Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. was born on April 2, 1939, in Washington, D.C
At twenty years of age while singing lead with The Moonglows,
Marvin recorded “Mama Loocie” on Chess Records. After being
introduced to Berry Gordy and hired as a drummer for The Miracles,
The Marvelettes and The Contours and other acts, Marvin signed
with Motown as an artist and a songwriter.

While his initial album of jazz and Broadway standards was less than
successful, his move to R&B in 1962 produced “Stubborn Kind of
Fellow”, his first chart hit. In the summer of 63’ Marvin Gaye had hit
first top ten hit with “Pride and Joy”.

With three #1 chart toppers in his career, “I Heard It Through The
Grapevine”, “Let’s Get It On”, “Got to Give It Up”, Marvin had more
than a dozen million selling singles, including, “How Sweet It Is To
Be Loved By You”, “I’ll Be Doggone”, “Ain’t That Peculiar”, “Too
Busy Thinking About My Baby”, “What’s Going On”, “Mercy, Mercy
Me”, “Inner City Blues”, “Let’s Get It On” and Sexual Healing”.

Marvin Gaye’s albums also sold in the millions with his “Live at the
London Palladium” a top ten, two million selling album in 1977.

Marvin Gaye was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 
in 1987 and he was honored with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990.

          On April 1, 1984, one day before his 45th birthday,
Marvin Gaye died of a gunshot wound in Los Angeles, California.