame Studio with musicians David Hood, Jimmy Johnson and Roger Hawkins.

The Detroit-based Motown Records also contributed to the soul canon in the 1960s, although at the time, the label described itself as a manufacturer of pop music. Music by Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, and the Supremes did much to popularize what became known as the ''Motown sound''.

In Chicago, Curtis Mayfield helped develop the ''sweet soul'' sound that later earned him a reputation as the Godfather of northern soul. As a member of The Impressions, Mayfield infused a ''call and response'' style of group singing that came out of gospel, and influenced many other groups of the era, notably fellow Chicago artists the Radiants.

1970s and later

Later examples of soul music include recordings by The Staple Singers (such as ''I'll Take You There''), and Al Green's 1970s recordings, done at Willie Mitchell's' Royal Recording in Memphis. Mitchell's Hi Records continued the Stax tradition in that decade, releasing many hits by Green, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay, O.V. Wright and Syl Johnson. Bobby Womack, who recorded with Chips Moman in the late 1960s, continued to produce soul recordings in the 1970s and 1980s.

In Detroit, producer Don Davis worked with Stax artists such as Johnnie Taylor and The Dramatics. Early 1970s recordings by The Detroit Emeralds, such as ''Do Me Right'', are a link between soul and the later disco style. Motown Records artists such as Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson contributed to the evolution of soul music, although their recordings were considered more in a pop music vein than those of Redding, Franklin and Carr. Although stylistically different from classic soul music, recordings by Chicago-based artists are often considered part of the genre.

By the early 1970s, soul music had been influenced by psychedelic rock and other genres. The social and political ferment of the times inspired artists like Gaye and Curtis Mayfield to release album-length statements with hard-hitting social commentary. Artists like James Brown led soul towards funk music, which became typified by 1970s bands like Parliament-Funkadelic and The Meters. More versatile groups like War, the Commodores and Earth, Wind and Fire became popular around this time. During the 1970s, some slick and commercial blue-eyed soul acts like Philadelphia's Hall & Oates and Oakland's Tower of Power achieved mainstream success, as did a new generation of street-corner harmony or ''city-soul'' groups like The Delfonics and Howard University's Unifics.

As disco and funk were dominating the charts in the late 1970s and early 1980s, soul went in the direction of quiet storm. With its relaxed tempos and soft melodies, quiet storm soul took influences from soft rock and adult contemporary. Many funk bands, such as Con Funk Shun, Cameo, and Lakeside would have a few quiet storm tracks on their albums. Among the most successful acts in this era include Smokey Robinson, Teddy Pendergrass, Peabo Bryson, Atlantic Starr, and Larry Graham.

After the decline of disco and funk in the early 1980s, soul music became influenced by electro music. It became less raw and more slickly produced, resulting in a style known as contemporary R&B;, which sounded very different from the original rhythm and blues style.

The United States saw the development of neo-soul around 1994. Mainstream record label marketing support for soul genres cooled in the 2000s due to the industry's re-focus on hip hop.

Notable record labels and producers

Motown Records

Berry Gordy's successful Tamla/Motown group of labels was notable for being black-owned, unlike most of the earlier independent R&B; labels. Notable artists under this label were The Supremes, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, Martha and the Vandellas, and The Jackson Five. Hits were make using a quasi-industrial production-line approach. Some considered the sound to be mechanistic but producers and songwriters such as Phil Spector brought artistic judgement to the three minute tunes. Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland were rarely out of the charts for their work as writers and producers for The Supremes, the Four Tops and Martha and the Vandellas. They allowed important elements to shine through the dense musical texture. There was a large emphasis on the rhythm section with handclaps or tambourine. Smokey Robinson was another writer and producer who added lyrics to "The Tracks Of My Tears" which was one of the most important songs of the decade.

Stax Records and Atlantic Records

These independent labels produced high-quality dance records with such singers as Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett. They tended to have smaller ensembles marked by expressive gospel-tinged vocals. Brass and Saxophones were also used extensively.

Subgenres

Detroit (Motown) soul

Dominated by Berry Gordy's Motown Records empire, Detroit soul is strongly rhythmic and influenced by gospel music. The Motown sound often includes hand clapping, a powerful bass line, violins and bells. Motown Records' house band was The Funk Brothers.

Deep soul and southern soul

The terms ''deep soul'' and ''southern soul'' generally refer to a driving, energetic soul style combining R&B;'s energy with pulsating southern United States gospel music sounds. Memphis, Tennessee label Stax Records nurtured a distinctive sound, which included putting vocals further back in the mix than most contemporary R&B; records, using vibrant horn parts in place of background vocals, and a focus on the low end of the frequency spectrum. The vast majority of Stax releases were backed by house bands Booker T and the MGs (with Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn, and Al Jackson) and the Memphis Horns (the splinter horn section of the Mar-Keys).

Memphis soul

''Memphis soul'' is a shimmering, sultry style of soul music produced in the 1960s and 1970s at Stax Records and Hi Records in Memphis, Tennessee. It featured melancholic and melodic horns, organ, bass, and drums, as heard in recordings by Hi's Al Green and Stax's Booker T. & the M.G.'s. The latter group also sometimes played in the harder-edged Southern soul style. The Hi Records house band (Hi Rhythm Section) and producer Willie Mitchell developed a surging soul style heard in the label's 1970s hit recordings. Some Stax recordings fit into this style, but had their own unique sound.

New Orleans soul

The New Orleans soul scene directly came out of the rhythm and blues era, when such artists as Little Richard, Fats Domino, and Huey Piano Smith made a huge impact on the pop and R&B; charts and a huge direct influence on the birth of Funk music. The principal architect of Crescent City’s soul was songwriter, arranger, and producer Allen Toussaint. He worked with such artists as Irma Thomas (“the Soul Queen of New Orleans”), Jessie Hill, Kris Kenner, Benny Spellman, and Ernie K. Doe on the Minit/Instant label complex to produced a distinctive New Orleans soul sound generating a passel of national hits. Other notable New Orleans hits came from Robert Parker, Betty Harris, and Aaron Neville. While record labels in New Orleans largely disappeared by the mid-1960s, producers in the city continued to record New Orleans soul artists for other mainly New York and Los Angeles record labels—notably Lee Dorsey for New York–based Amy Records and the Meters for New York–based Josie and then LA-based Reprise.

Chicago soul

Chicago soul generally had a light gospel-influenced sound, but the large number of record labels based in the city tended to produce a more diverse sound than other cities. Vee Jay Records, which lasted until 1966, produced recordings by Jerry Butler, Betty Everett, Dee Clark, and Gene Chandler. Chess Records, mainly a blues and rock and roll label, produced a number of major soul artists. Curtis Mayfield not only scored many hits with his group, The Impressions, but wrote many hit songs for Chicago artists and produced hits on his own labels for The Fascinations and the Five Stairsteps.

Philadelphia soul

Based primarily in the Philadelphia International record label, Philadelphia soul (AKA Philly Soul) had a lush orchestral sound and doo-wop-inspired vocals. Thom Bell, and Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff are considered the founders of Philadelphia soul.

Psychedelic soul

Psychedelic soul was a blend of psychedelic rock and soul music in the late 1960s, which paved the way for the mainstream emergence of funk music a few years later. The Politicians were one example.

Blue-eyed soul

Blue-eyed soul is a term used to describe R&B; or soul music performed by white artists. The term does not refer to a distinct style of music, and the meaning of ''blue-eyed soul'' has evolved over decades. Originally the term was associated with mid-1960s white artists who performed soul and R&B; that was similar to the music released by Motown Records and Stax Records. The term continued to be used in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly by the British media to describe a new generation of singers who adopted elements of the Stax and Motown sounds. To a lesser extent, the term has been applied to singers in other music genres that are influenced by soul music.

British Soul

Soul has been a major influence on British popular music since the 1960s including bands of the British Invasion, most significantly The Beatles. There were a handful of significant British Blue-eyed soul acts, including Dusty Springfield and Tom Jones. American soul was extremely popular among some youth sub-cultures like the Northern soul and Modern soul movements, but a clear genre of British soul did not emerge until the 1980s when a number of artists including George Michael, Sade, Simply Red, Lisa Stansfield and Soul II Soul enjoyed commercial success. The popularity of British soul artists in the U.S., most notably Amy Winehouse, Adele, Estelle, Joss Stone, Duffy, Jessie J and Leona Lewis led to talk of a third British Invasion or soul invasion in the 2000s.

Neo soul

The term ''neo soul'' is a marketing phrase coined by producer and record label executive Kedar Massenburg to describe a musical blend of 1970s soul-style vocals and instrumentation with contemporary R&B; sounds, hip hop beats and poetic interludes. The style was developed in the early to mid 1990s. A key element in neo soul is a heavy dose of Fender Rhodes or Wurlitzer electric piano pads over a mellow, grooving interplay between the drums (usually with a rim shot snare sound) and a muted, deep funky bass. The Fender Rhodes piano sound gives the music a warm, organic character.

Northern soul and modern soul

The phrase ''northern soul'' was coined by journalist Dave Godin and popularised in 1970 through his column in ''Blues and Soul'' magazine. The term refers to rare soul music that was played by DJs at nightclubs in northern England. The playlists originally consisted of obscure 1960s and early 1970s American soul recordings with an uptempo beat, such as those on Motown Records and more obscure labels such as Okeh Records. Modern soul developed when northern soul DJs began looking in record shops in the United States and United Kingdom for music that was more complex and contemporary. What emerged was a richer sound that was more advanced in terms of Hi-Fi and FM radio technology.

Nu-Jazz and soulful electronica

Many artists in various genres of electronic music (such as house, drum n bass, UK garage, and downtempo) are heavily influenced by soul, and have produced many soul-inspired compositions.

See also

Easy listening

List of soul musicians

Spoken word soul

References

Bibliography

Cummings, Tony (1975). ''The Sound of Philadelphia.'' London: Eyre Methuen.

Escott, Colin. (1995). Liner notes for ''The Essential James Carr''. Razor and Tie Records.

Gillett, Charlie (1974). ''Making Tracks.'' New York: E. P. Dutton.

Guralnick, Peter (1986). ''Sweet Soul Music.'' New York: Harper & Row.

Hannusch, Jeff (1985). ''I Hear You Knockin': The Sound of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues.'' Ville Platte, LA: Swallow Publications. ISBN 0-9614245-0-8.

Hoskyns, Barney (1987). ''Say it One More Time for the Broken Hearted.'' Glasgow: Fontana/Collins.

Jackson, John A. (2004). ''A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul.'' New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-514972-6.

Miller, Jim (editor) (1976). ''The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll''. New York: Rolling Stone Press/Random House. ISBN 0-394-73238-3. (Chapter on "Soul," by Guralnick, Peter. pp. 194–197.

Pruter, Robert (1991). Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-01676-9.

Pruter, Robert, editor (1993). ''Blackwell Guide to Soul Recordings.'' Oxford: Basil Blackwell Ltd. ISBN 0-631-18595-X

Walker, Don (1985). ''The Motown Story.'' New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.

Winterson, Julia, Nickol, Peter, Bricheno, Toby (2003). "Pop Music: The Text Book" Edition Peters ISBN 1-84367-007-0

External links

SoulMusic.com - Classic and contemporary soul music archive

Soul Bible - Looking back at some of the best soul tracks of the 1980s

100 Greatest 'Classic' R&B;/Soul Songs - 50s-70s

SoulBounce (Blogs, Podcast, Reviews)

100 Greatest R&B;/Soul Ballads

Getbluesinfo.com - Southern Soul/Blues Channel

CarolinaSoul.Org

SOULRNB.COM - French webzine and community about R&B;, Soul and Nu Soul musics

Category:Rhythm and blues music genres Category:Radio formats Category:African American music Category:Culture of the Southern United States

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Name	Otis Redding
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Otis Ray Redding, Jr.
Born	September 09, 1941 Dawson, Georgia, U.S.
Died	December 10, 1967 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, drums, guitar, piano
Genre	Soul, Southern soul, soul blues
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1960–1967
Label	Stax, Volt, Atco, Rhino, Sundazed
Associated acts	The Upsetters, The Bar-Kays, Carla Thomas
Website	}}

Otis Ray Redding, Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American soul singer-songwriter. He is considered one of the major figures in soul/R&B;; his open-throated singing was an influence on other soul singers of the 1960s, while – usually with his writing partner Steve Cropper – he crafted a lean and powerful style of rhythm and blues that formed the basis of the Stax Sound. After appearing at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, he wrote and recorded "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", which went on to become a number one record on both the pop and R&B; charts after his death in a plane crash.

Redding was born and raised in the American state of Georgia. At age 15 he left school to help his family financially, working with Little Richards's backing band the Upsetters, and playing talent shows for the prize money. In 1958 he joined Johnny Jenkins's band, the Pinetoppers, and toured the Southern United States, with Redding serving as the driver. An unscheduled gig led to a turning point in his career. He signed a contract with record label Stax Records and released his debut album ''Pain in My Heart'' in 1964. This album produced his first single on Stax, "These Arms of Mine".

Although he was more popular among blacks early in his career, he later became equally popular among whites. Initially, he performed small gigs in the South, but that changed when his group performed at the nightclub Whisky a Go Go, their first concert in the Western United States. Internationally, Redding scheduled concerts in Paris and London among other venues. Redding's death was devastating for Stax, which was verging on bankruptcy. Later they discovered that Atlantic owned the rights to the entire catalog. Redding won numerous awards posthumously, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His legacy remains solid; he received the honorific nickname "King of Soul", a title also given to American musicians James Brown and Sam Cooke.

