Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr., better known as Marvin Gaye was an American singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and instrumentalist. Starting his career as a member of the successful doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career shortly after the group disbanded in 1960 signing with the Tamla subsidiary of Motown Records. After a year as a session drummer, Marvin quickly ranked as the label's top-selling solo artist during the sixties. Due to numerous solo hits including "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."
Notable for fighting the hit-making, but creatively restrictive, Motown record-making process, in which performers and songwriters and record producers were generally kept in separate camps, Marvin was able to prove with albums like his groundbreaking 1971 album, What's Going On and his 1973 album, Let's Get It On, that he was able to produce his own form of musical expression without relying on the Motown system inspiring fellow Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson to do the same.
His mid-1970s work including the Let's Get It On and I Want You albums helped to influence the quiet storm, urban adult contemporary and slow jam genres. After a self-imposed European exile in the late seventies, Marvin returned to prominence briefly on the 1982 Grammy-winning hit, "Sexual Healing" and the Midnight Love album before his tragic death at the hands of his clergyman father on April 1, 1984. He was posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
“Great artists suffer for the people.”
“The more I lived with Jan, the more I loved her, the more I made her miserable. It was a vicious cycle (page 209)……The more I loved her the more I hated her. And the more she loved me, the more I harmed myself (page 269).”
“I wish that being famous helped prevent me from being constipated.”
“Listen, babyAin't no mountain highAin't no valley lowAin't no river wide enough, babyIf you need me, call meNo matter where you areNo matter how farJust call my nameI'll be there in a hurryYou don't have to worry'Cause baby,There ain't no mountain high enoughAin't no valley low enoughAin't no river wide enoughTo keep me from getting to youRemember the dayI set you freeI told youYou could always count on meFrom that day on I made a vowI'll be there when you want meSome way,some how'Cause baby,There ain't no mountain high enoughAin't no valley low enoughAin't no river wide enoughTo keep me from getting to youNo wind, no rainMy love is aliveWay down in my heartAlthough we are miles apartIf you ever need a helping handI'll be there on the doubleAs fast as I canDon't you know thatThere ain't no mountain high enoughAin't no valley low enoughAin't no river wide enoughTo keep me from getting to youDon't you know thatThere ain't no mountain high enoughAin't no valley low enoughAin't no river wide enough”
“And givin' yourself to me can never be wrong”
“War is not the answer, because only love can conquer hate. ”
“If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.”
“To share is precious, pure and fair.Don't play with something you should cherish for life. Don't you wanna care, ain't it lonely out there?”
“Don't you know how sweet and wonderful life can be”
“War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate”