Growing up, I remember my father always raving about how great of a singer and performer Marvin Gaye was. It wasn’t until my late teen years that I began to listen to his music, and all I can say is that I don’t understand why I waited so long.

Gaye was born on April 2, 1939 in Washington D.C. He was raised by his parents and had five other siblings. Childhood for him was very difficult due to his father beating him from the age of seven all the way up into his teenage years. This condition only worsened as time progressed, but Gaye’s mother was there to console and encourage him to continue singing, since he started at age four. For a while, Gaye was paid to play drums for groups like the The Miracles and the Marvelettes. He was asked to go to a social grace school due to his eyes being closed during performances, but Gaye declined; this was something that he later strongly regretted. Regardless, he started his own work, which was initially unprofitable. After being the co-writer for one of the Marvelettes’ big hits, he gained international fame with “Can I Get a Witness”

“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” was Gaye’s first song to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. He later had another song, “Let’s Get It On” that made number one once more on the Billboard Hot 100, and this album/song stayed on this list for 2 years. This album was especially significant because of its sensuality and “carnal energy”. However, one of Gaye’s most ground-breaking songs was “What’s Going On”. He once experienced police brutality at an anti-war rally and wrote this song soon after. Gaye’s producer refused to release the song due to it being too politically controversial, so Gaye went on strike from recording music until the song was released.

Unfortunately, Gaye’s life was ended early. April 1, 1984, after intervening in an argument between his parents, Marvin Gaye Sr. shot Gaye Jr. once through the heart and once in the left shoulder. There was a rumor or two that consisted of Gaye wanting to commit suicide but was too weak to, and asked his father, while others say that Gaye Sr. was jealous of his son’s success. In either case, it is a shame that such a good, influential artist had to pass away at such a young age. I listen to Marvin Gaye’s music every day and look to him as one of my biggest sources of inspiration and encouragement.