Monday, April 6, 2009

Remembering a Motown Legend, Marvin Gaye

























By: Craig Yates - Houston Chronicle


No politics today, and no April Fool’s jokes either, I’d like to pay tribute to a music icon. On this date in 1984, Marvin Gaye, one of, if not the greatest performer and recording artist to come out of Motown Records, died a tragic and untimely death.

To list all of his hits would take up the entire post, so here are a few of the high points and memorable songs Mr. Gaye left us.

Marvin’s first song to go to the top of the R&B charts was I’ll Be Doggone in May of 1965. Here is video of a live performance of that song which includes a young Tina Turner.



On December 14, 1968 I Heard It Through The Grapevine hit the top of the R&B and pop charts, where it stayed for 7 weeks. That record sold 4 million copies and was Motown’s biggest selling single of the 60's.



In 1971 Gaye released what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame calls the “peak of his artistry”, the What’s Going On album. The album that Smokey Robinson said was his “favorite album of all time. More than that, it is the greatest album of all time.”

Here is a live performance of the title cut:


2 comments:

Ahimsa said...

a legend who will never be forgotten!

:::Boy-Cott Magazine::: said...

Awwready::::

-Mamba:::