Marvin Gaye was a singer/songwriter from Washington, D.C. who was famous for his smooth three-octave vocal range. Born in Washington, D.C. as Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr., Gaye began his career with the doo wop group The Moonglows in the 1950s. When the group disbanded in the 1960s, he began his solo career and signed with the Talma label, a branch off of Motown Records. Though he signed on as a session drummer, he would soon be known as "The Prince of Motown" and as "The Prince of Soul." His debut 1961 single "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide," never attracted nationwide attention despite its success in the Midwest. His first top 10 hit came in 1965 with "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)," which leaned toward the R&B image that Motown was aiming for, but failed to satisfy Gaye and his jazz aspirations. The label paired Gaye with singer Tammi Terrell, and the two singers immediately bonded and spawned several hits together, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." The partnership was cut short when Terrell collapsed during a performance and soon after discovered a malignant tumor in her brain. With the news of his friend's illness, Gaye fell into a depression despite his first number one hit, "Heard It Through the Grapevine," becoming Motown's best-selling single. Following Terrell's death, he found himself unable to record or perform music until his collaboration on the politically-driven song "What's Going On," which Motown almost refused to release in fear that it would damage Gaye's sex symbol appeal. Despite the label's lack of promotion, the album What's Going On, topped the R&B charts for five weeks after its 1971 release. The album helped Gaye cross over to a younger, white rock audience, while also becoming the new standard for soul music. After his sudden death in 1984, Gaye was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his career that spanned and defined the evolution of rhythm and blues.
