Gaye started as a session drummer at Motown, playing on all the early hits by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Soon Gaye was signed to his new Motown Tamla label in 1961.
It was Gwen that introduced Gaye to her brother Berry Gordy at Motown Records’ 1960 Christmas party. However, in 1960, the group soon broke up and Fuqua moved to Detroit to form Tri-Phi Records with his girlfriend Gwen Gordy, bringing Marvin with them. The following year the group was taken under the wing of producer and singer Harvey Fuqua, who utilized them to reform his doo-wop outfit the Moonglows his backing group. Their lone single, “Wyatt Earp,” was produced by Bo Diddley, for the Okeh label. Marvin abandoned a place in his father's church choir, and in 1957, he joined the Marquees, with school chums Reese Palmer, James Nolan and Chester Simmons. and started signing in a street corner doo wop group, The Rainbows. Gaye returned to his hometown of Washington, D.C. He cited “God Only Knows,” by the Capris, as critical to his musical awakening. His musical tastes were shaped by such R&B artists as Rudy West (of the Five Keys), Clyde McPhatter (of the Drifters), Ray Charles and Little Willie John. Gaye sought to escape from his father’s stern hand and the harsh realities of ghetto life through music. The influence of the church in his early years played a formative role in his musical career, particularly from the 70's onwards, when his songwriting shifted back and forth between mainstream and religious topics. Gaye was three years old when he began singing in his father's church choir and was soon playing the organ and drums, too. His mother worked as a domestic and raised Marvin and his four siblings. Marvin Gaye was named after his father, a minister and preacher in the Apostolic Church, with the obscure House of God, a small, charismatic sect that combined elements of Orthodox Judaism and fundamentalist Christianity. A musical visionary, he conceived of albums as something more than individual songs, whether it be his early collections of show tunes and standards or later thematic masterworks about the state of the world (What’s Going On?), sexual politics (Let’s Get It On) and marriage (Here, My Dear). Most of all, Gaye possessed a classic R&B voice that was edged with grit yet tempered with sweetness. He wrote, produced and played a variety of instruments. As one of Motown’s renaissance men, Gaye could do it all.
Marvin Gaye made a huge contribution to soul music in general and the Motown sound in particular. Marvin Gaye's contribution to Black Music over the past four decades is immeasurable. (A horrible April Fools’ Day announcement, which I wish was an ill-timed joke.) and died April 1 st, 1984, Los Angeles, U.S.A. He was born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., April 2nd 1939, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. His songs were prayers, meditations, strategies for survival.” He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame - Marvin Gaye, as a performer, in 1987.īiographer David Ritz said of Gaye, “His music was cathartic. With a career that spanned the entire history of rhythm and blues, from '50s doo wop to '80s soul, Marvin Gaye exemplified the maturation of romantic black pop into a sophisticated form spanning social and sexual politics, Marvin Gaye was one of the most consistent and enigmatic of the Motown hit makers. Please click on the hyperlinks to enjoy these web sites. Numerous web sites, Soul Walking - Marvin Gaye, History Of Rock - Marvin Gaye, Rolling Stone - Marvin Gaye Discography & Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame - Marvin Gaye were quite helpful in preparing my tribute to Marvin Gaye.