Early life

Redding was born in the small town of Dawson, Georgia to gospel singer Otis Redding, Sr., and housekeeper Fannie Redding. His father had worked as a sharecropper and then at Robins Air Force Base. He sometimes worked weekends as a part-time preacher. When Redding was three, the family moved to nearby Macon into the Tindall Heights Housing Project, a public housing project for blacks. For a short time they lived in a small house in Bellevue, but when it burned down they moved back to Tindall. At an early age he sang in Vineville Baptist Church choir and learned guitar and piano. Later at Ballard-Hudson High School, he sang in a school band after having taken drum and singing lessons from the age of 10. Every Sunday he earned US$6 by playing songs for Macon radio station WIBB. He loved singing; and later cited Little Richard and Sam Cooke as major influences. Redding later said, "If it hadn't been for Little Richard, I would not be here. I entered the music business because of Richard – he is my inspiration. I used to sing like Little Richard, his Rock 'n' Roll stuff, you know. Richard has soul, too. My present music has a lot of him in it." Another inspiration was the pianist Gladdy Williams, a well-known musician in Macon. She often performed at Hillview Springs Social Club, and Redding sometimes played there on piano. On Sunday she hosted talent shows. Redding often accompanied his friends from the neighborhood, such as Little Willie Jones and Eddie Ross, the latter on bass guitar.

At 15 he abandoned school to help his family financially. His father had tuberculosis and was often in hospital, leaving his mother as the bread-winner. Redding worked as a well digger, gas station attendant and guest musician, until being eventually hired by Little Richard's band The Upsetters to compete on disc jockey Hamp Swain's "The Teenage Party", a music contest at the Douglass Theatre. Redding, often playing Elvis Presley covers, earned a good wage at about US$25 per gig. Biographer Bob Gulla later criticized Redding's singing ability and his poor sense of rhythm. There, guitarist Johnny Jenkins saw his performance and offered help. Jenkins later worked as lead guitarist and played with Redding on several gigs. Shortly afterwards, he was invited to replace Willie Jones, frontman of Pat Teacake's Band, which also featured Jenkins. At the age of 19 Redding met Zelma Atwood at "The Teenage Party". She gave birth to Dexter and married Redding in August 1961. In mid-1960 he moved to Los Angeles with his sister Deborah Redding, and wrote his first songs, including "She's Allright", "Tuff Enuff", "I'm Gettin' Hip" and "Gamma Lamma", the first later released as a single.

Career

Early career

As a member of Teacake's Band, Redding toured in the Southern United States, especially on the Chitlin' circuit. These performance venues were safe for African-American musicians during the age of racial segregation which lasted into the early 1960s. Jenkins later left Teacake to become the featured artist with the "Pinetoppers". Around this time, Redding met Phil Walden, the future founder of the recording company Phil Walden and Associates, and later Bobby Smith, who ran a small record label, Confederate Records. He signed with Confederate and recorded his second single, "Shout Bamalama" (a rewrite of "Gamma Lamma"), which he performed with his band "Otis and the Shooters". Wayne Cochran, the only solo artist signed to Confederate, became the Pinetoppers' bass guitarist.

Next, Redding wrote the song, "These Arms of Mine", his first single for Stax. This ballad sold more than 800,000 copies. At the same time, Walden started to look for a record label. Atlantic Records representative Joe Galkin was interested in working with Jenkins and proposed to send him to a Stax studio in Memphis. On the way to a gig, Redding drove for Jenkins, as the latter did not possess a driver's license. Jenkins performed with Booker T. & the M.G.'s. When that set ended early, Redding had the opportunity to perform. The first song was "Hey Hey Baby", but studio chief Jim Stewart thought it sounded too much like Little Richard. The next song was "These Arms of Mine", which featured Jenkins on guitar and Steve Cropper on piano. Stewart later praised Redding's performance of the latter song and noted, "Everybody was fixin' to go home, but Joe Galkin insisted we give Otis a listen. There was something different about [the ballad]. He really poured his soul into it."

Redding's debut album ''Pain in My Heart'' was released on January 1, 1964 by Stax on the Volt sister label. Some songs, such as "These Arms of Mine" and "Security", later charted successfully as singles. The title track sparked some copyright issues, as it sounded like Irma Thomas' "Ruler of My Heart". Despite this, the album peaked at number 20 on the ''Billboard'' R&B; chart and at number 85 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. As the majority of the songs released after "Security" were more adagio, several DJs labelled Otis Redding, "Mr. Pitiful". Subsequently Cropper and Redding wrote a song with that name and included it on Redding's second studio album, ''The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads'', released in March 1965.

In 1965 Redding co-wrote the soul song "I've Been Loving You Too Long" together with friend Jerry Butler, lead singer of The Impressions, in a hotel near the Atlanta airport. In the summer of 1965, Redding and the studio crew arranged new songs for Redding's next album. Over July 9–10 all songs except "I've Been Loving You" were written in exactly 24 hours in Memphis. This is due to cutbacks of gigs, in which the house band, Booker T. and the MG's and the Memphis Horns, would later perform. Two of the eleven songs, "Ole Man Trouble" and "Respect", had been finished earlier. "Respect" and "I've Been Loving You" were later recut in stereo during the ''Otis Blue''-session, with the remarkable change that on the first song the line "hey hey hey" was sung by Earl Sims and not by Redding, while the latter song was completely rewritten. The album, entitled ''Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul'', was finally released in September 1965, one of the first albums released by Volt.

Whisky a Go Go and "Try a Little Tenderness"

Redding's success let him buy a ranch in Georgia, calling it the "Big O Ranch" (which was extended to after his death). Stax was also doing well; Walden signed more and more musicians, including Percy Sledge, Johnnie Taylor, Clarence Carter and Eddie Floyd, and together with Redding they founded the production companies "Jotis Records" (derived from ''J''oe Galkin and ''Otis'') and Redwal Music (derived from ''Red''ding and ''Wal''den). Their audience had been mostly black, but The Beatles were fans of the Stax/Volt recordings, encouraging Redding to perform for a big white audience. They chose Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Redding would be one of the first soul artists to perform in the western United States. His performance received critical acclaim, including positive press in ''Los Angeles Times'', and pushed Redding further into the mainstream. Bob Dylan attended and offered him an altered version of Dylan's song "Just Like A Woman", but Redding did not record it. It was the biggest mistake of his career, according to a private press release issued on September 8, 2011 for a special exhibit at the Stax Museum.

In late 1966 Redding returned to the Stax studio to record. One track was "Try a Little Tenderness", written by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly and Harry M. Woods in 1932. Today this is often considered to be Redding's signature song. Jim Stewart said, "If there's one song, one performance that really sort of sums up Otis and what he's about, it's 'Try a Little Tenderness'. That one performance is so special and so unique that it expresses who he is... If you want to wrap it up, just listen to [it]". On this version Redding was backed by Booker T. & the MG's. Staff producer Isaac Hayes worked on the arrangement. "Try a Little Tenderness" was included on his next album, ''Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul''. Although the song was commercially successful – it peaked at number 25 on ''Billboard's'' Hot 100 chart and at number 4 on R&B; singles chart – the album did not. In search of a wider audience, Walden and his crew organized a tour to London, where R&B; was popular thanks to artists like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, who had covered various R&B; songs. In the winter of 1966, booking agent Bill Graham proposed that Redding play at the Fillmore Theatre. The performance was commercially and critically successful, prompting Graham to remark afterwards, "That was the biggest gig I ever put on in my entire life."

A year after the Fillmore, Redding released another studio album, ''King & Queen'', this time with Carla Thomas. He returned to Europe to perform at the Olympia Theatre in Paris. A live album entitled ''Otis Redding: Live in Europe'' was released three months later featuring this performance. Other live performances were in London and Stockholm, featured in the albums ''Live in London and Paris'' and in the bootleg ''Live in Concerthouse – Stockholm''. Redding was criticized for his arrogant and contrived performances in the last concerts. His controversial decision to take Alexander Conley on the tour instead of artists such as Rufus Thomas and William Bell was also criticized. Al Bell was active in the Stax reorganization. He undertook routine business and managed tours for Redding among others, the latter formerly done by Estelle Baxton, sister of Jim Stewart. He was later hired as the new A&R; head, replacing Steve Cropper, as the crew thought he would be more successful.

Live at Monterey

In 1967 Redding performed at the famous Monterey Pop Festival in Monterey, California. This was the first widely promoted and heavily attended rock festival, which attracted an estimated 55,000 attendees with up to 90,000 people at the event's peak at midnight on Sunday. The festival, which became one of the major festivals in Monterey alongside the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Monterey Folk Festival, was founded by John Phillips from The Mamas & the Papas and promoter Lou Adler. It ran from June 16–18, and mostly included musical acts from the "Hippie" movement, such as The Who, Jefferson Airplane and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. This was the first major concert for several of the participating bands.

Redding performed on the second day, alongside Booker T. & the M.G.s, but arranged the song list only 10 minutes before his performance. At the end of their song "Green Onions", Tom Smothers introduced the last act. Redding and his backing band The Bar-Kays opened with Cooke's "Shake" and then played "Respect" (written by Redding). Then Redding delivered an impulsive speech in which he asked the audience if they were the "love crowd", looking for a big response. The ballad "I've Been Loving You" followed. The two last songs were "Satisfaction" and "Try a Little Tenderness". The band blew the ending, but Redding returned and completed the song with an additional chorus. With a last "I got to go, y'all, I don't wanna go", Redding left the stage. This would be his last major concert. After Monterey, Redding wanted to record with his close friend Arthur Conley, but Stax was against the idea. The two moved from Memphis to Macon to continue writing. The result was the chart-topping "Sweet Soul Music", a song based on Sam Cooke's "Yeah Man". It peaked at number two on ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" and death

Redding developed polyps on his larynx, which he tried to treat with tea and lemon or honey. He was hospitalized in September, 1967 to undergo surgery. In the winter of 1967, he again came to Stax to record. One new song was "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", written by Cropper and Redding. Redding was inspired by the Beatles album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. He wanted to attain a similar sound, against the label's wishes. Redding's wife was unhappy that it did not sound like a typical Redding song. Redding wanted to change his musical style to avoid boring his audience. The Stax crew were similarly dissatisfied; Jim Stewart thought that it was not R&B;, while bassist Duck Dunn thought its sound would damage Stax. However, Redding thought it was the best song he ever wrote and would top the charts. Redding whistled at the end, either intending to add lyrics later, forgetting Cropper's ending rap, or it was meant to be an intentional interpretation. Redding died just three days later.

The group had begun to fly on Redding's Beechcraft H18 to gigs. They flew to Nashville, and on December 9, 1967 appeared on the nationally–syndicated ''Upbeat'' television show produced in Cleveland. They played three concerts in two nights at a small club called Leo's Casino. On the next day they played at the "Factory" nightclub near the University of Wisconsin after opening act "The Grim Reapers", precursor of Cheap Trick.

After a last phone call with his wife and children, Redding's next stop was in Madison, Wisconsin. The weather was poor, with heavy rain and fog, and he had been warned to postpone the flight. Four miles from their destination at Truax Field, Fraser radioed for permission to land. Shortly thereafter, the plane crashed into Lake Monona. Ben Cauley, one of the Bar-Kays and the accident's only survivor, was sleeping shortly before the accident. He woke just before impact, and saw his bandmate Phalon Jones look out a window and exclaim, "Oh, no!" Cauley said the last thing he remembered before the crash was unbuckling his seat belt. He then found himself in the frigid water, grasping a seat cushion to keep afloat. The cause of the crash was never precisely determined. The only other Bar-Kays to survive were James Alexander and Carl Sims, demoted to a commercial flight for lack of room on the H18.

Redding's body was recovered the next day when the lakebed was searched. The funeral service took place at the City Auditorium in Macon, attended by many prominent musicians. More than 4,500 people came to the obsequy, overflowing the 3,000 seat auditorium, although many did not know who Redding actually was. Johnny Jenkins did not come, fearing his reaction would be worse than Zelma Redding's. Redding was entombed on his ranch in Round Oak, north of Macon. Jerry Wexler delivered the eulogy.

In 2007, a memorial plaque was placed on the lakeside deck of the Madison convention center, Monona Terrace. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was released in January 1968 and became Redding's only number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and the first posthumous number-one single in U.S. chart history. It sold about 4 million copies worldwide and had received more than 8 million airplays as of 2003. The album ''The Dock of the Bay'' was the first posthumous album to reach the top spot on the UK Albums Chart.

Posthumous releases

Shortly after Redding's death, Atlantic Records, distributor of the Stax/Volt releases, was purchased by Warner Bros. Stax was required to renegotiate its distribution deal, and found that Atlantic actually owned the entire Stax/Volt catalog. Stax was unable to regain the rights to its recordings, and severed its relationship with Atlantic.

