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In Memory of Marvin Gaye

In Memory of Marvin Gaye Comel West Much of the significant truth about the career of the Afro-American singer Marvin Gaye may be obscured by the problems of his later life and the manner of his dying !he was shot to death by his father April r, 1984, in a tragic, and as yet unexplained, incident). First and foremost, Gaye was a Christian artist. He was also one of the most gifted performers produced by the Afro-American religious experience. Raised in his father's Pentecostal church, located in the East Capitol projects in Washington, D.C., Gaye was imbued with a deep spiritual sensitivity anchored in a Christ-centered ethic of love. Initially this sensitivity was expressed in his instrumental virtuos­ ity-especially on the organ, piano, and drums. Although Gaye sang in the church choir, his vocal talent did not surface until he filled the first-tenor slot of Harvey Fuqua's Moonglows, a smooth har­ mony rhythm and blues group. When Gaye's silky and soulful voice caught the attention of Berry Gordy, Jr. - the founder of Motown Re­ cording Company-in a Detroit nightclub in 1961, he was immedi­ ately offered a contract. The public career of Marvin Gaye had be­ gun. Motown was the Jackie Robinson of http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Black Sacred Music Duke University Press

In Memory of Marvin Gaye

West, Cornel; Spencer, Jon Michael
Black Sacred Music , Volume 6 (1) – Mar 1, 1992
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Copyright
Copyright © 1992 by Duke University Press
ISSN
1043-9455
eISSN
2640-9879
DOI
10.1215/10439455-6.1.224
Publisher site
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Abstract

Comel West Much of the significant truth about the career of the Afro-American singer Marvin Gaye may be obscured by the problems of his later life and the manner of his dying !he was shot to death by his father April r, 1984, in a tragic, and as yet unexplained, incident). First and foremost, Gaye was a Christian artist. He was also one of the most gifted performers produced by the Afro-American religious experience. Raised in his father's Pentecostal church, located in the East Capitol projects in Washington, D.C., Gaye was imbued with a deep spiritual sensitivity anchored in a Christ-centered ethic of love. Initially this sensitivity was expressed in his instrumental virtuos­ ity-especially on the organ, piano, and drums. Although Gaye sang in the church choir, his vocal talent did not surface until he filled the first-tenor slot of Harvey Fuqua's Moonglows, a smooth har­ mony rhythm and blues group. When Gaye's silky and soulful voice caught the attention of Berry Gordy, Jr. - the founder of Motown Re­ cording Company-in a Detroit nightclub in 1961, he was immedi­ ately offered a contract. The public career of Marvin Gaye had be­ gun. Motown was the Jackie Robinson of

Journal

Black Sacred Music – Duke University Press

Published: Mar 1, 1992

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