60 Fun Facts About Marvin Gaye

In which U.S. city was Marvin Gaye born and raised?

Washington, D.C.: he was born at Freedman's Hospital and grew up in public housing in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood, which he and his friends nicknamed 'Simple City'.

Which Motown subsidiary label released Marvin Gaye's music?

Tamla: Gaye joined the Tamla imprint soon after moving to Detroit, and it issued his first single, 'Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide', in May 1961.

Marvin Gaye's first Billboard Hot 100 number one, in December 1968, was his recording of which song?

I Heard It Through the Grapevine topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks from December 1968 and sold more than four million copies, yet lost the R&B Grammy to Otis Redding's '(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay'.

Which duet partner collapsed in Marvin Gaye's arms on stage in October 1967?

Tammi Terrell collapsed into Gaye's arms during a show at Hampden-Sydney College, Virginia, on October 14, 1967; a malignant brain tumor was found, and she died in March 1970 at 24.

Which Four Tops member brought Marvin Gaye the idea for 'What's Going On' after a Berkeley rally?

Renaldo 'Obie' Benson had watched police beat protesters in Berkeley's People's Park in 1969 and wrote the song with Al Cleveland; Gaye reworked it, and Berry Gordy at first refused to release it as too political.

How many days did Marvin Gaye spend recording the What's Going On album in March 1971?

He had won creative control by giving Motown an ultimatum, and remixed the album in Hollywood before its May release.

Which two pro football players sang harmony vocals on 'What's Going On'?

Mel Farr and Lem Barney, football friends from Gaye's 1970 bid to try out for the team, contributed the opening party chatter and backing harmonies and are credited on the sleeve.

Which sister of Berry Gordy did Marvin Gaye marry in June 1963?

Anna Gordy, 17 years his senior, married him in June 1963; the contentious marriage ended in 1977 after a drawn-out divorce, and the settlement shaped his 1978 double album.

Which 1978 Marvin Gaye album was recorded so part of its royalties could go to his first wife as alimony?

Here, My Dear, the 1978 double album, was made so part of its royalties would go to his ex-wife as divorce settlement; it flopped on release but later entered Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums list.

In which Belgian seaside town did Marvin Gaye live in 1981-82 and write 'Sexual Healing'?

Ostend: Gaye moved into promoter Freddy Cousaert's apartment in the North Sea resort in 1981, cut back on drugs, ran on the beach and finished 'Sexual Healing' there.

Marvin Gaye left Motown in 1982 and signed with which company?

CBS Records signed him in 1982 and placed him on its Columbia imprint, with the terms kept quiet so as not to disturb his settlement with the IRS; 'Midnight Love' followed that October.

Where did 'Sexual Healing' peak on the Billboard Hot 100?

No. 3: 'Sexual Healing' peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 in January 1983 and brought Gaye his first two Grammy awards, for male R&B vocal and R&B instrumental.

At which event on February 13, 1983, did Marvin Gaye give his slowed-down national anthem?

The NBA All-Star Game at The Forum in Inglewood: guitarist Gordon Banks fed a drum-machine backing tape from the stands while Gaye sang a slowed, soulful anthem that became a celebrated performance.

Marvin Gaye was shot dead on April 1, 1984, the day before which birthday?

His 45th: born April 2, 1939, he was shot by his father at the family's Los Angeles home and pronounced dead at 1:01 p.m. at California Hospital Medical Center.

To what charge did Marvin Gay Sr. plead no contest after the original first-degree murder charge was reduced?

Voluntary manslaughter: after a brain tumor was found, prosecutors dropped the murder charge and Gay Sr. pleaded no contest, receiving a six-year suspended sentence and five years' probation; he died in a nursing home in 1998.

Under which name did Marvin Gaye's group the Marquees record for Chess in 1959 after moving to Chicago?

Harvey and the New Moonglows: the Marquees were hired to replace the original Moonglows, and under the new name the group sang backing vocals on Chuck Berry's 'Back in the U.S.A.' and 'Almost Grown' for Chess.

Which U.S. military branch did 17-year-old Marvin Gaye join after dropping out of school in 1956?

Air Force: he enlisted in 1956, hated the menial duty, feigned mental illness and was given a general discharge; his sergeant wrote that he could not adjust to regimentation or authority.

Which rock and roll pioneer co-wrote the Marquees' only single, 'Wyatt Earp'?

Bo Diddley co-wrote and produced 'Wyatt Earp' in 1957, failed to get the Marquees onto Chess, and steered them to OKeh instead; the single flopped and the group was dropped.

What instrument did Marvin Gaye play as a Motown session musician on 'Dancing in the Street' and 'Fingertips'?

Drums: Gaye drummed on 'Dancing in the Street' and 'Fingertips', was paid about $5 a week for 1961 session work, and toured that year as the Miracles' drummer.

What was Marvin Gaye's first solo hit, released in September 1962?