Atlantic also held the rights to all unreleased Otis Redding masters. It had enough material for three new studio albums – ''The Immortal Otis Redding'' (1968), ''Love Man'' (1969), and ''Tell the Truth'' (1970) – all issued on its Atco Records. A number of successful singles emerged from these LPs, among them "Amen" (1968), "Hard to Handle" (1968), "I've Got Dreams to Remember" (1968), "Love Man" (1969), and "Look at That Girl" (1969). Singles were also lifted from two live Atlantic-issued Redding albums, ''In Person at the Whisky a Go Go'', recorded in 1966 and issued in 1968 on Atco, and ''Monterey International Pop Festival'', a Reprise Records release featuring some of the live Monterey Pop Festival performances of The Jimi Hendrix Experience on side one and all of Redding's Monterey performances on side two.

In September 2007, the first official DVD anthology of Redding's live performances was released by Concord Music Group, the current owners of the Stax catalog. ''Dreams To Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding'', featured 16 full-length performances and 40 minutes of new interviews documenting Redding's life and career. On May 18, 2010, Stax Records released a three-disc recording of three complete sets that he played at the Whisky a Go Go in April 1966.

Legacy

Otis Redding remains one of the most recognized artists in soul music. His lean and powerful style exemplified the Stax Sound, and gave Stax a new identity; he was sometimes said to be its "heart and soul". His tremolo, and honesty were particular hallmarks, along with the use of interjections, for example "gotta, gotta, gotta", some of which came from Sam Cooke. Producer Jim Stewart thought the "begging singing" was stress-induced and also caused by Redding's extreme, early shyness. Early on he copied the singing style of Little Richard, one of his idols, but gradually developed his own style. Primarily he was influenced by soul musicians such as Little Richard and Sam Cooke, whose live album ''Live at the Copa'' was a strong influence, but later explored different genres that were popular during his time. He studied the contemporary music of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and later also rock music by artists such as Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, as can be heard in songs like "Hard to Handle", which was more rock and roll than R&B.;

Another characteristic was his ability to convey strong emotion. Richie Unterberger of Allmusic noted his "hoarse, gritty vocals, brassy arrangements, an emotional way with both party tunes and aching ballads." In the book ''Rock and Roll: An Introduction'', authors Michael Campbell and James Brody suggested that "Redding's singing calls to mind a fervent black preacher. Especially in up-tempo numbers, his singing is more than impassioned speech but less than singing with precise pitch." According to the book, "Redding finds a rough midpoint between impassioned oratory and conventional singing. His delivery overflows with emotion" in his song "I Can't Turn You Loose". Booker T. Jones, an American musician, has described Otis' singing as energetic and emotional, but said that his vocal range was limited, including neither low nor high notes.

Although he mostly covered songs, he also wrote or at least co-wrote a few, such as "Respect", "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" or "Security". Most of lyrics of songs he wrote were about love, though. However, in "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" he abandoned the romantic themes and replaced it with "sad, wistful introspections, amplified by unforgettable descending guitar riffs by Cropper". On the official website of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, it was suggested that the song "was a kind of brooding, dark voicing of despair, ("I've got nothin' to live for/Look like nothin' gonna come my way," as "his music, in general, was exultant and joyful". According to the journalist Ruth Rob, author of the liner notes for the 1993 box-set by Rhino Records, "It is currently a revisionist theory to equate soul with the darker side of man's musical expression, blues. That fanner of the flame of 'Trouble's got a hold on me' music, might well be the father of the form if it is, the glorified exaltation found in church on any Sunday morning is its mother." And further on the site declares that "glorified exaltation indeed was an apt description of Otis Redding's songwriting and singing style." Booker T. Jones compared Redding with Leonard Bernstein, as he meant "He was the same type person. He was a leader. He'd just lead with his arms and his body and his fingers."

Artists from many genres named Redding as a musical influence, including The Grateful Dead, The Black Crowes, Pearl Jam, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Doors, Steely Dan, Phish, Everclear; soul/R&B; musicians Al Green, Etta James and William Bell; musicians from the late 20th century John Mayer, Christine Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson; and musical artists from other genres, such as Willie Nelson, Rod Stewart, Michael Bolton, Kanye West (who mixed his songs, which appeared on "Gone" and "Otis", the latter together with Jay-Z), Toots Hibbert of Toots & The Maytals, Bob Dylan, Guy Sebastian, and Janis Joplin and have covered Redding songs.

Awards and honors

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in 1989, declared Redding's name to be "synonymous with the term soul, music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm and blues into a form of funky, secular testifying." Readers of the British music newspaper ''Melody Maker'' voted him as the top vocalist of 1967, superseding Elvis Presley, who had topped the list for the prior 10 years. In 1993, the U.S. Post Office issued an Otis Redding 29-cent commemorative postage stamp. Redding was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994, and in 1999 he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed three Redding recordings ("Shake", "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", and "Try a Little Tenderness") among its list of "The 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll." American music magazine ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Redding at number twenty-one on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and number eight on their list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time".

Five of his albums, ''Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul'', ''Dreams to Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology'', ''The Dock of the Bay'', ''Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul'' and ''Live in Europe'', were ranked by the aforementioned magazine on their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The first album was singled out for praise by music critics; apart from the ''Rolling Stone'' listing at number 74, NME ranked it 35 on their list of the "Greatest Albums of All Time", while ''Time'' listed it on their "100 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. In 2002, the city of Macon honored its native son by unveiling a memorial statue in the city's Gateway Park. The park is next to the Otis Redding Memorial Bridge, which crosses the Ocmulgee River. The Rhythm and Blues Foundation named Redding as the recipient of its 2006 Legacy Award. ''Billboard'' awarded Redding the "Otis Redding Excellence Award" in the same year. In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Redding's passing, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame presented from September 14, 2007 through September 10, 2008 the first major exhibition of music, photographs, film and artifacts documenting the singer's life and musical legacy. The exhibition was named "Museum Exhibition of the Year" by the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries in January 2008.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Pain in My Heart'' (1964)

''The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads'' (1965)

''Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul'' (1965)

''The Soul Album'' (1966)

''Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul'' (1966)

''King & Queen'' (1967)

;Posthumous studio albums

''The Dock of the Bay'' (1968)

''The Immortal Otis Redding'' (1968)

''Love Man'' (1969)

''Tell the Truth'' (1970)

References

;Bibliography

External links

Otis Redding Official Website

Category:1941 births Category:1967 deaths Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:American male singers Category:American tenors Category:American soul musicians Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Category:Accidental deaths in Wisconsin Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:People from Macon, Georgia Category:People from Terrell County, Georgia Category:Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductees

bg:Отис Рединг cs:Otis Redding da:Otis Redding de:Otis Redding es:Otis Redding eu:Otis Redding fa:اوتیس ردینگ fr:Otis Redding gl:Otis Redding hr:Otis Redding io:Otis Redding it:Otis Redding he:אוטיס רדינג nl:Otis Redding ja:オーティス・レディング no:Otis Redding oc:Otis Redding pl:Otis Redding pt:Otis Redding ro:Otis Redding ru:Реддинг, Отис sc:Otis Redding simple:Otis Redding sk:Otis Redding fi:Otis Redding sv:Otis Redding th:โอทิส เรดดิง tr:Otis Redding uk:Отіс Реддінг zh:奧蒂斯·雷丁

Arthur Lee Conley (January 4, 1946 – November 17, 2003) was an American soul singer, best known for the 1967 hit "Sweet Soul Music".

Career

Conley was born in McIntosh County, Georgia and grew up in Atlanta. He first recorded in 1959 as the lead singer of Arthur & the Corvets. With this group, he released three singles in 1963 and 1964 ("Poor Girl", "I Believe", and "Flossie Mae") on the Atlanta based record label, National Recording Company.

In 1964, he moved to a new label (Baltimore's Ru-Jac Records) and released "I'm a Lonely Stranger". When Otis Redding heard this, he asked Conley to record a new version, which was released on Redding's own fledgling label Jotis Records, as only its second release. Conley met Redding in 1967, but after this meeting Redding took Conley under his care, and taught him the finer points of the music industry. Together they re-wrote the Sam Cooke song "Yeah Man" into "Sweet Soul Music", which, at Redding's insistence, was released on the Atco-distributed label Fame Records, and was recorded at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. It proved to be a massive hit, going to the number two position on the U.S. charts and the Top Ten across much of Europe. "Sweet Soul Music" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

After several years of singles in the early 1970s, he relocated to England in 1975, and spent several years in Belgium, then settled in Amsterdam, Netherlands in spring 1977. In the beginning of 1980 he had some major performances as Lee Roberts and the Sweaters in the Ganzenhoef, Paradiso, De Melkweg and the Concertgebouw, and was highly successful. At the end of 1980 he moved to the Dutch village of Ruurlo and legally changed his name to Lee Roberts (his middle name and his mother's maiden name). There he occupied himself with promoting new music by means of his Art-Con Productions company. Amongst the bands he promoted was the heavy metal band Shockwave from the Hague. Arthur was also active as a designer of specialized tapestries and furniture.

A live performance on January 8, 1980, featuring Lee Roberts & the Sweaters, was released as an album entitled ''Soulin''' in 1988.

Arthur Conley died after a long battle with intestinal cancer in Ruurlo, Netherlands at the age of 57 in November 2003.

Recordings

"Aunt Dora's Soul Love Shack", 1968

"Burning Fire"

"Baby, What You Want Me To Do"

"Day-O", 1969, Jamaican folk song recorded by Harry Belafonte

"Flossie Mae", 1963, as Arthur & the Corvets

"Funky Street", 1968, #5 R&B;, #14 pop

"God Bless", 1970, Top 40 R&B;

"Ha Ha Ha"

"I Believe", 1963, as Arthur & the Corvets

"I Can't Stop (No, No, No)", 1966, written by Dan Penn

"I Got A Feeling"

"I'm a Lonely Stranger", 1964, solo, re-recorded in 1965

"I'm Living Good", 1971–1974

"It's So Nice [When It's Someone Else's Wife]", 1971–1974

"Is That You Love"

"Let's Go Steady", B-side of "Sweet Soul Music"

"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", 1968, #51 pop, #41 R&B;, Beatles cover featured guitar of Duane Allman

"One Night Is All I Need"

"Otis Sleep On", 1968

"People Sure Act Funny", 1968, Top 20 R&B;

"Poor Girl", 1963, as Arthur & the Corvets

"Rita", 1971–1974

"Run On", 1968

"Shake, Rattle and Roll", 1967, Top 40 pop, Top 20 R&B;

"Shing-A-Ling"

"Something You Got"

"Speak Her Name", featured guitar of Duane Allman.

"Star Review", 1969, with Tom Dowd, written by Allen Toussaint

"Stuff You Gotta Watch", featured guitar of Duane Allman.

"Sweet Soul Music", 1967, co-written with Otis Redding, #2 R&B;, #2 pop

"Take A Step"

"Take Me (Just as I Am)", 1966-1967(?)

"That Can't Be My Baby"

"Walking on Eggs", 1971–1974

"Who's Foolin' Who", 1966

"Whole Lotta Woman", 1967, #73 pop

"Wholesale Love"

References

Otis Redding's biography contains history of Jotis Records

Answers.com article on Arthur Conley

Arthur Conley Dies

External links

Memorial website (in Dutch) Photos from Arthur's last live performance, 9 June 2002 in Netherlands.

Arthur Conley Sweet Soul Music Home Page w/ CD Liner Notes, Discography and Latest Releases

Yoni's Home of Soul Music page on Conley, w/ info about unreleased tracks

Find-A-Grave profile for Arthur Conley

Category:1946 births Category:2003 deaths Category:American soul musicians Category:American male singers Category:African American singers Category:American expatriates in Belgium Category:American expatriates in the Netherlands Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer Category:Cancer deaths in the Netherlands Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:People from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia

de:Arthur Conley fr:Arthur Conley nl:Arthur Conley ja:アーサー・コンレイ no:Arthur Conley sv:Arthur Conley

name	Marvin Gaye | image Marvin Gaye in 1973.jpg
landscape	yes
background	solo_singer
birth name	Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr.
birth date	April 02, 1939
birth place	Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
alias	Prince of Soul
death date	April 01, 1984
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
instrument	Vocals, keyboards, drums, percussion, clavinet, synthesizers, piano
genre	R&B;, soul, doo-wop, funk, quiet storm
occupation	Singer-songwriter, composer, musician, record producer
years active	1958–1984
label	Motown (Tamla-Motown), Columbia
associated acts	The Moonglows, Martha and the Vandellas, Tammi Terrell, The Originals, Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Diana Ross, Harvey Fuqua, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, Don Hussein }}

Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. (April 2, 1939 April 1, 1984), better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a four-octave vocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960 signing with the Tamla Records subsidiary of Motown Records. After starting off as a session drummer, Gaye ranked as the label's top-selling solo artist during the sixties.

Because of solo hits such as "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)", "Ain't That Peculiar", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and his duet singles with singers such as Mary Wells and Tammi Terrell, he was crowned "The Prince of Motown" and "The Prince of Soul".

