Marvin's Last Album example essay topic

Like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra before him, Marvin Gaye's death has given him new life. Since his premature demise, interest in his art has only blossomed. "He's our John Lennon. The longer he's gone, the more young people appreciate his contribution. He changed our musical world", says Steve Turner, author of Trouble Man: the Life and Death of Marvin Gaye (Turner, Introduction). Billboard magazine reports that since 1983, Marvin's name has been mentioned, in reverential tones, on no less than seven top-ten hit records (Ritz, preface).

This only proves how much of an influence he was not only in the world of popular music, but in the world of pop culture. However, Marvin was not always the show stopper that he became. Frankie Gaye, younger brother and author of Marvin Gaye, my brother, tells us, "Marvin liked to sing, but he never had the nerve to sing in front of people" (Gaye, pg. 8). As a child, Marvin's voice was strictly for church. Marvin Sr., a stringent Seventh Day Adventist, believed that Marvin was to service God with his voice, not the streets. Marvin went along with his father's beliefs stating, "I didn't know any better" (Turner, pg. 14).

Yet, as an adolescent, Marvin was stimulated by the overriding powers of sex and singing (Ritz, pg. 23). This motivated him to dream of a day when he would perform for thousands of people. According to David Ritz, a personal friend and author of Divided Soul: the Life of Marvin Gaye, "Those two preoccupations often merged into a single psychological force, which brought both pleasure and fear as Marvin sought the courage to move from fantasy to performance" (Ritz, pg. 23). However, his father had different plans.

Marvin Sr. believed that rhythm and blues represented the devil and wanted Marvin to have no part of it. Nonetheless, Marvin's dream was a lot more powerful than his father's words. "Music was a way for Marvin to escape his father's tormenting world", says Dewey Harvey, a junior high class mate of Marvin (Gaye, pg. 17). So, in 1957, Marvin and a couple of friends started a band, Marvin's first venture into the music world. That was the beginning of the end for Marvin and his father. Frankie remembers that day when it all started going downhill.

"Father threatened to disown Marvin and banned him from the house. I think my father never really loved Marvin" (Ritz, pg. 25). Turner tells us that Marvin's father condemned his musical side yelling, "You " ll never make it by turning your back on family and most importantly, God" (Ritz, pg. 25). It seemed his father was right. In 1960, after four years of trying to sign with a record label, Marvin and the Moonglows broke up.

Marvin returned home a defeated soul afraid to face his father. However, Marvin's dream did not die off with the breakup of the band. He still wanted to be a part of something that was "rocking the hell out of the world" (Gaye, pg. 30). In 1961, Marvin moved to Detroit in order to scope out the music scene. According to Berry Gordy, CEO of Motown records, "When I met Marvin, he was a kid with a dream in his heart and a voice that could kill. I just couldn't let that slide" (Turner, pg. 57).

Marvin finally made it, after five years of trying, in 1961 when he signed with Berry and Motown after being introduced by Harvey Fuqua, a friend and member of the 1950's doo-wop group, the Moonglows (hence the name of Marvin's group). Marvin's career at Motown started off slow. Only making songs when needed, Marvin became discouraged. "I remember Marvin telling me maybe my father was right about his career.

That's when I knew Marvin was down" (Gaye, pg. 48). However, Marvin's luck was soon to change. In 1962, Marvin released his single Stubborn kind of fellow. It reached number eight on the billboard charts and the album reached number forty-six.

Yet, nothing could prepare him for what was around the next corner. After having a few major hits with Tammi Terrell, in 1968, Marvin became an international sensation with his cover of the Gladys Knight and the Pips song I heard it through the Grapevine. "When Marvin hit with that song, his name was known from the California coast line to China. He was on top of the world", recalls his brother (Gaye, pg. 67).

Still, in the height of his career, Marvin was stressed more than ever. He had nothing and no one to turn to. Ritz recalls this tremulous period. "Marvin seemed to be alone with his career soaring to new heights. That's when he decided to turn to drugs" (Ritz, pg. 54). Marvin began to experiment with drugs.

According to Frankie, Marvin quickly became a cocaine addict that was headed for ruin. "It was something that I never thought Marvin would get into. It was a total shock for me" (Gaye, pg. 73). Marvin's drug problem continued to grow and soon, Marvin was totally dependent.

By 1971, Marvin hadn't had a successful hit since I Heard it through the Grapevine. At the same time, the world seemed to be headed down a declining spiral. Many race riots were occurring everyday in the United States and Marvin was tried of it. "Marvin decided to express his opinions the best way he knew how-through song" (Gaye, pg. 81). In March of 1971, Marvin stepped into the studio to record one of the most influential and aspiring albums of all time. What's Going On focused on the non-stop political, racial, and overall hatred within society.

When the album was released in May of 1971, it shot straight to number one. "Marvin proved that you could make a socially conscious statement and still sell records. It was way ahead of its time", exclaims Frankie as he remembers when the album was first released. What's Going On was actually an album of firsts. It was the very first album that was self-written, self-produced, the first concept album, and the first to have its lyrics printed on the jacket (Gaye, pg. 85).

