" Bowman cites Gaye's multi-tracking of his tenor voice and other vocal styles " summon up what might be termed the ancient art of weaving ".

While in Memphis in June 1968, Burke worked at the Sun Studios with Tamiko Jones ( born 1945 in Kyle, West Virginia, who was later both his manager and fiancée, on her album I'll Be Anything for You ( A & M SP3011 ), arranging several songs, including his own composition, " Suddenly "; singing duets with Jones on her cover of The Temptations ' " Please Return Your Love To Me " and Marvin Gaye's " Try It Baby "; and providing a vocal on " There's Got To Be A Better Way.

Terrell recorded her vocals alone with producers Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol, who added Gaye's vocal at a later date.

Additional vocals, later added to Gaye's deluxe edition re-issue of I Want You, showcase two different lead vocal takes by Marvin.

The songs showcased Gaye's vocal and musical growth, as he headed into a crossroads in his music career.

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.

" Along with Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Stevie Wonder's Innervisions, this album ushered in a new socially conscious, funky style of popular soul music.

By the late forties, Gaye's father split from the House of God and joined the newly-formed House of the Living God, but later rejoined the original House of God and headed its Board of Apostles by the early fifties.

It became one of Gaye's signature 1960s recordings, and was his best-known solo hit before 1968's " I Heard It Through the Grapevine ".

In terms of chart success, " Too Busy Thinking About My Baby " was Gaye's second biggest hit of the 1960s, after " I Heard It Through the Grapevine ".

Gaye's jazz ambitions continued after the album's release, throughout the 1960s, he recorded three more albums featuring jazz covers, which didn't go well with audiences used to the singer's grittier R & B work during the sixties.

' Forever Changes ' unlocked a new musical palette for African American musicians to utilize, which paved the way for future song cycles like Marvin Gaye's ' What's Going On ' and Sly Stone's ' There's a Riot Going On ,' classics by other African Americans that also chronicled the increasingly despondent state of the American dream.

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.

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.

In October 1968, Gaye's recording of " I Heard It Through the Grapevine ", which became Gaye's first to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and also reached the top of the charts in other countries, selling well over a million copies.

" 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.

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

Gaye's music has also been used in numerous film soundtracks including Four Brothers, which frequently played Gaye's music from his Trouble Man soundtrack.

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.

The same lineup played on 1985's Sportin ' Life album, which included a cover of Marvin Gaye's " What's Going On " and appearances by Bobby McFerrin and Carl Anderson.

According to Marvin Gaye's relatives, it was one of the few times in which father and son's relationship wasn't so troubling.

In addition, Gaye's classic album What's Going On, an introspective, low-key work which dealt with mature themes released in 1971, was in part a reaction to Terrell's death.

The 1985 Levi's commercial, " Launderette ", featuring male model Nick Kamen, used unknown session musicians to recreate the sound of the Marvin Gaye original, prompting Tamla-Motown to re-release Gaye's single which then went to number eight on the UK Singles chart, marking its second chart performance.

Among its highlights were Michael Jackson's performance of " Billie Jean " ( which contained his first recorded moonwalk ), Linda Ronstadt duetting with Smokey Robinson, a Temptations / Four Tops " battle of the bands ", Marvin Gaye's inspired speech about black music history and his memorable performance of " What's Going On ", a Jackson 5 reunion, and an abbreviated reunion of Diana Ross & the Supremes, who performed their final # 1 hit, " Someday We'll Be Together " from 1969.

Motown struggled to get Gaye in the studio as Gaye focused on work on an album ( which would later be released as Here, My Dear, dedicated to Gaye's troubled first marriage ).

After nearly five minutes, Gaye's vocals appear in a falsetto, which he sangs in for most of the song.

Before, Gaye had modest success with two singles-" Save the Children " ( which was released as a double-A side with Gaye's 1966 recording, " Little Darling ( I Need You )") in 1971 and " Let's Get It On " in 1973 ( which peaked at number 31 on the UK chart ).

Whitfield produced Gaye's version as well, which featured background vocals by The Andantes.

They included his biggest success, " Dancing in the Street ", which he co-wrote with Hunter and Marvin Gaye ; " It Takes Two " ( Gaye and Weston ), " Ask the Lonely " for the Four Tops, Jimmy Ruffin's " What Becomes of the Brokenhearted ", " My Baby Loves Me " ( Martha & The Vandellas ), " Uptight ( Everything's Alright )" for Stevie Wonder and Gaye's " Stubborn Kind of Fellow ".

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.

" Gaye's sister Jeanne said Gaye was beaten often between age seven well into his teenage years.

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 ".

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.