His work in the early and mid-1970s, including the albums ''What's Going On'', ''Let's Get It On'', and ''I Want You'', helped influence the quiet storm, urban adult contemporary, and slow jam genres. After a self-imposed European exile in the early eighties, Gaye returned on the 1982 Grammy-Award winning hit, "Sexual Healing" and the ''Midnight Love'' album before his death. Gaye was shot dead by his father on April 1, 1984. He was posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

In 2008, the American music magazine ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Gaye at number 6 on its list of the Greatest Singers of All Time, and ranked at number 18 on 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was also ranked at number 20 on VH1's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Biography

Early life (1939–1957)

Marvin Pentz Gaye, Jr. was born on April 2, 1939 at Freedman's Hospital in Washington, D.C.. His father, Marvin Gay, Sr., was a minister at the House of God (the House of God headquarters is located in Lexington, Kentucky), which advocated strict conduct and taught and believed in both the old and new Testament. His mother, Alberta Gay (née Alberta Cooper), was a domestic and schoolteacher. Gaye was the second eldest of four children. His younger brother, Frankie (1941–2001), would be one of the main sources of Gaye's musical development and later served as a soldier in the Vietnam War and embarked on a singing career upon his return to civilian life to follow in his elder brother's footsteps. His youngest sister, Zeola "Sweetsie" Gay (b. 1945), would later become the main choreographer of her brother's live shows. As a child, Gaye was raised in the Benning Terrace projects in southeast D.C.

Gaye's father was minister of a local Seventh-day Adventist Church for a time. By the time his eldest son was five, Marvin Sr. was bringing Gaye with him to church revivals to sing for church congregations. Gaye's father was assured all four of his children would follow him into the ministry and would later use his strict domineering to get his children to avoid secular activities including sports and secular music. Gaye's early home life consisted of violence as his father would often strike him for any shortcoming. Gaye and his three siblings were bed-wetters as children. Gaye would later call his father a "tyrannical and powerful king" and said he was depressed as a child, convinced that he would eventually "become one of those child statistics that you read in the papers" had he not been encouraged to pursue his dreams by his mother. By age fourteen, Gaye's parents moved to the Deanwood neighborhood of northeast D.C. The following year, Gaye's father quit the ministry after a disappointment over not being promoted as the Chief Apostle (head overseer) of the House of God Inc. Gaye said his father later developed alcoholism, which furthered tension between father and son.

Developing a love for music at an early age, Gaye was already playing instruments including piano and drums. Upon arriving to Cardozo High School, Gaye discovered doo-wop and harder-edged rhythm and blues and began running away from home to attend R&B; concerts and dance halls defying his father's rules. Gaye joined several groups in the D.C. area including the Dippers with his best friend, Johnny Stewart, brother of R&B; singer Billy Stewart. He then joined the D.C. Tones, whose members included another close friend, Reese Palmer, and Sondra Lattisaw, mother of R&B; singer Stacy Lattisaw. Gaye's relationship with his father led him to run away from home and join the United States Air Force in hopes of becoming an aviator. However, discovering his growing hatred for authority, he began defying orders and skipped practices. Faking mental illness, he was discharged. His sergeant stated that Gaye refused to follow orders. Upon returning to his hometown, Gaye worked as a dishwasher to make ends meet. Gaye still dreamed of a show-business career, and rejoining Reese Palmer, the duo formed a four-member group calling themselves the Marquees.

Early career (1958–1962)

In 1958, the Marquees were discovered singing at a D.C. club by Bo Diddley, who signed them to Okeh Records, where they recorded "Wyatt Earp", with "Hey Little Schoolgirl" as its B-side. It received moderate success, but not the success Gaye and his band mates had hoped for. Later that year Harvey Fuqua, founder and co-lead singer of the landmark doo-wop group The Moonglows, recruited them, after the breakup of the original members, to be "The New Moonglows" which moved the formerly-named Marquees from Okeh to Chess Records. While there, the "new Moonglows" recorded background vocals for Chess recording stars Chuck Berry and Etta James. After "The Twelve Months of the Year", which featured a spoken monologue by Gaye, became a regional hit, the group issued "Mama Loochie", which was the first time Gaye sang lead on a record. The record was issued in late 1959 and became a hit in Detroit. Following a concert performance there, Gaye and other band members were arrested for small possession of marijuana. Afterwards, Fuqua decided to disband the group, keeping Gaye with him, as he favored him over the other members. In 1960, Harvey Fuqua had met Gwen Gordy and the couple embarked on both a personal and professional relationship. That year, the couple formed two record labels, the self-named Harvey Records, and Tri-Phi Records. Gaye was signed to the former label, whose other members including a young David Ruffin and Junior Walker. Gaye provided drums for The Spinners' first hit, "That's What Girls Are Made For", which was released on Tri-Phi. Stories on how Gaye eventually met Berry Gordy and how he signed to Motown Records vary. One early story stated Gordy discovered Gaye singing at a local bar in Detroit and that he had offered to sign him on the spot. Gaye's recollection, and also a story Gordy later reiterated, was that Gaye invited himself to Motown's annual Christmas party inside the label's Hitsville USA studios and played on the piano singing "Mr. Sandman". Gordy saw Gaye from afar and upon noting that Gaye was connected with Fuqua began to make arrangements to absorb Fuqua's labels to Motown bringing all of the labels' acts to Motown. Gordy said he immediately wanted to bring Gaye to Motown after seeing him perform, impressed by his vocals and piano playing. While working out negotiations, Fuqua would sell fifty percentage interest in Gaye to Gordy, which Gaye would find out later. After Gordy absorbed Anna and Harvey in March 1961, Gaye was assigned to Motown's Tamla division.

Gaye and Motown immediately clashed over material. While Motown was yet a musical force, Gaye set on singing standards and jazz rather than the usual rhythm and blues that fellow label mates were recording. Struggling to come to terms with what to do with his career, Gaye worked mainly behind the scenes, becoming a janitor, and also settled for session work playing drums on several recordings, which continued for several years. One of Gaye's first professional gigs for Motown was as a road drummer for The Miracles. Gaye developed a close friendship with the label's lead singer Smokey Robinson and they'd later work together. Though already a seasoned veteran of the road and almost exempt from Gordy's Artist Development, which began operating in 1961, Gaye was still required to attend schooling, which he refused. He eventually took advice from grooming director Maxine Powell to keep his eyes open while performing because "it looks like you're sleeping when you're performing". Gaye would later regret skipping the school saying he could've benefited more from it. Before releasing his first single in May 1961, he altered his last name to "Gaye", later stating that he added the 'e' because "it sounded more professional" and to emulate what Sam Cooke had done before releasing his first secular record following his split from the Soul Stirrers. A famous story about the name change came from author David Ritz, Gaye's confidant in later years, who said Gaye had said that he wanted to "quiet the gossip" of his last name and to distance himself from his father.

In May 1961, Tamla released Gaye's first single, "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide". The single flopped as a national release but was a regional hit in the Midwest, as was a follow-up single, the cover of "Mr. Sandman" (titled as just "Sandman" in Gaye's release in early 1962). In June 1961, Motown issued Gaye's first album, ''The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye'' compromising Gaye's jazz interests with a couple of R&B; songs. The album tanked and no hit single came of it. A third regional hit, "Soldier's Plea", an answer to The Supremes' "Your Heart Belongs to Me", was the next release in the spring of 1962. Gaye had more success behind the scenes than in front. Gaye applied drumming on several Motown records for artists such as the Miracles, Mary Wells, The Contours and The Marvelettes. Gaye was also a drummer for early recordings by The Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas and Little Stevie Wonder. Gaye drummed on the Marvelettes hits, "Please Mr. Postman", "Playboy" and "Beechwood 4-5789" (a song he co-wrote). Later on, Gaye would be noted as the drummer in both the studio and live recordings of Wonder's "Fingertips" and as one of two drummers behind Martha and the Vandellas' landmark hit, "Dancing in the Street", which was another composition by Gaye, originally intended for Kim Weston. Gaye said he continued to play drums for Motown acts even after gaining fame on his own merit. For Gaye's fourth single, the singer was inspired to write lyrics to a song after an argument with his wife, Anna Gordy Gaye (née Anna Gordy). While working out the song, Gaye mentioned he had his first "major" power struggle with Motown head Berry Gordy over its composition. Gordy insisted on a chord change though Gaye was comfortable with how he wrote it, eventually Gaye changed the chord and the song was issued as "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" in September 1962. The song became a hit on the Hot Rhythm and Blues Sides chart reaching number eight and eventually peaked at number 46 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in early 1963. A parent album, ''That Stubborn Kinda Fellow'', was released in December 1962, the same month that Gaye's fifth single, "Hitch Hike", was released. That song reached number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, bringing Gaye his first top forty single. Gaye's early success confirmed his arrival as a hit maker, and he landed on his first major tour as a performer on Motown's Motortown Revue.

Early success (1963–1966)

Gaye's career following his performances with the Motortown Revue assured him success. Gaye's next single, "Pride & Joy", became a major hit in the spring of 1963, reaching number-ten on the Billboard Hot 100, selling nearly one million copies. Later that year, Gaye repeated the success with the top thirty hit, "Can I Get a Witness", which found some leverage in the United Kingdom upon its release on Motown's UK label Stateside Records. Many of Gaye's early hits would later be heavily covered by acts such as The Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield and The Who, performers who admired Gaye and American R&B; music in general. Gaye's hits also was a big influence on the UK's mod scene with several mod groups including the future Elton John's Bluesology and Rod Stewart's Steampacket covering Gaye's hits there. Gaye's early hits were also a big influence on American producers, including Phil Spector, who nearly had a car accident while pulling over upon hearing "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" for the first time.

Gaye's hits continued throughout 1964. Several top twenty pop hits from this period included "You Are a Wonderful One", "Try It Baby" and "Baby Don't You Do It" kept Gaye's momentum building. Gaye made his first public TV performance on ''American Bandstand'' in 1964 and later became a fixture on the show and on other programs such as ''Shindig!'' and ''Hullaballoo''. Gaye's popularity further increased after Motown released his first duet project, an album with Mary Wells titled ''Together''. The duo had two hit singles, "Once Upon a Time" and "What's the Matter with You Baby". In late 1964, Gaye also appeared in the concert film, ''The T.A.M.I. Show'' where he performed his hits to an enthusiastic audience (with backing vocals by The Blossoms). Gaye reached the top ten in early 1965 with "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", which sold close to a million copies. Gaye eventually scored his first immediate million-sellers in 1965 with the Smokey Robinson compositions, "Ain't That Peculiar" and "I'll Be Doggone". These songs and other singles released during the 1965–1966 period would be the result of Gaye's next release, ''Moods of Marvin Gaye''.

Gaye struggled with his success. While deemed a "smooth song-and-dance ladies' man", he still aspired to perform more jazz work in his catalog. Because of his success, Motown allowed him to work on such recordings including ''When I'm Alone I Cry'', ''Hello Broadway'' and a Nat King Cole tribute album, ''A Tribute to the Great Nat "King" Cole''. All three albums flopped. Gaye tried performing the songs onstage but soon stopped once he discovered that the crowds weren't too appreciative of the material. One proposed standards project, which took over two years to record, was shelved due to session problems. Gaye's performances at the Copacabana in 1966 also led to conflict between Gaye and Gordy as Motown had recorded the album for purposes of releasing it in early 1967. However due to a struggle, Motown eventually shelved it until it was later released three decades later. In early 1967, Gaye scored his first international hit with the duet, "It Takes Two", with Kim Weston, who ironically had already left the label when it became a hit. Only one televised performance of the song showed Gaye singing the song to a puppet. That year, Motown hooked Gaye up with veteran Philadelphia-based singer Tammi Terrell, who had an early stint with James Brown. Gaye would later say of Terrell that she was his "perfect partner" musically.

Tammi Terrell and ''I Heard It Through the Grapevine'' (1967–1969)

Terrell and Gaye's first major hit was the Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson composition, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". The duo quickly followed up with the top five hit ballad, "Your Precious Love". Despite rumors of a romantic relationship – Gaye was married to Anna Gordy and Terrell was dating Temptations lead vocalist David Ruffin – both singers denied such a relationship with Gaye saying later that they had a brother-and-sister relationship, a statement reiterated by Ashford & Simpson. Other hit singles the duo scored within an eighteen-month period included "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "You're All I Need to Get By". Other hits such as "You Ain't Livin' till You're Lovin'" and "The Onion Song" found success in Europe. The duo's recording of "If This World Were Mine", the b-side of "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You", found modest success on the charts, the first sole Gaye composition to do so. The song later found major R&B; success when Luther Vandross covered it with Cheryl Lynn over a decade later.

The duo was also a success together onstage with Terrell's easy-going nature with the audience contrasting from Gaye's laid-back approach. However, that success was short-lived. On October 14, 1967, while performing at Virginia's Hampden-Sydney College, Terrell collapsed in Marvin's arms. Terrell had been complaining of headaches in the weeks leading up to the concert, but had insisted she was okay. However, after being rushed to Southside Community Hospital, doctors found that Terrell had a malignant brain tumor.

The diagnosis ended her performing career, though she still occasionally recorded, often with guidance and assistance. Terrell ceased recordings in 1969 and Motown struggled with recording of a planned third Gaye and Terrell album. Gaye initially had refused to go along with it saying that he felt Motown was taking unnecessary advantage of Terrell's illness. Gaye only reluctantly agreed because Motown assured him recordings would go to insure Terrell's health as she continued to have operations to remove the tumor, all of which were unsuccessful. In September 1969, the third Gaye and Terrell duet album, ''Easy'' was released, with many of the songs subbed by Valerie Simpson, while solo songs recorded years earlier by Terrell, had overdubbed vocals by Gaye.