At the time of its release, no one really knew that the album would be as big of a success as it was. And what was even more unthinkable was the fact that the album would shape the way we know pop music today. Riding on the high of his most successful album thus far, in 1973, Marvin recorded his next biggest hit album Let's get it on. He once again made history with the release of his single titled the same as the album.

Nevertheless, Marvin became even more enthralled with his drug problem. By the year 1976, just five years after What's Going On and three years after Let's Get it On, Marvin was dangerously close to bankrupt. He had blown his money on his drug problem and was in extensive financial debt with loan sharks. One of Marvin's band members relives his drug addiction by telling David Ritz that, "Marvin did a lot of coke. He was snorting, smoking, and even eating it" (Ritz, pg. 319).

The problem rage out of control and soon, Marvin lost his recording contract with Motown in 1981. Yet, that did not stop him from continuing to make a statement. 1982 was the year that Marvin would appear to be back on track. He had been writing for the last several years and had just signed a new contract with Columbia records. "When I found out that Marvin had started his life over with Columbia, I thought things had taken a turn for the better. He was starting to clean up his life and was becoming a better man while doing so", explains Frankie (Gaye, pg. 150).

Marvin's last album, Midnight Love, was released in October of 1982. It seemed as if Marvin's fans had not disappeared as he feared because the album shot to number one just weeks after its release. "I was shocked and relieved to find that people still looked forward to my music", Marvin told Ritz in one of their final interviews (Ritz, pg. 305). A year after the album's release, Marvin went on his final tour. It was a two week truck across America to enlighten fans on Marvin's new found life.

"Everyone was surprised to see that Marvin was still alive. With his cocaine problem the way it was, people automatically assumed that he had overdosed and no one knew about it", says Adam Caine, one of Marvin's promoters at Columbia records (Turner, pg. 157). Marvin was back in full force, however, and displayed that with each sold-out performance he gave. "I remember watching Marvin's last performance of that tour in Detroit where it all started. I just remember thinking the Marvin I knew was back and here to stay", says Frankie (Gaye, pg. 155). It seemed as if Marvin was a new man with new thoughts.

Yet, the unimaginable was on the horizon. Marvin returned to his old ways while recording his final album. No one knew of it because Marvin was keeping it a secret (Turner, pg. 210). Marvin was back on cocaine and doing it heavily. As Marvin's mother puts it, "He was under too much stress with returning to the music scene and found no other outlet than snorting cocaine" (Turner, pg. 211). By this time, Marvin had become paranoid and thought people were out to kill him (Ritz, pg. 321).

Marvin had no other choice than to move back in with his father, the man who had condemned his career from the start. Marvin became more paranoid each day. This caused the already broken relationship with his father to become even more dangerous. According to Frankie, "Marvin began to take out his aggression on my father and my father could do nothing to stop it" (Gaye, pg. 178).

Marvin became totally dependent on others to take care of him physically, mentally, and emotionally. The beatings continued and soon, Marvin Sr. got to the point to where he could not take it anymore. He felt that his son had turned his back on him and that the physical abuse heaped on him by Marvin was just a slap in the face. He decided to take matters into his own hands.

It was April 1, 1984, a day before Marvin's forty-fifth birthday. "I remember walking into the house and hearing my mother scream, 'He shot Marvin, he killed my boy. ' I stepped into Marvin's room and he was crumpled on the floor next to his bed", Frankie describes for us in his novel (Gaye, pg. 184). Marvin and his father got into a heated argument that morning.

Moments after Marvin slapped and punched his father to the floor, Marvin Sr. returned to Marvin's room with a. 38 caliber and shot Marvin two times in the chest at point blank range. Marvin was taken to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 1: 01 pm. More than ten thousand people gathered to pay their last respects to Marvin (Gaye, pg. 188). Marvin's life was celebrated and mourned by some of his closest friends including Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and Berry Gordy, the man who gave Marvin his first big break. Frankie reflects back on that day.

"I could not imagine Marvin lying so still after all we had been through. But it was good to see him lying so peaceful at last" (Gaye, pg. 189). Marvin Gaye had fought with his addiction for fourteen years, and it seemed to defeat him in the end. Marvin's father was questioned about the shooting on the same day of his son's funeral.

Marvin Pentz Gaye Sr. was charged with murder one on April 5, 1984. However, he would claim that his actions were self-defense. On November 2, 1984, Gay Sr. was sentenced to five years probation, avoiding jail time (Ritz, pg. 338). Marvin Gaye was a twentieth-century icon. He was one of the world's greatest pop singers. He made his way with the Motown of the sixties and went on to become a musical revolutionary.

He did so much for the way we understand music today. As Brian McKnight, hip-hop singer and a member of the Motown family puts it, "Marvin was a musical genius and his contributions to American popular music will live on forever" (Gaye, epilogue). He is a musical legend that was and still is misunderstood in many ways but there is one thing that no one can deny. Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. was a beloved musician that will live on forever.

Bibliography

Gaye, Frankie. Marvin Gaye, My Brother. San Francisco: Back beats Book, 2003.
Ritz, David. Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye. New York: Da Capo Press, Inc, 1985.
Turner, Steve. Trouble Man: The Life and Death of Marvin Gaye. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc, 1998.