Source: Angela Deane-Drummond / Getty
legacy is still being felt to this day. Today, April 2, he is being celebrated for his everlasting greatness.
Today (Apr.2), on what would be the legendary singer/ songwriter and producer’s 82nd birthday, Twitter remembers him. Before he was tragically shot and killed on April 1, 1984, by his father Marvin Gay Sr, during a heated argument just one day before his birthday, Gaye gave the world timeless records that are still being enjoyed today.
Songs like “Distant Lover,” “Sexual Healing,” “Mercy, Mercy, Me,” and of course “What’s Going On,” which lived on his 1971 album of the same name and honestly is still relevant till this day as Black people around the globe, especially in America fight for social justice.
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Gaye’s soulful rendition of the
polarizing national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, took the song to another level because when it came to performing it, the performances were usually very straightforward.
Describing what led up to it, Lon Rosen, who was at the time the director of promotions for the Los Angeles Lakers who hosted the NBA’s celebration of its superstars, said rehearsal for the live performance was “bumpy.”
At the time, Gaye was battling serious drug addiction and was running late, but when the lights dimmed, and it was time to perform, Gaye didn’t miss a note.
Marvin Gaye was taken from the world tragically, but he will be with us forever, thanks to his musical contributions. You can see more reactions to it being Gaye’s birthday in the gallery below.
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Photo: Angela Deane-Drummond / Getty