Terrell's illness put Gaye in a depression; at one point he attempted suicide but was stopped by Berry Gordy's father. He refused to acknowledge the success of his song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", released in 1967 by Gladys Knight & The Pips (his was recorded before, but released after theirs), his first number-one hit and the biggest selling single in Motown history to that point, with four million copies sold. His work with producer Norman Whitfield, who produced "Grapevine", resulted in similar success with the singles "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" and "That's the Way Love Is". Meanwhile, Gaye's marriage was crumbling and he was bored with his music. Wanting creative control, he sought to produce singles for Motown session band The Originals, whose Gaye-produced hits, "Baby I'm For Real" and "The Bells", brought success.

''What's Going On'' (1970–1972)

Tammi Terrell died of a brain tumor on March 16, 1970. Gaye was so emotional at her funeral that he talked to her lying in state as if she was going to respond. Gaye insisted, following Terrell's death, that he would no longer record duets with any other female performer nor was he ever going to perform on stage again since Terrell's collapse and subsequent death had spooked him. He already had apprehensions of performing, suffering bouts of stage fright throughout his performing career. Prior to Terrell's death, he had withdrawn from a scheduled performance citing an illness and was later sued for failure to appear. After Terrell's death he stopped doing any more live gigs and never really recovered completely from her passing. He had an inspiration, going back to 1968, to try out for the Detroit Lions football team. After a tryout in early 1970, he wasn't allowed to join the team though he gained friendships with two of its teammates, Mel Farr and Lem Barney. After helping to collaborate what became "What's Going On", he returned to Hitsville on June 1, 1970 to record the song, which was inspired by Gaye's brother's accounts of his experience at the Vietnam War and co-writer Renaldo "Obie" Benson of the Four Tops' disgust of police brutality after seeing anti-war protesters attacked in San Francisco.

Despite releases of several anti-war songs by The Temptations and Edwin Starr, Motown CEO Berry Gordy prevented Gaye from releasing the song, fearing a backlash against the singer's image as a sex symbol and openly telling him and others that the song "was the worst record I ever heard". Gaye, however, refused to record anything that was Motown's or Gordy's version of him. He later said that recording the song and its parent album "led to semi-violent disagreements between Berry and myself, politically speaking." Eventually the song was released with little promotion on January 17, 1971. The song soon shot up the charts topping the R&B; chart for five weeks. Eventually selling more than two million copies, an album was requested, and Gaye again defied Gordy by producing an album featuring lengthy singles that talked of other issues such as poverty, taxes, drug abuse and pollution. Released on May 21, 1971, the ''What's Going On'' album instantly became a million-seller crossing him over to young white rock audiences while also maintaining his strong R&B; fan base. Because of its lyrical content and its mixture of funk, jazz, classical and Latin soul arrangements which departed from the then renowned "Motown Sound", it became one of Motown's first autonomous works, without help of Motown's staff producers. Based upon its themes and a segue flow into each of the songs sans the title track, the concept album became the new template for soul music.

Other hit singles that came out of the album included "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)", making Gaye the first male solo artist to have three top ten singles off one album on the ''Billboard Hot 100''. All three singles sold over a million copies and were all number-one on the R&B; chart. International recognition of the album was slow to come at first though eventually the album would be revered overseas as a "landmark pop record". It has been called "the most important and passionate record to come out of soul music, delivered by one of its finest voices". The success of the title track influenced Stevie Wonder to release an album with similar themes, ''Where I'm Coming From'', in April of that year. Following the release of the album and its subsequent success, Wonder rejected a renewing offer with Motown unless he was allowed creative control on his recordings, which was granted a year later. Gaye's independent success not only related to Motown recording artists, other R&B; artists of the era also began to rebel against labels to produce their own conceptual albums. The Jackson 5, one of Motown's final acts to benefit from the label's "glory years" (1959–1972), tried unsuccessfully to get creative control for their own recordings and as a result left in 1975 for CBS Records.

Gaye's success was nationally recognized: Billboard magazine awarded him the ''Trendsetter of the Year'' award, while he won several NAACP Image Awards including Favorite Male Singer. ''Rolling Stone'' named it Album of the Year, and was nominated for a couple of Grammy Awards though inexplicably wasn't nominated for Album of the Year. In 1972, Gaye reluctantly stepped out of his stage retirement to perform selected concerts, including one at his hometown of Washington, D.C. performing at the famed Kennedy Center, a recording of the performance was issued on a deluxe edition re-release of the ''What's Going On'' album. Also in 1972, Gaye performed for Jesse Jackson's PUSH organization and also for a Chicago-based benefit concert titled Save the Children aimed at removing the plight of urban violence in Chicago's inner city. The latter performance was issued as part of a concert film released in early 1973, also titled ''Save the Children''. Following its success, Gaye signed a new contract with Motown Records for a then record-setting $1 million, then the most lucrative deal by a black recording artist. With creative control, Gaye attempted to produce several albums throughout 1972 and early 1973 including an instrumental album, a jazz album, another conceptually-produced album of social affairs (the canceled ''You're the Man'' project) and an album with Willie Hutch co-producing. In late 1972, Gaye produced the score for the ''Trouble Man'' film and later produced the soundtrack of the same name. The title track was the only full vocal work of the album and was released as a single in the fall of 1972 eventually reaching number seven on the pop chart in the spring of 1973.

''Let's Get It On'' and continued success in music (1973–1977)

In late 1972, Gaye left Detroit and moved to Los Angeles but relocated to an area where he was far away from Motown, purchasing a house at the so-called "bohemian hippie" Topanga Canyon Boulevard district, which was a hotbed for musicians looking to get away from the trappings of the music industry and Hollywood itself. He continued to record music at Los Angeles' Motown studios (Hitsville West) and on March 18, 1973, recorded "Let's Get It On", reputedly inspired by Gaye's new-found independence, after separating from Anna Gordy the previous year. The single was released as a single in June of the year and became Gaye's second number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. It also was a modest success internationally reaching number thirty-one in the United Kingdom. With the success of its recording, Gaye decided to switch completely from the social topics that were on ''What's Going On'' to songs with sensual appeal.

Released in August 1973, ''Let's Get It On'' consisted of material Gaye had initially recorded during the sessions of ''What's Going On''. It was hailed as "a record unparalleled in its sheer sensuality and carnal energy." Other singles from the album included "Come Get to This", which recalled Gaye's early Motown soul sound of the previous decade, while the then-controversial "You Sure Love to Ball" reached modest success but was kept from being promoted by Motown due to its sexually explicit nature. With the success of ''What's Going On'' and ''Let's Get It On'', Motown demanded a tour. Gaye only reluctantly agreed when demand from fans reached a fever pitch. After a delay, Gaye made his official return to touring on January 4, 1974 at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. The recording of the performance, held by several music executives as "an event", was later issued as the live album, ''Marvin Gaye Live!''. Due to Gaye's growing popularity with his increasing crossover audience and the reaction of the performance of "Distant Lover", which Motown later released as a single in late 1974, the album sold over a million copies. Gaye's subsequent 10-city tour, which took off that August, was sold-out and demand for more dates continued into 1975 while Gaye had struggled with subsequent recordings. A renewed contract with Motown in 1975 gave Gaye his own custom-made recording studio.

To keep up with demand and hype, Motown released Gaye's final duet project, ''Diana & Marvin'', an album with Diana Ross, which helped to increase Gaye's audience overseas with the duo's recording of "You Are Everything" reaching number-five in the UK, number-thirteen on the Dutch chart, and number-twenty in Ireland, while the album itself sold over a million copies overseas with major success in the UK. The recording of ''Diana & Marvin'' had started in late 1971 and overdubbed sessions took place in 1972 but was shelved from a release until late 1973 following the release of ''Let's Get It On''. Gaye toured throughout 1975 without new releases and collaborated in the studio producing songs for the likes of The Miracles (now without Smokey Robinson) and Yvonne Fair, helping to produce her version of Norman Whitfield's "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", featured on Fair's ''The Bitch is Black'', while also assisting her in the background with his vocals. Later in 1975, Gaye shaved his head bald in protest to Rubin Carter's prison sentence. Gaye initially insisted to keep it bald until Carter's release though Gaye's hair and beard returned within a few months.

In 1976, Gaye released his first solo album in three years with ''I Want You''. The title track became a number-one R&B; hit while also reaching the top twenty of the national pop chart. The first of his albums to embrace the then popular disco sound of the time, Motown released a double-A 12' of "I Want You" alongside another smooth dancer, "After the Dance". The songs found success as a unit on the Billboard Hot Disco chart, reaching number-ten. By itself "After the Dance", which wasn't intended as a second single, eventually reached number fourteen on the R&B; chart with minor pop traction, eventually reaching number seventy-four. That year, Gaye faced several lawsuits with former musicians and also faced prison time for falling behind on alimony payments ordered by law following his first wife Anna Gordy filing legal separation after a 15-year marriage. Gaye avoided imprisonment after agreeing to do a tour of Europe, his first tour of such in little over a decade. His first stop was at London's Royal Albert Hall and then at the city's London Palladium, where a recording was later released in early 1977 as ''Live at the London Palladium''. Gaye performed in France, Holland, Switzerland and Italy to packed audiences and then returned for several U.S. tour dates though he often suffered from exhaustion from some of the U.S. dates. Between 1975 and 1976, Gaye was recognized by major corporations including the United Nations for charitable work dedicated to children and to affairs related to black culture.

In the spring of 1977, Gaye released "Got to Give It Up, Pt. 1", which gave him his third number-one US pop hit, the final one Gaye released in his lifetime. The song also topped the R&B; and dance singles chart and also found some international success reaching the top ten in England. Released as the only studio track from the ''Palladium'' album, its success kept ''Palladium'' on the charts for a year eventually selling over two million copies. It was recognized by Billboard as one of the top-ten selling albums of all time that year.

''Here, My Dear'' and his final days at Motown (1978–1981)

In March 1977, his long, drawn-out court battle with former wife Anna Gordy ended. As a compromise to settle matters between the ex-couple over issues of alimony payments for their adopted son, Gaye's attorney until his death, Curtis Shaw, advised Gaye to remit a portion of the revenue that he was to get for his next studio album. Gaye entered the recording studio intending to produce a "lazy" album, but ended up with the sprawling double-album set, ''Here, My Dear'', which was held up from release for over a year. Finally released after Motown's demand for new product in late 1978, the album was initially a flop, tanking after only a couple months on the charts. Its only single, "A Funky Space Reincarnation", peaked at number twenty-three on the R&B; chart, in early 1979, becoming Gaye's first single since "Soldier's Plea" 17 years earlier to not hit the Billboard Hot 100.

Gaye became a figure on talk show circuits for most of 1979, mostly appearing on Dinah Shore's ''Dinah & Friends''. He also toured in 1979, first in the United States, then in England and in Japan, the latter being the first time (and, as it turned out, the only time) he ever toured that country. As the year continued, Gaye found himself in trouble financially, and at home with second wife, Janis Hunter. The couple split up in 1979, nearly eighteen months after marrying, and by that fall, following a performance in Hawaii, Gaye decided to remain in the state, fearing he might be imprisoned for failing to pay the IRS millions in back taxes; in court, his attorney claimed that several items within the singer's luggage, including tax returns, were stolen from him while at an airport. Meanwhile, Gaye, now heavily in the throes of drug addiction, struggled to record. Reports stated that while in Hawaii, Gaye lived inside a bread truck. He initially had planned to release a standards album titled ''The Ballads'' but discarded it, fearing fans would be disappointed by no recognizable hits on it. The singer then intended to release an album of love songs aimed for the disco audience titled ''Love Man'', but within a year, however, Gaye thought of expressing his feelings about a possible Armageddon, as well as his battles of the heart. Gaye changed the titles of all the songs, rewrote lyrics, and retitled the album, ''In Our Lifetime?'', recording the album tracks while living in London in the middle of his exile.

A 1980 European tour followed, after Gaye made a deal with British promoter Jeffrey Kruger, who had looked after Gaye's 1976–1977 European tour and his Japanese engagement in 1979. Almost immediately, controversy arose, after Gaye failed to make the stage for Princess Margaret at the Royal Gala Charity Show. While Kruger recalls that Gaye showed up just as audiences were leaving, Gaye's musicians recalled that Gaye performed to the few that stayed for the performance though Princess Margaret had already left. Though Princess Margaret denied it, the international press printed the news as an "embarrassing snub", claiming that Gaye had deliberately arrived late. This led to a lawsuit between Gaye and Kruger that eventually settled out of court. While still in London, Gaye ran into problems when recordings of ''In Our Lifetime?'' were sent to Motown's offices back in Los Angeles, initially as rough mixes, to get Motown's response rather than intending to release it. However, desperate to release Marvin Gaye product, the label rushed the album out on January 15, 1981. Gaye was upset at the news, and accused the label of editing and remixing the album without his consent, putting out an unfinished song ("Far Cry"), altering the album art he requested, and removing the question mark from the title, muting its irony. Gaye vowed to never record another record for Motown. That summer, negotiations began to be made to release Gaye from the label. After several offers landed, Gaye accepted a deal for CBS Records, a deal that was finalized in March 1982.

