Marvin Gaye
The Life of The Prince of Motown
Marvin Gaye known as “The Prince of Motown” or “The Prince of Soul” has experienced many things in his lifetime. From his early years having trouble with his father to his later years being addicted to drugs, but that didn’t stop him from becoming an extremely successful musician and influence on the black community. All that being said, Marvin Gaye’s illustrious career is faced with many prosperous achievements, but a lot of tough obstacles as well. Marvin Gay Junior was born on April 2, 1939 in Washington DC. He actually later added the e to his name because when he first got signed as a solo artist someone jokingly said “Is Marvin gay” so Motown added the e and it separated him from his father. He was one of four children growing up in the town of Deanwood. He had a rough child hood because his father abused him. Marvin First began singing in church with his father. Marvin was abused from around the age of seven to his late teen years. Wanting to escape his home life Marvin dropped out of high school and joined the air force at 17 but that didn’t last to long because of his inability to obey authority (Charnock 90).
Marvin first started his music career after he returned from the air force. He was apart of a doo-woop called the Moonglows. Once they disbanded the group the leader, Harvey Fuqua, introduced Marvin to Berry Gordy as Berry was forming Motown Records (Ritz 2013, 2). From then on things kept on rolling for Marvin. He became a staple in the Motown family, and also married Gordy’s sister Anna. The Gaye was also just churning hits out throughout the sixties like “Stubborn Kinda Fellow” and “Heard it Through the Grapevine”(Charnock 91). Both of these pieces were soul, but at the time Marvin always wanted to be big in Jazz like Sinatra specifically. It was that reason and the clashing of heads with Berry Gordy that was turning him away from Motown records. Marvin said he though of himself to be free spirited and
Marvin Gaye known as “The Prince of Motown” or “The Prince of Soul” has experienced many things in his lifetime. From his early years having trouble with his father to his later years being addicted to drugs, but that didn’t stop him from becoming an extremely successful musician and influence on the black community. All that being said, Marvin Gaye’s illustrious career is faced with many prosperous achievements, but a lot of tough obstacles as well. Marvin Gay Junior was born on April 2, 1939 in Washington DC. He actually later added the e to his name because when he first got signed as a solo artist someone jokingly said “Is Marvin gay” so Motown added the e and it separated him from his father. He was one of four children growing up in the town of Deanwood. He had a rough child hood because his father abused him. Marvin First began singing in church with his father. Marvin was abused from around the age of seven to his late teen years. Wanting to escape his home life Marvin dropped out of high school and joined the air force at 17 but that didn’t last to long because of his inability to obey authority (Charnock 90).
Marvin first started his music career after he returned from the air force. He was apart of a doo-woop called the Moonglows. Once they disbanded the group the leader, Harvey Fuqua, introduced Marvin to Berry Gordy as Berry was forming Motown Records (Ritz 2013, 2). From then on things kept on rolling for Marvin. He became a staple in the Motown family, and also married Gordy’s sister Anna. The Gaye was also just churning hits out throughout the sixties like “Stubborn Kinda Fellow” and “Heard it Through the Grapevine”(Charnock 91). Both of these pieces were soul, but at the time Marvin always wanted to be big in Jazz like Sinatra specifically. It was that reason and the clashing of heads with Berry Gordy that was turning him away from Motown records. Marvin said he though of himself to be free spirited and