Gaye's sister Jeanne once served as the foundation's chairperson.

She is also a part of the yet to be released documentary Marvin Gaye's sister made about her brother's life, My Brother Marvin.

Gaye and Stewart brought in several musicians and Gaye's friends and family ( mainly his brother Frankie, sister Zeola and girlfriend Janis Hunter ) to Gaye's recording studio complex, Marvin's Room.

The voice was later confirmed to be that of Gaye's baby sister Zeola.

Based on an autobiographical account of Gaye's moody behavior, it was also penned ( alongside William " Mickey " Stevenson ) during the time Gaye had just married Anna Gordy, the sister of Motown head Berry Gordy.

His attorney until his death, Curtis Shaw, said Gaye's Ostend period was " the best thing that ever happened to Marvin ".

Months following his death, Decker told Parade magazine that she had carried Gaye's unborn child and that she lived with Gaye at his parents ' house until, she said, family resentment caused Gaye to move her to an apartment in West Hollywood.

Gaye's vocal style changed in the late 1960s in which he was told to incorporate a sharper raspy voice especially in Norman Whitfield's recordings, which Gaye initially profoundly disliked, considered it out of his range, but said he was " into being produce-able ".

Gaye's first album, The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye, released in June 1961, failed to chart, however.

Gaye continued to tour into 1975 following Gaye's success in sold-out concert dates.

In March 1982, Motown and CBS Records negotiated for Gaye to be released from Motown, but didn't release the contents of their contract fearing a negative effect on Gaye's settlement to pay his creditors.

On March 31, 1984, Gaye and his parents were involved in an argument over misplaced business documents, which occurred in Gaye's bedroom.

When Gaye's father marched upstairs to argue with Gaye's mother, Gaye began physically dominating his father, shoving him, knocking him down and kicking him.

Only after Gaye's mother intervened and separated the two did Gaye retreat back to his room.

At approximately 11: 38 am, Gaye's father entered Gaye's room and shot at Gaye twice with a. 38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver.

Gaye's father stepped closer and shot Gaye again at point blank range at his shoulder before leaving the room.

Friends and some of Gaye's family members later contended that the gun was an act of " premeditated suicide " by Gaye, who had suffered from depression in the months leading up to his death.

Despite this, however, Gaye and Gordy maintained a relationship until Gaye's death in 1984.

A year following his death, Marion Barry, the then-mayor of Washington, D. C. declared April 2 ( Marvin's birthday ) as " Marvin Gaye Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund Day " in the city on a day after the anniversary of Gaye's death.

A year later, Gaye's mother founded the Marvin P. Gaye Jr. Memorial Foundation in dedication to her son to help those suffering from drug abuse and alcoholism ; however she died a day before the memorial was set to open in 1987.

Other artists such as Maxwell, Nas and Common adapted his early 1970s fashion style of wearing kufis and beanie skull caps and jean outfits which was also later appropriated by Eddie Murphy in his role as James " Thunder " Early in Dreamgirls, while Michael Jackson, who admitted Gaye was an influence on his music and once described his music as " ridiculous " in a good way, in 2001, allegedly was also influenced by Gaye's fashion style in the 1980s adapting the military-styled suits Gaye wore on his final concert tour.

Gaye's first recordings involving social commentary occurred a couple years before working on What's Going On, including " Abraham, Martin & John " and " The Onion Song ", two songs of which gave Gaye hit success in Europe where it charted mainly in the United Kingdom pop chart.

That year, the quartet began applying background vocals for emerging Motown star Marvin Gaye, singing on Gaye's first hit single, " Stubborn Kind of Fellow " After Mary Wells failed to make a scheduled recording session feigning a short illness, the Vels recorded what was initially a demo recording of " I'll Have to Let Him Go ".

James was friends with fellow Motown acts Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye, though his friendship with the latter artist was tested after James began dating Gaye's former wife, Janis Gaye.

Both Marvin Gaye and Valerie Simpson gave different stories on how the production of Terrell's and Gaye's third album together, Easy, was released.

Although the album was not as commercially successful as its predecessor was, it contained three high-charting singles, including the title track, " True Colors " which became Lauper's second song to hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, " Change of Heart " ( No. 3 ) and a cover of Marvin Gaye's " What's Going On " ( No. 12 ) followed.

His brother Frankie later recounted how Gaye's public performance at a school play when he was 11 encouraged him to pursue a singing career.

During his teen years, Gaye's relationship with his father further deteriorated and he often was kicked out of the house by his father for what he perceived was misbehavior.

Gaye's first top 40 pop song, " Hitch Hike ", was soon followed by his first top-10 hit single, " Pride & Joy ".

In 1964, he scored his first hit duets with singer Mary Wells including " Once Upon a Time ", which was later featured on the duo's album, Together, which became Gaye's first charted album.

" Other singles from the album included " Come Get to This ", which recalled Gaye's early Motown soul sound of the previous decade, while the suggestive " You Sure Love to Ball " reached modest success but was kept from being promoted by Motown due to its sexually explicit nature.

It was later determined during Gaye's autopsy that the singer had cocaine and PCP, or " angel dust " in his system at the time of his death.

Gaye's funeral was held on April 5 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park by over 10, 000 mourners.

Since Gaye's death, fans of the singer will crowd around Gaye's final residence where he was murdered to hold vigils on the day of his birthday.

Gaye's 1976 album, I Want You, was inspired by this relationship.

Gaye's last girlfriend at the time of his death was London native Deborah Decker.

When VH1 launched on January 1, 1985, Gaye's 1983 rendition of the national anthem was the very first video to be aired.

Growing up, as a child, Gaye's main influence was that of his minister father, something he would later acknowledge to biographer David Ritz and also in interviews he gave, often mentioning that his father's sermons left a big impression on him.

Holland further stated of Gaye's voice was " one of the sweetest and prettiest voices you ever wanted to hear.

Gordy was often the focal point of Gaye's early hits, including " Stubborn Kind of Fellow ", " Pride & Joy " and " You Are a Wonderful One ", the latter song released right around the time Gaye and Gordy married in April of 1964.

The group found modest success in the latter half of the 60s, often working as background singers for recordings by artists such as Jimmy Ruffin's " What Becomes of the Brokenhearted ", Stevie Wonder's " For Once In My Life " and " Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday ", David Ruffin " My Whole World Ended ( The Moment You Left Me )", Marvin Gaye's " Chained " and " Just to Keep You Satisfied ", Edwin Starr's " War " and " 25 Miles ", and many more.