Comeback and sudden death (1982–1984)

On the advice of Belgian concert promoter Freddy Cousaert, Gaye moved to Ostend, Belgium, in February 1981 where for a time he cut down on drugs and began to get back in shape both physically and emotionally. While in Belgium, Gaye began to make plans to renew his declining fortunes in his professional career, starting with a tour he titled "The Heavy Love Affair Tour" in England where he was greeted more warmly by the same London press that had criticized him of the Princess Margaret snub the previous year. The tour ended with two concert dates in Ostend. A documentary leading up to his Belgian concert performances titled ''Transit Ostend'' was initially released to just Belgian fans, and was later issued on VHS in bootleg copies following Gaye's death.

After signing with CBS' Columbia Records division in 1982, Gaye worked on what became the ''Midnight Love'' album. Gaye reconnected with Harvey Fuqua while recording the album and Fuqua served as a production adviser on the album, which was released in October 1982. The parent single, "Sexual Healing", was released to receptive audiences globally, reaching number-one in Canada, New Zealand and the US R&B; singles chart, while becoming a top ten U.S. pop hit and hitting the top ten in three other selected countries including the UK. The single became the fastest-selling and fastest-rising single in five years on the R&B; chart staying at number-one for a record-setting ten weeks. Gaye wrote "Sexual Healing" while at the village Moere, near Ostend. Curtis Shaw later said that Gaye's Moere period was "the best thing that ever happened to Marvin." The now-famous video of "Sexual Healing" was shot at the Casino-Kursaal in Ostend. "Sexual Healing" won Gaye his first two Grammy Awards including Best Male Vocal Performance, in February 1983, and also won Gaye an American Music Award for Favorite Soul Single. It was called by ''People'' magazine "America's hottest musical turn-on since Olivia Newton John demanded we get "Physical".

''NME'' – December 1982

The following year, he was nominated for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance again, this time for the ''Midnight Love'' album. In February 1983, Gaye performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the NBA All-Star Game, held at The Forum in Inglewood, California, accompanied by Gordon Banks who played the studio tape from stands. In March 1983, he gave his final performance in front of his old mentor Berry Gordy and the Motown label for ''Motown 25'', performing "What's Going On". He then embarked on a U.S. tour to support his album. The tour, ending in August 1983, was plagued by Gaye's returning drug addictions and bouts with depression.

When the tour ended, he attempted to isolate himself by moving into his parents' house in Los Angeles. As documented in the PBS "American Masters" 2008 exposé, several witnesses claimed Marvin's mental and physical condition spiraled out of control. Groupies and drug dealers hounded Marvin night and day. He threatened to commit suicide several times after bitter arguments with his father. On April 1, 1984, Gaye's father fatally shot him when Gaye intervened in an argument between his parents over misplaced business documents. The gun had been given to his father by Marvin Jr. four months previously. Marvin Gaye would have celebrated his 45th birthday the next day. Doctors discovered Marvin Sr. had a brain tumor but he was deemed fit for trial and was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Charges of first-degree murder were dropped when it was revealed that Gaye had beaten Marvin Sr. before the killing. Spending his final years in a retirement home, he died of pneumonia in 1998.

In 1987, Marvin Gaye Jr. was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was also honored by Hollywood's Rock Walk in 1989 and was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990. In 2005, Marvin Gaye Jr. was admitted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. In 2007, two of Gaye's most important recordings, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "What's Going On", were voted Legendary Michigan Songs.

Personal life

Gaye married twice. His first marriage was to Berry Gordy Jr.'s sister, Anna Gordy, who was 18 years his senior. Marvin and Anna were married on January 8, 1964 when Gaye was 24 and Gordy was 42. The marriage imploded after Marvin began courting Janis Hunter, the daughter of Slim Gaillard, in 1973. Anna filed for divorce in 1975; the divorce was finalized in March 1977. Gaye's erotic and disco-tinged studio album ''I Want You'' was based on his relationship with Hunter. In his book ''Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves, and Demons of Marvin Gaye'', author and music writer Michael Eric Dyson elaborated on the relationship between ''I Want You'' and the relationship Gaye had with Hunter, which influenced his music:

"I Want You" is unmistakably a work of romantic and erotic tribute to the woman he deeply loved and would marry shortly, Janis Hunter (Janis Gaye). Gaye's obsession with the woman in her late teens is nearly palpable in the sensual textures that are the album's aural and lyrical signature. Their relationship was relentlessly passionate and emotionally rough-hewn; they played up each other's strengths, and played off each other's weaknesses.

In October 1976, he married Janis, who was 17 years old when they met. However, the marriage dissolved within a year. After attempts at reconciliation, Janis filed for divorce in 1979. The divorce was finalized in February 1981. During this time, Marvin began dating a model from the Netherlands named Eugenie Vis. In 1982 Gaye became involved with Lady Edith Foxwell, former wife of the British movie director Ivan Foxwell, and spent time with her at Sherston, her Wiltshire estate. Foxwell ran the fashionable Embassy Club and was referred to in the media as "the queen of London cafe society." The story of their affair was told by Stan Hey in the April 2004 issue of ''GQ''. The report quoted writer/composer Bernard J. Taylor as saying he was told by Foxwell that she and Gaye had discussed marriage.

Gaye had three children. Marvin Pentz Gaye, III (b. 1965), by Denise Gordy, the niece of his first wife Anna Gordy. Marvin III was also adopted by his first wife Anna. The singer disclosed this in David Ritz's biography on Gaye, ''Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye'', saying he was afraid of being criticized for not producing a child. Later, Gaye had two children with Janis Hunter, Nona Marvisa, nicknamed "Pie" by her dad (born September 4, 1974) and Frankie "Bubby" Christian Gaye (born November 16, 1975). Gaye introduced his daughter to a national audience during a show in 1975. Nona would do the same eight years later when her father was given a tribute by ''Soul Train''. Nona has gone on to find success as a singer and actress. Gaye's eldest son was a music producer. Frankie is said to have taken work as an artist. Gaye also has two grandchildren: Marvin Pentz Gaye IV (b. 1995), born on the anniversary of his grandfather's death; and Nolan Pentz Gaye (b. 1997).

Musicianship

Marvin Gaye's musical style changed in various ways throughout his 26-year career. Upon his early recordings as member of The Marquees and Harvey & the New Moonglows in the late 1950s, Marvin recorded in a doo-wop vocal style. After signing his first solo recording contract with Motown, Marvin persuaded Motown executives to allow him to record an adult album of standards and jazz covers. His first album, ''The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye'', conveyed those genres including several doo-wop and blues songs.

The Motown Sound and psychedelic soul

Starting with his first charted hit, 1962's "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" through 1967's "Your Unchanging Love", Marvin's music featured a blend of black rhythm and blues and white pop music that came to be later identified as the "Motown Sound". Marvin's 1962–1964 hits reflected a dance-pop/rock 'n' roll approach while his 1965–1969 recordings reflected a pop-soul style. Backed by Motown's in-house band The Funk Brothers, pre-1970 Marvin Gaye recordings were built around songs with simple, direct lyrics supported by an R&B; rhythm section with orchestral strings and horns added for pop appeal. Marvin's early hits were conceived by Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Mickey Stevenson and Holland-Dozier-Holland.

Marvin's sound started to change slightly in 1967 after he began working with producers Norman Whitfield, Ashford & Simpson and Frank Wilson. Whereas Marvin's early sound reflected a youthful exterior, later songs during that period including "You", "Chained", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" and "That's the Way Love Is" were all recorded under the psychedelic soul sound of the late sixties and early seventies. "Psychedelic soul" mixed guitar-driven rock with soul-based grooves. Marvin's vocal style also changed during that period where he began singing in a gospel texture that had been only hinted at in previous recordings.

Social commentary and conceptual albums

In 1971, Marvin issued his landmark album, ''What's Going On''. The album and its tracks were responsible in the changing landscape of rhythm and blues music as the album presented a full view of social ills in America, including war, police brutality, racism, drug addiction, environmentalism, and urban decay. Beforehand, recordings of social unrest had been recorded by the likes of (Curtis Mayfield &) The Impressions, The Temptations, Sam Cooke, Sly & the Family Stone and James Brown, but this was the first album fully devoted to those issues. The album was produced under what is called a song cycle and because of its theme of "what's going on" was considered one of the first concept albums to be released in soul music. Marvin's 1972 soundtrack ''Trouble Man'', based on the blaxploitation film of the same name, mainly featured instrumentals with a few vocal runs, including songs with social commentary. Marvin's 1972 recordings outside that album – including "Where Are We Going", "Piece of Clay", "You're the Man" and "The World Is Rated X" – also raised social issues and was personal in nature. The songs were to be included in the unreleased 1972 album, ''You're the Man'', which was canceled after the modest reception of the title single. Marvin issued his next "concept album" with 1973's ''Let's Get It On'', based on the spiritual and erotic side of love and sex. Marvin released a similarly themed funk album in 1976, ''I Want You'', before switching to personal issues with the albums ''Here, My Dear'' (1978) and ''In Our Lifetime'' (1981). The former album focused on Marvin's problems in his first marriage, while the latter focused on his own life struggles. Marvin's albums between 1971 and 1981 reflected a period where, as an Allmusic writer said, his music "not only redefined soul music as a creative force but also expanded its impact as an agent for social change".

From funk to disco to contemporary R&B;

Starting in the early-seventies, Marvin's sound began to reflect the emerging sounds of funk and the later disco movement of the late 1970s. Marvin's double-sided 1976 single, "I Want You/After the Dance" and his 1977 hit, "Got to Give It Up" were his only successful attempts at recording disco-styled dance music whereas the 1978 single "A Funky Space Reincarnation", 1979's "Ego Tripping Out" and the 1981 singles "Praise" and "Heavy Love Affair" aimed at the funk-based urban audience. By itself, "I Want You", mixed funk with disco, soul and lite rock elements. With the release of 1982's triple-platinum ''Midnight Love'' and the massive platinum selling smash hit, "Sexual Healing", Marvin mixed the styles of funk and post disco with Caribbean and European-flavored pop music creating a mix that influenced the modern R&B; sound. "Sexual Healing" was the biggest R&B; hit of the 1980s – No.1 for 10 consecutive weeks. Some of Marvin's posthumous releases have been varied in nature: 1985's ''Dream of a Lifetime'' was produced mostly in an electro funk sound mostly in the first half of the album, while his posthumous "featuring" on rapper Erick Sermon's 2001 hit, "Music" brought him to a younger hip-hop audience.

Legacy and influence

According to several historians, Marvin Gaye's career "spanned the entire history of rhythm and blues from fifties doo-wop to eighties contemporary soul." Critics stated that Gaye's music "signified the development of black music from raw rhythm and blues, through sophisticated soul to the political awareness of the 1970s and increased concentration on personal and sexual politics thereafter." Marvin's usage of multi-tracked vocalizing, recording songs of social, political and sexual issues, and producing albums of autobiographical nature have influenced a generation of recording artists of various genres. As an artist who broke away from the controlled atmosphere of Motown Records in the 1970s, he influenced the careers of label mates such as Stevie Wonder, The Isley Brothers and, later in Epic Records, Michael Jackson to gain creative control and produce/co-produce their own albums. The careers of later R&B; stars such as Rick James, Prince, R. Kelly, D'Angelo, Raheem DeVaughn, Maxwell, Janet Jackson, George Michael, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Bobby V and J. Holiday also were influenced by the music of Marvin Gaye. Marvin's erotically concept albums such as ''Let's Get It On'' and ''I Want You'' inspired similar albums released by Smokey Robinson, Barry White and his co-producer on ''I Want You'', Leon Ware. Modern-day artists such as Teena Marie and Mary J. Blige have also referenced Marvin in their own songs. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked him No.18 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

Tributes and covers

In 1983, Spandau Ballet recorded the single "True" as a tribute to Marvin and the Motown sound he helped established. That same year, electro-funk group R. J.'s Latest Arrival mentioned him with their dance hit, "Shackles on My Feet". DeBarge's 1983 hit, "All This Love" was musically influenced by Marvin's sound and was rumored that they had wanted Marvin to record the song himself. However, Marvin had left the label before they could approach him.

On April 2, 1984, the day after Marvin's death, Duran Duran dedicated their live performance of "Save a Prayer" while on their Sing Blue Silver tour and appearing on their ''Arena'' album to him. Tribute songs to the singer included Diana Ross' "Missing You" and The Commodores' "Nightshift" became hits with each song reaching number-one on the Billboard Hot R&B; Singles chart. Other artists who have either paid tribute to Marvin in a song or referenced him have included close friend and former Motown label-mate Edwin Starr, who released "Marvin" the month after his death, Teena Marie's "My Dear Mr. Gaye", Todd Rundgren's "Lost Horizon", the Violent Femmes' 1988 single "See My Ships", Maze featuring Frankie Beverly's 1989 R&B; hit, "Silky Soul", ABC's 1987 single "When Smokey Sings" (Gaye's "What's Going On (song)" is sampled for the Miami Mix) and George Michael's "John and Elvis Are Dead" where Marvin is mentioned in one the final lines from the repeated chorus. Stevie Wonder wrote the song "Lighting Up the Candles" as a tribute to Gaye following his death and performed the song originally at Gaye's funeral service. Wonder later recorded the song for the ''Jungle Fever'' soundtrack.

