What's Going on? The Life, Times, and Everlasting Legacy of Marvin Gaye in Washington D.C.
Marvin Gaye was an inspirational American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in 1939, the “Prince of Motown” (or “Prince of Soul”) first began shaping the sound of Motown in the 1960s. Sadly, there has been minimal talk about his roots as a son of the "D.C." area; one would find this strange since he inspired many home-grown D.C. artists.
This article will explore Marvin Gaye's everlasting legacy in Washington D.C. and just how his life formed part of many artists' DNA that grew from the same DMV area.
The Life and Times of Marvin Gaye
Born on the 2nd of April 1939, Marvin Gaye grew up in the District of Washington D.C. He initially lived at the Benning Terrace housing project in the Southwest area of D.C. and then moved to the East Capitol Dwellings in the Deanwood neighborhood in Northeast.
His singing talent began at Cardozo High School, where he was part of the choir, but he dropped out of high school before graduating. He also sang in his father’s church and in the Moonglows group; an all-American R&B group that was popular for their song “Sincerely.”
In his late teens, Marvin Gaye explored his talent further and began singing with doo-wop groups in D.C. He was a popular member of the group Rainbows, which was later known as the Marquees. He toured the city with the music group and was often found performing at music venues on 14th Street NW, Butler-Truesdale.
The group gave him the foundation he needed to start recording in his home studio of Bo Diddley, where he practiced his growing talents as an iconic singer, music producer, and guitarist. Despite being settled in his home in Rhode Island Avenue, he wanted to take the Motown label to Detroit and Los Angeles.
Gaye reportedly hated his hometown, even though his roots had a stronghold on him. So, what was going on with him? Biographer David Ritz quotes Marvin Gaye as saying:
“I hated Washington. The place filled me with a feeling of hopelessness. Nothing happened in Washington. Nothing was made or produced, or sold. It was all government, papers, bureaucrats, and bullshit. Here was a city blessed with musical talent and no place to record, no real labels or promoters or distributors."
Could Marvin’s move away from his hometown roots been really because of his hatred for the city, or was he in pursuit of a different life? After Marvin's death, Janis Hunter shared a moving story of Marvin’s life with her. Marvin was married to Berry Gordy’s sister, the founder of Motown, and yet he was secretly seeing the enchanted teenager who was 17 years younger than him.
Marvin had been in the spotlight for two years when they began seeing each other in Los Angeles; however, the burden of fame, the temptation of drugs, and the chaos of dysfunctional families complicated their relationship, Which ended in 1981.
He had a successful comeback after his divorce, but Gaye still struggled with bouts of depression and substance abuse. After moving into his parent’s house, he fell into a pattern of aggressive and violent altercations with his father, who shot and killed him in 1984.
Three years after Marvin’s death, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He Was the Man for Washington D.C.
Marvin Gaye may have felt pessimistic about his roots in Washington, but the city had nothing but love for the artist. You can find murals and landmarks that commemorate his life in the city. There is so much pride for Marvin Gaye that there is a park named after him and even a dedicated day.
In 2019, he would have celebrated his 80th birthday (he died in 1984). In commemoration, the postal service released a Marvin Gaye stamp as part of their series dedicated to iconic music. A posthumous album was also released in his honor called "You're the Man," an album originally meant for release in 1972 as a follow up to "What's Going On?"
"I record so that I can feed people what they need, what they feel. Hopefully, I record so that I can help someone overcome a bad time." Marvin Gaye said this when he ended his career and noted it as why he no longer produced music for his own pleasure.
He Was a Wonderful One
He may have stopped making music for his own pleasure, but many artists were influenced to follow their own musical fame because of him.
John Legend’s album “Darkness and Light” was inspired by Marvin Gaye, whom he mentions as a musical influence for his career. When the album was released, he shared the following statement:
“I look to artists like Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers for inspiration more than any other artists.”
Popular tributes, inspired songs, and covers include the following:
John Legend sang Marvin Gaye’s song, “What’s Going On” at the Kennedy Center kickoff.
Marvin is 60: A Tribute Album” was released in 1999, featuring Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, and Will Downing. The respective artists went on to release cover songs of Marvin’s including, “Your Precious Love” and “You Sure Love to Ball.”
R&B band Frankie Beverly & Maze based their 1989 album, called “Silky Soul” on Marvin Gaye since he was the band’s early mentor.
Lionel Ritchie dedicated the song he composed, “Missing You”, to Marvin Gaye and gave it to Diana Ross.
Aaliyah covered Marvin’s song, “Got to Give it Up.”
Raheem DeVaughn grew up in Maryland, and both he and Marvin could have shared many memories together about the DMV area. Raheem released a new single, called "Marvin Used to Say." The Marvin Gaye-inspired track reflects the socially charged conversation Marvin Gaye started over 50 years ago with his album, What's Going On.
“One of my greatest musical influences, Marvin Gaye, was and continues to be an agent of change.” - Raheem DeVaughn.
Visit Spotify to listen to NUNAR’s curated playlist for this article, “Great Marvin Gaye Samples”.