Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye

Well I Heard it through the grapevine, not much longer would you be mine..honey, honey yeah


I don't know if that's really how the song goes but it's the way it's been buzzy through my head since the first time I heard it. I was passing the church with the Schilling Annex, can't remember the name or type, on Popular Avenue in Memphis and here comes Marvin Gaye on the radio. Everybody liked his music well enough but this one made you damned near pull off the road and just listen. 

Marvin Gaye

Gaye went on to do a lot of great music. He won all kinds of awards and 25 years after his death he is still winning awards and earning possibly more than he did while alive. And that was a ton. Marvin Gaye was one of the top revenue generators not only for MoTown but for all American Artists of that period. The Beatles didn't seem to phase him. Maybe he and Stevie Wonder were the alternative to the Beatles because both of them did well while opposing the British invasion. Other American artists and especially the groups seemed to almost disappear once 1964 hit them.

Marvin Gaye

I enjoyed listening to Marvin. I think pretty much all of my age group liked his music. His first hits came along about the time we were getting out of high school or entering college. He stayed with us and we with him for the next twenty years. As those years wore on we began to hear of difficult times for Marvin but he kept producing good records so we just kind of wrote it off as not too serious. Then the news came that his father had had to shoot him to protect himself from a drug addled star. Man that was hard to take.

Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell

Marvin made a ton of money. But my research doesn't tell me why he was always broke. He was about to go to prison at one point for lack of paying his child support. Later the IRS said he owed them millions and he fled the country. I don't know if that ever got settled. 

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye was one of the most successful singer, drummer, songwriters in Rock and Roll history. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has his star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and I think, but am not sure, that he is also in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Marvin Gaye

He was named Rolling Stone's #18 out of 100 Top Artist of All Times. From 1963 to 2001 he had 41 Top 40 Hits on Billboard's Pop Charts. Also on the Pop charts he had 18 Top 10's. and 3 #1 hits.
At the same time he was hitting on the Rhythm and Blues charts even higher. He had 60 Top 40's, 38 Top 10's, and 13 #1 Hits.

Marvin Gaye

That info is on his singles. His album sales were just as impressive. This guy was a major voice in the industry. I might be nuts but Marvin's drum playing on Little Stevie Wonder's first big hit, "Finger Tips" is just as amazing as his singing. If you get a chance try to listen to it. The drums are everything.

Marvin Gaye

Here are some links for entertainment and information. I hope you can spend a little time with Marvin. It always does me good.


P.S.      I don't want to take one thing away from Marvin Gaye but I have to say something. Marvin was blessed with great, creative genius as well as being a terrific singer that is true. BUT..after going back and listening to "Heard it Through the Grapevine", I have to say a part of his good fortune comes from the fact that he started off with Motown Records and their initial direction and backing. 

Marvin Gaye

Maybe more importantly, that association put him in the studio with what I consider the best collective group of musicians on the planet, The Funk Brothers. When you listen to his music, listen to them and you'll see what I mean. They helped anyone they worked with, no matter how good the artist, the Funk Brothers could make them better.




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