Stubborn Kind of Fellow, released in September 1962, reached No. 8 on the R&B chart and No. 46 on the Hot 100, sung in the raspy gospel tone he used on his early dance records.

Which Marvelettes hit did Marvin Gaye co-write in 1962?

Beechwood 4-5789, co-written with Mickey Stevenson and George Gordy, gave the Marvelettes a No. 17 pop hit in 1962 and was Gaye's first success as a songwriter.

Who wrote 'I'll Be Doggone' and 'Ain't That Peculiar', Marvin Gaye's first two R&B number ones?

Smokey Robinson, writing with fellow Miracles Warren 'Pete' Moore and Marv Tarplin, supplied both 1965 singles, each a million seller that reached No. 8 on the Hot 100.

With which singer did Marvin Gaye record the 1966 top-20 duet 'It Takes Two'?

Kim Weston: 'It Takes Two', released in December 1966, reached No. 14 on the Hot 100 during a solo chart lull and revived Gaye's duet career shortly before she left Motown.

Which duet earned Marvin Gaye his first Grammy nomination?

Ain't No Mountain High Enough, the 1967 Ashford & Simpson song, brought the nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance; the other three duets listed all made the pop top 10.

At which ballpark did Marvin Gaye first sing the national anthem live, during Game 4 of the 1968 World Series?

Tiger Stadium: Gaye sang the anthem before Game 4 on October 6, 1968, as the Tigers hosted the St. Louis Cardinals; José Feliciano's controversial version came the next day.

For which 1972 blaxploitation film did Marvin Gaye produce the soundtrack and score?

Trouble Man: Gaye produced and scored the 1972 film's soundtrack, his first, and the title song reached No. 7 on the Hot 100 in early 1973.

Which Marvin Gaye single became his second Hot 100 number one, in September 1973?

Let's Get It On held the top of the Hot 100 for two weeks from September 8, 1973 and also led the R&B chart; critics hailed its parent album for its sensuality.

Which Motown star was Marvin Gaye's partner on his final duet album, released in 1973?

Diana Ross: the album Diana & Marvin came out in October 1973 with several Ashford & Simpson songs and sold well internationally, though the two recorded some parts separately.

Marvin Gaye persuaded Frankie Beverly to rename his band from Raw Soul to what?

Maze: after his sister-in-law pointed the band out, Gaye took Frankie Beverly's group on tour as his opening act and suggested they drop the name Raw Soul for something shorter.

Which Marvin Gaye number one was a studio track on 1977's Live at the London Palladium?

Got to Give It Up, cut in the studio as the album's fourth side, topped the Hot 100 in June 1977 and the R&B and dance charts too; the album sold over two million copies.

Which 2013 hit was found by a jury to have copied Marvin Gaye's 'Got to Give It Up'?

Blurred Lines: a jury found in March 2015 that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams had copied the song, awarding $7.4 million, later cut to $5.3 million plus a share of royalties.

Which Marvin Gaye album did Motown release without his consent in 1981, dropping the title's question mark?

In Our Lifetime was issued in January 1981 from unfinished tapes, the question mark dropped; Gaye likened it to an unfinished Picasso and vowed never to record for Motown again.

Which shelved Marvin Gaye album, the intended follow-up to What's Going On, was finally released in 2019?

You're the Man: the 1972 title single stalled at No. 50 on the Hot 100 (No. 7 R&B), the album was shelved, and Motown finally issued the full set in 2019.

Whose alto saxophone warm-up became the opening of 'What's Going On'?

Eli Fontaine: the alto saxophonist was only warming up when Gaye heard the line and kept it as the opening of the 1971 single, telling him he had what he needed.

Which drum machine, later a hip-hop staple, did Marvin Gaye use on 1982's Midnight Love?

Roland TR-808: its programmed beat drives 'Sexual Healing' and much of Midnight Love, and the record's electro-funk sound nudged R&B and hip-hop producers toward the machine.

Which keyboard instrument did Marvin Gaye use at the end of 'Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)'?

Mellotron: Gaye played the tape-based keyboard over the song's eerie fade, one of the keyboards and synthesizers he took up as he began producing his own records.

In which strict Pentecostal-influenced sect was Marvin Gaye's father a minister?

House of God: Marvin Gay Sr. was a minister in this conservative sect, which blended Pentecostal worship with Orthodox Jewish Sabbath rules, and his son sang there from early childhood.

Which Motown vocalists' grittier voices did Marvin Gaye credit for inspiring his 'tough man voice'?

David Ruffin and Levi Stubbs: Gaye said he 'developed a growl' after hearing the two Motown leads, though he at first disliked the raspier style producer Norman Whitfield pushed on him.

Which Marvin Gaye composition topped the UK charts in July 1983 in a Paul Young cover?

Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home), co-written by Gaye with Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1962, topped the UK chart for three weeks in Paul Young's 1983 version.

In which year was Marvin Gaye inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

1987: Gaye entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its second class, three years after his death, with the Hall citing his contribution to soul music and the Motown Sound.

Where did What's Going On rank in Rolling Stone's 2020 list of the 500 Greatest Albums?

1st: the 2020 revision put What's Going On at the top of the 500, up from No. 6 on the 2003 and 2012 lists; the Library of Congress had added it to the National Recording Registry in 2003.

Which single was Marvin Gaye's first Billboard Hot 100 top-10 hit?

Pride and Joy, a 1963 single co-written with Norman Whitfield and Mickey Stevenson, reached No. 10 on the Hot 100, his first pop top-10 single; 'Hitch Hike' had stalled at No. 30.

What was Marvin Gaye's middle name?

Pentz: he was born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., after his father Marvin Pentz Gay Sr., and added the 'e' to his surname early in his recording career.

Marvin Gaye's second wife, Janis Hunter, was the daughter of which jazz musician?

Slim Gaillard, the 'Flat Foot Floogie' jazz entertainer, was Janis Hunter's father; she and Gaye married in 1977 after a four-year affair, and she was the mother of Nona and Frankie.

Which Motown star performed 'Lighting Up the Candles', written for the occasion, at Marvin Gaye's funeral?

Stevie Wonder wrote 'Lighting Up the Candles' for the April 5, 1984 service at Forest Lawn and later put it at the end of his 1991 Jungle Fever soundtrack.

At which Los Angeles venue did the USPS dedicate a Marvin Gaye Forever stamp on what would have been his 80th birthday?

The Greek Theatre in Griffith Park, where Gaye had performed, hosted the 2019 dedication of his Music Icons series Forever stamp.

How much was Marvin Gaye's 1971 Motown deal, then the richest ever for a Black artist?

$1 million: after What's Going On, Gaye re-signed with Motown in 1971 for a then-record sum for a Black artist, and the company granted him full creative control.

What was the title of Marvin Gaye's 1961 debut album?

The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye, released in June 1961, was a set of jazz standards and ballads such as 'The Masquerade Is Over'; it sold poorly, pushing him toward R&B.

Which NFL team did a depressed Marvin Gaye try to join after Tammi Terrell's death in 1970?

Detroit Lions: the team humoured the idea for publicity but refused a tryout over liability fears; two players from the squad later sang on 'What's Going On'.

What was Gaye's West Hollywood studio, apartment complex and nightclub building called?

Marvin's Room, opened on Sunset Boulevard in 1975, was where he cut much of his late Motown work; it was lost after his October 1978 bankruptcy filing and later reopened under new owners.

Marvin Gaye's ashes were scattered where after his 1984 cremation?

The Pacific Ocean: after a service attended by more than 10,000 mourners at Forest Lawn on April 5, 1984, Gaye was cremated and his family scattered his ashes off the California coast.

Who co-wrote 'Let's Get It On' with Marvin Gaye, after it was reworked from a religious ode?

Ed Townsend, a singer-songwriter and producer, turned the reworked lyric into a love song and co-produced the first four tracks of the 1973 album; Kenneth Stover had earlier rewritten Gaye's spiritual original as a political piece.

Which explicit Let's Get It On track opens and closes with the sounds of a couple in bed?

You Sure Love to Ball, the album's most explicit track, is framed by the moans of a couple; the LP peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was the best seller of his Motown years.

For which Oscar-nominated role did Eddie Murphy copy Marvin Gaye's 1970s clothing style?

James 'Thunder' Early in Dreamgirls: Murphy's 2006 performance, nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, borrowed Gaye's 1970s wardrobe as the character moved from showman to soul balladeer.

Whose 1992 hit finally broke 'Sexual Healing's long run atop the R&B chart?

Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' spent eleven weeks at No. 1 on the R&B chart from December 1992, passing the mark Gaye had set a decade earlier.

What chart first did Marvin Gaye achieve as a male artist with What's Going On?

Three top-ten Hot 100 hits from one LP: the title song, 'Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)' and 'Inner City Blues' each reached the pop top ten and topped the R&B chart, a first for a male solo artist.

Which Marvin Gaye hit did James Taylor take to the US top five in 1975?

How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You): Gaye's 1964 Holland-Dozier-Holland hit reached No. 6; James Taylor's 1975 cover climbed to No. 5 on the Hot 100.

Which posthumous album, released in May 1985, yielded the single 'Sanctified Lady'?

Dream of a Lifetime, assembled by Columbia from unreleased 1970s and early-1980s tapes, came out in May 1985, a year after his death, led by the single 'Sanctified Lady'.

Singing which Mario Lanza song at a school play aged 11 won Gaye encouragement to go professional?

Be My Love, Mario Lanza's 1950 hit, earned 11-year-old Gaye a warm reception at a school play and the encouragement to sing professionally.

Which 1976 album, made with Leon Ware, gave Marvin Gaye a No. 1 R&B title single?

I Want You, released in March 1976 and produced with Leon Ware, took a lush disco-soul turn; the title single topped the R&B chart and reached No. 15 on the Hot 100.