In 1992, Israeli artist Izhar Ashdot dedicated his song "Eesh Hashokolad" to Gaye. Two tribute albums, 1995's ''Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye'' (which featured Nona's version of "Inner City Blues") and 1999's ''Marvin Is 60'' featured covers of Marvin's most famous material. Since the 1960s, Marvin's songs have been covered by a variety of artists. The Rolling Stones recorded "Baby Don't You Do It" early in their career. The Band also recorded "Baby Don't You Do It" numerous times under the Order of the Black title "Don't Do It"; the different versions, both studio and live, appear on several of their albums and box sets (the only one to be released as a single came from Rock of Ages), as well as in their 1976 concert film The Last Waltz. Rod Stewart during his early tenure with Steampacket covered "Can I Get a Witness". His 1965 hit, "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" was covered three times by Junior Walker in 1966, again in 1975 by James Taylor, and again in 2002 by gospel singer Helen Baylor. In Baylor's version she substituted the word "baby" for Jesus.

Gaye's 1968 hit "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" has been frequently covered with versions recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Roger Troutman, Edwin Starr and The California Raisins. Donny Hathaway performed a live version of "What's Going On" for his 1972 ''Live'' album while Cyndi Lauper recorded a top forty version of "What's Going On" in 1987, the song was re-recorded by a variety of contemporary pop, R&B; and rap artists in 2001(again, including Nona) for AIDS benefit and was later dedicated to the events of the September 11, 2001 attacks. A few years after that, rock band A Perfect Circle covered the song in their own hard rock version. The singer's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" was covered by rock band The Strokes which featured Eddie Vedder on lead vocals. R&B; singer Angela Winbush covered "Inner City Blues" in 1994 and was recorded in a slightly different version by Gil-Scott Heron in the 1970s. Aaliyah covered "Got to Give It Up" on her album ''One in a Million''.

Gospel–soul legends Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin have each covered "Wholy Holy" from the ''What's Going On'' album while "Let's Get It On" was famously sampled by Shaggy on his breakthrough single, 1994's "Boombastic". Versions of "Sexual Healing" have been recorded by Soul Asylum, Ben Harper, Max-A-Million, Kate Bush, Neil Finn, Sarah Connor and Ne-Yo. Michael McDonald, Diana Ross and Amy Winehouse have all covered or redone their own versions of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Marvin's 1967 hit with Tammi Terrell while Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn reinterpreted the Marvin/Tammi single, "If This World Were Mine" in 1982. Mary J. Blige and Method Man, with permission, sampled an interpolation of "You're All I Need to Get By" for their 1995 hit, "You're All I Need/I'll Be There for You". In June 2008, D'Angelo alongside Erykah Badu recorded Gaye's hit duo with Terrell, "Your Precious Love" for his "The Best So Far"...compilation album.

On April 2, 2006, on what would have been the singer's 67th birthday, a park near the neighborhood where Marvin grew up at in Washington, D.C. was renamed after him after a discussion with the City Council. "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" was covered by John Mayer in his Album ''As/Is'', released in 2004. The cover also featured DJ Logic. Elton John's song "Club at the End of the Street" also mentions Marvin Gaye. On the 25th anniversary of Marvin Gaye's death, the singer's hometown of Washington, D.C. again honored the singer by renaming a street he grew up on called "Marvin Gaye Way".

Musical achievements and posthumous releases

Gaye scored 41 Top 40 hit singles on ''Billboard'''s Pop Singles chart between 1963 and 2001, 60 Top 40 R&B; singles chart hits from 1962 to 2001, 18 Top Ten pop singles on the pop chart, 38 Top 10 singles on the R&B; chart, three number-one pop hits and thirteen number-one R&B; hits and tied with Michael Jackson in total as well as the fourth biggest artist of all-time to spend the most weeks at the number-one spot on the R&B; singles chart (52 weeks). In all, Gaye produced a total of 67 singles on the Billboard charts in total, spanning five decades, including five posthumous releases.

The year a remix of "Let's Get It On" was released to urban adult contemporary radio, "Let's Get It On" was certified gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000, making it the best-selling single on Motown in the United States. Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is the best-selling international Motown single, explained by a re-release in Europe following a Levi 501 Jeans commercial in 1986.

On June 19, 2007, Hip-O Records reissued Gaye's final Motown album, ''In Our Lifetime'' as an expanded two-disc edition titled ''In Our Lifetime?: The Love Man Sessions'', bringing back the original title with the question mark and included a different mix of the album, which was recorded in London and also including the original songs from the ''Love Man'' album, which were songs later edited lyrically for the songs that made the ''In Our Lifetime'' album. The same label released a deluxe edition of Gaye's ''Here, My Dear'' album, which included a re-sequencing of tracks from the album from producers such as Salaam Remi and Bootsy Collins.

His 1983 NBA All-Star performance of the national anthem was used in a Nike commercial featuring the 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team. Also, on CBS Sports' final NBA telecast to date (before the contract moved to NBC) at the conclusion of Game 5 of the 1990 Finals, they used Gaye's 1983 All-Star Game performance over the closing credits. Most recently, it was used in the intro to Ken Burn's "Tenth Inning" documentary on the game of baseball.

In 2008, Gaye earned $3.5 million, and took 13th place in 'Top-Earning Dead Celebrities' in ''Forbes Magazine''.

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" one of his most famous songs, voted No.1 and greatest Motown song and his "What's Going On" is on the top five.

Documentaries and movies

A documentary about Gaye – ''What's Going On: The Marvin Gaye Story'' – was a UK/PBS USA co-production, directed by Jeremy Marre and was first broadcast in 2006; two years later, the special re-aired with a different production and newer interviews after it was re-broadcast as an ''American Masters'' special. Gaye is referenced as one of the supernatural acts to appear in the short story and later television version of ''Stephen King's Nightmares and Dreamscapes'' in "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band".

A play by Caryl Phillips called ''A Long Way from Home'', focusing on Gaye's relationship with his father and his last years in Ostend, was broadcast by BBC Radio 3 in March 2008. It featured O. T. Fagbenle as Gaye and Kerry Shale as Marvin Gay Sr., with Rhea Bailey, Rachel Atkins, Damian Lynch, Alibe Parsons, Ben Onwukwe and Major Wiley. It was directed by Ned Chaillet and produced by Chris Wallis.

So far, three movies are currently being planned on Marvin's life. One movie, ''Sexual Healing'', is based on the post-Motown career of Marvin Gaye's later years with Jesse L. Martin playing Marvin and James Gandolfini playing Marvin's Belgium-based mentor, concert promoter Freddy Cousaert. Another film, simply titled, ''Marvin'', is also in plans for production with F. Gary Gray in helm to direct the film. This film, unlike ''Sexual Healing'', will focus on Marvin's entire life story because unlike ''Sexual Healing'', the second film was allowed rights to Marvin's Motown catalog. Musicians Common and Usher and actor Will Smith have either been rumored to or have aspired to play the singer possibly in the second film. A third film on Gaye is reportedly being produced by Motown with director Cameron Crowe.

Discography

Studio albums

1961: ''The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye''

1962: ''That Stubborn Kinda Fellow''

1964: ''When I'm Alone I Cry''

1964: ''Hello Broadway''

1965: ''How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You''

1965: ''A Tribute to the Great Nat "King" Cole''

1966: ''Moods of Marvin Gaye''

1968: ''I Heard It Through the Grapevine''

1969: ''M.P.G.''

1970: ''That's the Way Love Is''

1971: ''What's Going On'' (#6 U.S.)

1972: ''Trouble Man''

1973: ''Let's Get It On'' (#2 U.S.)

1976: ''I Want You'' (#4 U.S.)

1978: ''Here, My Dear

1981: ''In Our Lifetime''

1982: ''Midnight Love'' (#7 U.S.; No.10 UK)

1985: ''Dream of a Lifetime'' (posthumous)

1985: ''Romantically Yours'' (posthumous)

Duet albums

1964: ''Together'' (with Mary Wells)

1966: ''Take Two'' (with Kim Weston)

1967: ''United'' (with Tammi Terrell)

1968: ''You're All I Need'' (with Tammi Terrell)

1969: ''Easy'' (with Tammi Terrell)

1973: ''Diana & Marvin'' (with Diana Ross)

U.S. and UK Top Ten singles

1963: "Pride and Joy" (US #10)

1964: "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" (US #6)

1965: "I'll Be Doggone" (US #8)

1965: "Ain't That Peculiar" (US #8)

1967: "Your Precious Love" (US #5)

1967: "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" (US #10)

1968: "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (US #8)

1968: "You're All I Need to Get By" (US #7)

1968: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (US #1; UK #1)

1969: "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" (US #4; UK #5)

1969: "The Onion Song" (UK #9)

1969: "That's The Way Love Is" (US #7)

1970: "Abraham, Martin & John" (UK #9)

1971: "What's Going On" (US #2)

1971: "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" (US #4)

1971: "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" (US #9)

1972: "Trouble Man" (US #7)

1973: "Let's Get It On" (US #1)

1974: "You Are Everything" (UK #5)

1977: "Got to Give It Up" (US #1; UK #7)

1982: "Sexual Healing" (US #3; UK #4)

1985: "Sanctified Lady" (US #2; US R&B;)

1986: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine (UK re-release)" (UK #8)

Filmography

1965: ''The T.A.M.I. Show'' (documentary)

1969: ''The Ballad of Andy Crocker'' (television movie)

1971: ''Chrome & Hot Leather'' (television movie)

1972: ''Trouble Man'' (cameo; soundtrack)

1973: ''Save the Children'' (documentary)

Videos and DVDs

''The Real Thing: In Performance (1964-1981)'' Motown/Universal 2006

"Marvin Gaye Live in Montreux 1980"

Marvin Gaye in popular culture

In advertising

During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Nike ran ads focused on the United States' Men's Basketball Team featuring Marvin Gaye's 1983 performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" during the NBA All-Star Game. The message is: the team found inspiration in the way Marvin Gaye performed the song.

In music

Singer Teena Marie pays tribute to Marvin Gaye with her song titled "My Dear Mr. Gaye."

In 1997, R&B; singer Aaliyah did a cover to Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" which featured Slick Rick.

In the song "Hörst Du mich?" by German Hip Hop band Fettes Brot, the first verse is dedicated to Marvin Gaye.

The Commodores paid tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson on their hit "Nightshift" in 1985.

The Prefab Sprout song "When the angels", from their 1985 album ''Steve McQueen'', is a tribute to Marvin Gaye.

Rapper Big Sean recorded a song used on his ''Finally Famous'' album titled "Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay" featuring Kanye West.

Rapper Drake recorded "Marvin's Room" in reference to producing the song in Marvin Gaye's studio.

Onscreen

;Film

He played "Jim" in the 1971 biker film ''Chrome and Hot Leather'', which also featured Larry Bishop.

;Television

In ''The Sopranos'' season 6, episode 1 ("Members Only"), Uncle Junior shoots Tony Soprano and Vito Spatafore later remarks: "He Marvin Gaye'd his own nephew”.

On ''The Tavis Smiley Show'' episode that aired November 15, 2004, Rapper Nas says, "So it's like Marvin Gaye".

In poetry

On multi-genre performer B. Dolan's 2010 album, ''Fallen House Sunken City'' (Strange Famous Records), "Marvin" is a poem about the last days of Marvin Gaye.

References

Further reading

Davis, Sharon (1991). ''Marvin Gaye: I Heard It Through The Grapevine''. Great Britain: Bookmarque Ltd, Croydon, Surrey. ISBN 1-84018-320-9

Dyson, Michael Eric (2004). ''Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves, and Demons of Marvin Gaye''. New York/Philadelphia: Basic Civitas. ISBN 0-465-01769-X.

Gambaccini, Paul (1987). ''The Top 100 Rock 'n' Roll Albums of All Time''. New York: Harmony Books.

Gaye, Frankie with Basten, Fred E. (2003). ''Marvin Gaye: My Brother''. Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-742-0

Heron, W. Kim (April 8, 1984). ''Marvin Gaye: A Life Marked by Complexity''. Detroit Free Press.

Posner, Gerald (2002). ''Motown : Music, Money, Sex, and Power''. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-50062-6.

Ritz, David (1986). ''Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye''. Cambridge, Mass: Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81191-X

Turner, Steve (1998). ''Trouble Man: The Life and Death of Marvin Gaye''. London: Michael Joseph. ISBN 0-7181-4112-1

White, Adam (1985). ''The Motown Story''. London: Orbis. ISBN 0-85613-626-3

External links

Marvin Gaye Biography

Marvin Gaye Life & Legacy

Additional archives

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name	Tammi Terrell
background	solo_singer
birth name	Thomasina Winifred Montgomery
born	April 29, 1945
origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
died	March 16, 1970 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
genre	R&B;, soul, pop
occupation	Singer-songwriter, actress, pianist
years active	1961–1969
label	Scepter/WandTry MeCheckerMotownTamla
associated acts	James Brown, Marvin Gaye, David Ruffin }}

Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, known as Tammi Terrell (April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter most notable for her association with Motown and her duets with Marvin Gaye. As a teenager she recorded for the Scepter–Wand, Try Me and Checker record labels. She signed with Motown in April 1965 and enjoyed modest success as a solo singer. Once she was paired with Gaye in 1967, her stardom grew, but on October 14 of that year she collapsed on stage into Gaye's arms during a performance. She was soon thereafter diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor which eventually led to her death six weeks before her 25th birthday.

