Marvin Gaye, the artist always looking for the best version of himself who tells love, life and politics through a sensual and soulful style.
Who was Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye, stage name of Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. (Washington, April 2, 1939 – Los Angeles April 1, 1984) was an American singer and record producer.
He grew up in the capital with his father who was a catechist for the religious current of the Seventh Day Adventists. From an early age, therefore, he frequents this environment starting also to sing in the choir and to take piano lessons.
After graduating from high school, he joined the Air Force for a short time. However, he understands that it is not his way and so after the discharge joins blues and rock and roll bands including The Marquees, very popular in the area at the time. After a series of performances with them he is called by Motown Records for a solo career.
The beginning of the musical career
His solo journey never really sees him alone. Versatile in singing and with musical instruments is often found in play and sing with others. His first tracks with Motown Records do not register the success he hoped for, probably due to the fact that he is forced to follow a character who does not feel his. His dream is indeed to become a great pop singer, following the style of Frank Sinastra for example.
He manages to achieve success through the winners duets with female artists like Kim Weston and Tammi Terrell. With the latter, however, an excellent friendship is born that sees them very often together to the point that when she discovers that she has a tumor Marvin falls into a strong depression.
The continuous search for artistic identity
Not satisfied with his artistic career he understands that he must stop singing about love when the world around him begins to change and pay attention to more political and social issues. She manages to do so only when, after a long mourning for the death of her friend, she manages to rediscover her creative vein and her depth of soul.
With these pieces he manages to enter the Top 10 placing himself at the top of the R&B ranking. With these new songs he introduces a new way of conceiving soul through the idea of a concept album. After gaining more confidence in expressing himself towards the end of his career he heads in a more sensual direction.
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