🎤 Marvin Gaye // collaborations · IMUDB

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Marvin Gaye artist photo

Marvin Gaye

Person 🌍 US 🗓️ 1939–1984 📍 Washington, D.C. 🕯️ Los Angeles
Member of
Instruments
piano voice drum percussion instrument clarinet
Awards
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award star on Hollywood Walk of Fame Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
IMUDB Ranking 9.9/10 Based on how many times this artist has been played on Last.fm — not a critic score. 🎧 3,930,319 listeners ▶ 97,588,731 plays
Wikipedia
Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (né Gay; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Commonly referred to as the "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul", he helped to shape the sound of Motown and soul music in the 1960s and 1970s. A cultural icon, Gaye is often considered one of the greatest singers and songwriters of all time. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Gaye began his career being guided by Harvey Fuqua, who put him in his group, Harvey and the Moonglows, before Gaye ventured into a solo career at the beginning of the 1960s. Signing to Motown's Tamla subsidiary, he achieved stardom with a series of hit singles such as "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)", "Ain't That Peculiar" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and also earned success as a collaborative duet partner with several female artists, most notably, Diana Ross and Tammi Terrell, the latter of whom recorded the hits "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "You're All I Need to Get By". Following the successful release of his landmark album, What's Going On and its hit of the same name, in 1971, Gaye became one of the first Motown artists to break away from the reins of a production company, later producing the albums, Let's Get It On, I Want You and Here, My Dear. After a period as a tax exile in Europe from 1980 to 1981 and leaving Motown for Columbia Records in 1982, Gaye re-emerged that year with "Sexual Healing" and its album, Midnight Love, which became his most successful single and album respectively to date and performed a memorable rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game. The success of "Sexual Healing" led to Gaye winning an American Music Award and two Grammy Awards. On April 1, 1984, Gaye was shot and killed by his father, Marvin Gay Sr. at his parents' house in Western Heights, Los Angeles, on the eve of his 45th birthday. Gay Sr. later pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, receiving a six-year suspended sentence and five years of probation. In addition to 1960s soul music, Gaye also influenced 1970s soul music and his recordings of that era later influenced the R&B subgenres quiet storm and neo soul. Several of his hit singles and albums have made several best-of Rolling Stone lists, including its greatest albums and greatest songs of all time. In addition to the two Grammys and American Music Award, Gaye's accolades include the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and inductions into the NAACP Hall of Fame, National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

🤝 Collaborations (147)

Genius ↗

MusicBrainz credits combined with Genius song credits from top 15 tracks

Marvin Gaye has 147 credited collaborators on IMUDB — 18 featured, 9 producer, 2 writer, 21 production & engineering, 28 instrumentalists, 69 other. Active 1939–1984.

Sony Music Entertainment
publisher label copyright ©
7 tracks
Universal Music Group
publisher distributor copyright ©
5 tracks
Jack Ashford
percussion finger snaps congas
4 tracks
pgLang
publisher label copyright ©
4 tracks
Columbia Records
label copyright © phonographic copyright ℗
3 tracks
Eddie “Bongo” Brown
congas percussion bongos
3 tracks
Epic Records
copyright © phonographic copyright ℗ label
3 tracks
Interscope Records
label copyright © phonographic copyright ℗
3 tracks
Kendrick Lamar
executive producer video producer lyricist
3 tracks
Paul Riser
orchestration arranger strings arranger
3 tracks
RCA Records
label copyright © phonographic copyright ℗
3 tracks
Art Stewart
recording engineer
2 tracks
Cactus Jack Records
phonographic copyright ℗ label
2 tracks
Dave Free
executive producer video producer
2 tracks
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
strings orchestra
2 tracks
FCG Music
publisher
2 tracks
Gordon Banks
guitar background vocals
2 tracks
Grand Hustle Records
phonographic copyright ℗ label
2 tracks
Harvey Fuqua
mixing background vocals
2 tracks
Jackie Hicks
background vocals
2 tracks
James Jamerson
bass fender bass guitar
2 tracks
Jobete Music
publisher
2 tracks
Joe Messina
fender telecaster guitar
2 tracks
Kenneth Sands
mixing recording engineer
2 tracks
Kobalt Music
publisher
2 tracks
Louvain Demps
background vocals
2 tracks
Marlene Barrow
background vocals
2 tracks
MG III Music
publisher
2 tracks
MIKE DEAN
mixing mastering
2 tracks
Motown Records
copyright © phonographic copyright ℗
2 tracks
NMG Music
publisher
2 tracks
Oli Jacobs
mixing recording engineer
2 tracks
Ritz Writes Inc.
publisher
2 tracks
Sam Dew
lyricist additional vocals
2 tracks
Tamla Motown
label
2 tracks
Adam Newport-Berra
video director of photography
Alejandra LaPilusa
video wardrobe stylist
Andrew Dawson
recording engineer
Concrete Sound System
video sound designer
Consequence
featured artist
Cornell Brown
video executive producer
Dean Rosen
video executive producer
Def Jam Recordings
phonographic copyright ℗
Earl Van Dyke
hammond b-3 organ
Elgie Stover
background vocals
Eli Fontaine
alto saxophone
Ernie Watts
tenor saxophone
Evrard “Ev” Salomon
video 1st assistant director
FELA
video production company
GLC
featured artist
Ink
lyricist
Jack Antonoff
recording engineer
Jeremih
featured artist
Jess Mori
video wardrobe stylist
John Legend
additional vocals
Johnathan Turner
recording engineer
Johnny Griffith
wurlitzer electric piano
Karena Evans
video director
Laura Sisk
recording engineer
Lauren Nikrooz
video production designer
Lem Barney
background vocals
Mel Farr
background vocals
Michelle An
video commissioner
Plas Johnson
baritone saxophone
Rabeka Tunei
recording engineer
René Hall
orchestration
Sam Canter
video producer
Sam Sneak
featured artist
Steve Smith
recording engineer
Sunset Edit
video vfx department
SZA
lyricist
Taj Critchlow
video executive producer
Tatsuya Sato
recording engineer
Taylor McNeill
video wardrobe stylist
Tony Shepperd
recording engineer
William McMeekin
recording engineer
A Tribute to Marvin Gaye
tribute
Group
MB
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
0:00
Apple Music ↗
Anna Gordy Gaye
married
Person 1964–1977
MB
Carla Thomas
vocal supporting musician
Person
MB
Frankie Gaye
sibling
Person
MB
Glide Ensemble
vocal supporting musician
Choir
MB
Nona Gaye
parent
Person
MB

⭐ Known For

United album cover
United
▶ 10,714,673
What's Going On album cover
What's Going On
▶ 18,634,106
Let's Get It On album cover
Let's Get It On
▶ 6,786,999
Midnight Love album cover
Midnight Love
▶ 3,038,563
The Very Best of Marvin Gaye album cover
The Very Best of Marvin Gaye
▶ 2,471,972
In The Groove album cover
In The Groove
▶ 2,151,185
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