Early life and career

Tammi Terrell was born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery in Philadelphia. Members of her family have said her parents figured their eldest child would be a son and had settled on "Thomas". After Terrell's birth, they added in "-ina". Terrell was called "Tommie" by family. Terrell has a younger sister, Ludie (born 1949). Terrell began singing in church at an early age. Terrell's mother reportedly suffered from clinical depression. At eleven, Terrell was raped by three neighborhood boys while walking home from a neighborhood get-together. Terrell developed a rebellious, free-spirited streak and changed her name to "Tammy" after seeing the film ''Tammy and the Bachelor'' in the summer of 1957 and hearing its theme song "Tammy". Around this time, Terrell began complaining of migraines and headaches. Terrell's family said that this foreshadowed her later struggle with brain cancer but that at the time they did not regard it as a major issue.

By the age of thirteen, Terrell had begun a professional singing career. In 1960, prior to her fifteenth birthday, she signed with Scepter Records, and recorded the doo-wop single "If You See Bill" , releasing it under the name "Tammy Montgomery". Though the record wasn't a success, it did establish Terrell in some R&B; circles and Terrell went on tour with some of Scepter's biggest artists and other popular R&B; artists of the Philadelphia area, including Chubby Checker and Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. She also opened for R&B; star Gene Chandler, with whom she had a friendship. In 1962, Terrell came to the attention of James Brown and the seventeen-year-old found herself in Brown's popular Revue becoming one of Brown's first female headliners. In 1963, Terrell recorded for Brown's Try Me Records, releasing the ballad, "I Cried", which gave her some chart success. Terrell and Brown also had a personal relationship, which was hampered by Brown's physical abuse towards her. After a horrific incident backstage after a show, Terrell asked someone (who witnessed the incident first hand) to take her to the bus station so she could go home. He later called her mother to come pick her up. This ended Terrell's two-year relationship with Brown. Ludie Montgomery stated in her memoirs of Terrell that she met Sam Cooke in 1964 after Cooke showed a romantic interest in Terrell. Before a relationship could forge, however, Cooke was murdered in Los Angeles that December.

After recording a single for Checker Records in 1964, produced by the legendary Bert Berns and paired with singer Jimmy Radcliffe on a now-released duet version of the song "If I Would Marry You" wherein she debuted as a co-writer with Berns, Terrell semi-retired from show business and enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania where she stayed for two years majoring in pre-med. In 1965, Jerry "The Ice Man" Butler asked Terrell to sing with him in a series of nightclub shows, which Terrell agreed to with a schedule that would allow her to continue her studies in Pennsylvania. In March 1965, Motown Records CEO Berry Gordy spotted Terrell performing in Detroit and asked Terrell to sign with Motown. Terrell agreed and signed with Motown on April 29, 1965, her 20th birthday.

Early success

Terrell's first single with Motown was the Johnny Bristol and Harvey Fuqua composition, "I Can't Believe You Love Me", in November 1965. Prior to the single's release, Gordy gave her a new name, figuring Tammy Montgomery was too long. He wanted a name that screamed "sex appeal" and therefore settled on "Tammi Terrell" with the y in "Tammy" changed to an "i". The song became a modest success, reaching the top thirty of the American R&B; charts. Another modest R&B; charter was the sultry "Come on and See Me". Terrell also recorded the first version of Stevie Wonder's future classic, "All I Do (Is Think About You)" and also recorded a version of The Isley Brothers' "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)", in a slightly uptempo gospel-influenced version.

Terrell's R&B; success landed her a spot on the Motortown Revue. Around the same time, Terrell began a romantic relationship with David Ruffin, lead vocalist of the The Temptations. In 1966, Ruffin proposed marriage to Terrell. Terrell was distraught however when she later learned that Ruffin had a wife and three children living in Detroit. Devastated, she and Ruffin began having public fights. Despite claims Terrell was hit with a hammer and machete by Ruffin, Terrell's family and her Motown colleagues denied those claims, but Ludie Montgomery did confirm that Terrell was hit on the side of her face by Ruffin's motorcycle helmet. The incident put an end to their relationship in 1967.

Success with Marvin Gaye

By early 1967, Marvin Gaye had seen three singers he recorded duets with - Mary Wells, Kim Weston and Oma Page - leave Motown. Figuring Terrell could benefit, Gordy asked Terrell to sing duets with Gaye, which she agreed. Gaye later recalled that he didn't know how musically and vocally gifted Terrell was until they began recording duets together.

At first the duets were recorded separately. For sessions of their first recording, the Ashford & Simpson composition, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", both Gaye and Terrell recorded separate versions. Motown remixed the vocals and edited out the background vocals, giving just Gaye and Terrell vocal dominance. The song, originally written for Dusty Springfield, became a crossover pop hit in the spring of 1967, reaching number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the R&B; charts, making Terrell a star. Their follow-up hit, "Your Precious Love", became an even bigger hit reaching number five on the pop chart, and number-two on the R&B; chart. In late 1967, the duo scored a third top ten single with "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You", which peaked at number ten on the pop chart and number-two on the R&B; chart. The song's B-side, the Marvin Gaye composition, "If This World Were Mine", became a modest hit on both charts, reaching number sixty-eight on the pop chart and number twenty-seven on the R&B; chart. Gaye would later cite the song as "one of Tammi's favorites".

All four songs were included on Gaye and Terrell's first duet album, ''United'', released in the late summer of 1967. Throughout that year, Gaye and Terrell began performing together and Terrell became a vocal and performance inspiration for the shy and laid-back Gaye, who hated live performing. The duo even performed together on TV shows to their hits. While Terrell was finally being established as a star, the migraines and headaches that she suffered with as a child were becoming more constant. While she complained of pains, she insisted to people close to her that she was well enough to perform. However, on October 14, 1967, while performing with Gaye at Hampden-Sydney College, outside of the college of Farmville, Virginia, Terrell fell and buckled onstage. Gaye helped her not fall completely to the ground and rushed Terrell backstage, where she was immediately taken to Southside Community Hospital and later diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. {{external media | align = center | audio1 = You may listen to Tammi Terrell & Marvin Gaye sing "Ain't no Mountain High Enough" here }} After a six-week stay at a Philadelphia hospital where she had her first of what would be eight operations, Terrell returned to Detroit to record the Gaye duet, "You're All I Need to Get By". Prior to the tumor diagnosis and her collapse onstage, Terrell and Gaye recorded in front of each other for the first time during the recording of "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing". Both songs became number-one R&B; hits in 1968, as well as top ten pop hits. The change in recording from ''United'' and the duo's second album, ''You're All I Need'' was due to Terrell's rapid illness - while two of the songs on ''United'' were overdubbed with Gaye's vocals, six of the tracks on ''You're All I Need'' was overdubbed with Gaye vocals to create duet tracks.

Gaye later told his biographer David Ritz that Terrell was unable to record and that Valerie Simpson filled in for Tammi vocals on the final Gaye/Terrell duet album, ''Easy''. Simpson and her husband, Nickolas Ashford, have been quoted as denying this in several sources, including a book written by Terrell's sister Ludie Montgomery and the liner notes to ''The Complete Motown Singles Volume 9: 1969''. Simpson's own account is that she did provide guide vocals for Gaye to work with in Terrell's absence (and that it was this which Gaye later remembered), but that Terrell was then brought in to "painstakingly" record her vocals for the ''Easy'' album over Simpson's guide track. Simpson reiterated the story on a recent documentary on Terrell's life story. However, others who worked with Motown heard the album and also concluded that despite these allegations that Terrell vocally contributed to the album that Terrell wasn't on the album due to the voice being "too nasal" and sensing the language pattern, accent and vocal delivery wasn't close to how Terrell sounded . Simpson had some vocal similarities to Terrell and confirmed Gaye's reports that Terrell wasn't on the album despite Simpson's claims . Liner Notes to the Complete Motown singles Volume 10 confirms that Terrell was present during the sessions, at least as an adviser and may have supplied some vocals as well.

Despite these reports, Gaye and Terrell continued to have chart success. The ''Easy'' album included the modest hit, "What You Gave Me" (later covered by Diana Ross in an ill-fated disco version), and the top ten UK hit, "The Onion Song". In late 1969, while performing at the Apollo Theater, Gaye spotted an ill Terrell in the audience after the singer, now under ninety pounds, stood up and began singing her opening response to Gaye on their hit, "You're All I Need to Get By". Gaye, who was performing with Carla Thomas on the bill, reportedly stepped off the stage into the audience to sing with Terrell, who was given a microphone. The performance ended with a standing ovation. It was to be Terrell's final public appearance.

Death and aftermath

At the time of her death, Terrell was engaged to be married to a doctor, though not her personal doctor. Terrell figured, with every operation, she would get well, but her tumor only got worse. By late 1969, Terrell was on her seventh operation and was unable to promote the ''Easy'' album. Also in 1969, Motown also issued Terrell's first and only solo album, ''Irresistible'', which included recordings going back to 1965 and through 1968. Being close to death, Terrell was also unable to promote that record as well. A 1969 ''Ebony'' article reported on Terrell's struggles to get well and the singer gave an exclusive interview hopeful of an eventual recovery and a return to recording and live performances. However, it wasn't to be. On January 25, 1970, Terrell went into her eighth and final operation on her tumor. Shortly after that she lapsed into a coma. Terrell then died, of complications from brain cancer, on March 16, 1970. She was a month and two weeks short of her 25th birthday. Marvin Gaye reacted to her initial illness, when she collapsed into his arms onstage in 1967, by taking a four-year hiatus from concert performance. His first appearance after this hiatus was at the newly opened Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on May 1, 1972, where he performed his hit album "What's Going On" with many of the musicians who played on the original sessions.

Gaye recalled that he felt somehow responsible for Terrell's illness and death. Gaye failed to appreciate his own successes including the international hit, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", thinking the success was not deserved on his part. At the funeral, Gaye delivered a final eulogy while "You're All I Need to Get By" was playing. According to Terrell's fiance, who knew Gaye, Terrell's mother allowed just Gaye at the funeral but told him that Terrell's other Motown colleagues would not be allowed in. Terrell's mother criticized Motown for not helping with Terrell's illness accusing the label for covering up the singer's condition releasing albums of Terrell's work without her consent. Gaye had also contended that he felt Motown was taking advantage of Terrell's illness and refused to promote the ''Easy'' album despite Motown telling him it would cover Terrell's health finances. Gaye never fully got over Terrell's death, according to several biographers stated Terrell's death led Gaye to depression and drug abuse.

In addition, Gaye's classic album ''What's Going On'', an introspective, low-key work which dealt with mature themes released in 1971, was in part a reaction to Terrell's death. In July 1970, four months after Terrell's untimely passing, a dramatic gospel-pop rearrangement of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", was released by Diana Ross, becoming a number-one hit and one of Ross' signature songs.

On October 8, 2010, Hip-O Select released ''Come On And See Me: The Complete Solo Collection'', a collection of all of Terrell's solo work dating back to high school, plus never before released songs and 13 minutes of the only known live stage recordings.

Discography

Albums

1967: ''The Early Show'' (Wand LP, side A is by Tammi Terrell, side B is by Chuck Jackson)

1969: ''Irresistible'' (#39 R&B;)

2001: ''The Essential Collection'' (posthumous)

2010: ''Come On and See Me: The Complete Solo Collection'' (posthumous)

with Marvin Gaye

1967: ''United (#69 US)

1968: ''You're All I Need'' (#60 US)

1969: ''Easy'' (#184 US)

1970: ''Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's Greatest Hits'' (posthumous)

2001: ''The Complete Duets'' (compilation of ''United'', ''You're All I Need'', and ''Easy'')

Singles

1961: "If You See Bill" (as Tammy Montgomery)

1962: "Voice of the Experience" (as Tammy Montgomery)

1963: "I Cried" (as Tammy Montgomery) (#99 US)

1964: "If I Would Marry You" (as Tammy Montgomery)

1965: "I Can't Believe You Love Me" (#72 US)

1966: "Come On and See Me" (#80 US)

1968: "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" (#67 US)

with Marvin Gaye

1967: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (#19 US)

1967: "Your Precious Love" (#5 US)

1967: "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" (#10 US, #41 UK)

1968: "If This World Were Mine" (b-side of "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You", #68 US)

1968: "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (#8 US, #34 UK)

1968: "You're All I Need to Get By" (#7 US, #19 UK)

1968: "Keep On Lovin' Me Honey" (#24 US)

1969: "You Ain't Livin' till You're Lovin'" (#21 UK)

1969: "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By" (#30 US, #26 UK) 1969: "What You Gave Me"* (#49 US) 1969: "The Onion Song"* (#50 US, #9 UK) 1970: "California Soul"* (#56 US)

See also

List of notable brain tumor patients

References

Further reading

Montgomery, Ludie. ''My Sister Tommie: the Real Tammi Terrell'' (2005, ISBN 1-904408-16-8)

Ritz, David. ''Divided Soul: the Life of Marvin Gaye'' (2003 edition, ISBN 0-306-81191-X)

Whitall, Susan. ''For the Record: Women of Motown'' (1998, ISBN 0-380-79379-2)

External links

TammiTerrell.com (fan site)

[ Tammi Terrell] at Allmusic

Category:1945 births Category:1970 deaths Category:African American female singers Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American soul singers Category:American soul musicians Category:James Brown vocalists Category:Marvin Gaye vocalists Category:Motown artists Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Deaths from brain cancer Category:Cancer deaths in Pennsylvania

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