Marvin Gaye

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Marvin Gaye (April 2, 1939 April 1, 1984) was a singer, songwriter, and record producer. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of hits, earning him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul". Gaye's Motown hits include "Ain't That Peculiar", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", and duet recordings with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Diana Ross, and Tammi Terrell. During the 1970s, he recorded the albums What's Going On and Let's Get It On and became one of the first artists in Motown, along with Stevie Wonder, to break away from the reins of a production company. On April 1, 1984, Gaye's father, Marvin Gay Sr., fatally shot him at their house in the West Adams district of Los Angeles. Since his death, many institutions have posthumously bestowed Gaye with awards and other honors including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and inductions into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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Tammi Terrell (born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery; April 29, 1945 March 16, 1970) best known as a star singer for Motown Records during the 1960s, most notably for a series of duets with singer Marvin Gaye. Terrell's career began as a teenager, first recording for Scepter/Wand Records, before spending nearly two years as a member of James Brown's Revue, recording for Brown's Try Me label. After a period attending college, Terrell recorded briefly for Checker Records, before signing with Motown in 1965. With Gaye, Terrell scored seven Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "You're All I Need to Get By". Terrell's career was interrupted when she collapsed into Gaye's arms as the two performed at a concert at HampdenSydney College on October 14, 1967, with Terrell later being diagnosed with a brain tumor. She had eight unsuccessful surgeries before succumbing to the illness on March 16, 1970 at the age of 24.

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FILE - In this Jan. 17, 1983 file photo, singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye, winner of Favorite Soul/R&B Single, "Sexual Healing," attends the American Music Awards in Los Angeles. The singer's family is seeking to stop the distribution of “Blurred Lines.” Gaye’s children filed a motion in court Tuesday, March 17, 2015, to prevent the copying, distributing and performing of the hit song featuring Pharrell, Robin Thicke and T.I. (AP Photo/Doug Pizac, File)

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Workers build the foundation for a new row house that when finished, will cover the recently painted Marvin Gaye mural in the Shaw Neighborhood, Washington, D.C., Tuesday, August 19, 2014. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

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Workers build the foundation for a new row house that when finished, will cover the recently painted Marvin Gaye mural in the Shaw Neighborhood, Washington, D.C., Tuesday, August 19, 2014. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

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Workers build the foundation for a new row house that when finished, will cover the recently painted Marvin Gaye mural in the Shaw Neighborhood, Washington, D.C., Tuesday, August 19, 2014. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

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In this Monday, Oct. 13, 1975, file photo, singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye, left, sits with United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim, right, and Shirley Temple Black, U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, at the United Nations. Gaye is donating proceeds from his Sunday performance "Salute to the U.N." to UNESCO for an African literacy campaign. Temple, who died at her home near San Francisco, Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, at 85, sang, danced, sobbed and grinned her way into the hearts of Depression-era moviegoers and remains the ultimate child star decades later. (AP Photo/File)

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Pedestrians walk past a mural depicting Marvin Gaye in Shaw as morning snow falls, closing the Federal Government and area schools, Washington, D.C., Tuesday, December 10, 2013. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

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The newly renovated Howard Theatre opened a year ago bringing back memories of Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross who all played the club when it was a premier entertainment destination. Its amateur night gave young talents such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billy Eckstine their big breaks.

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Those who frequented the Howard Theatre back in the day are impressed with the newly renovated space. Stars including Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross once performed at the club, which many residents remember cutting school for to see the shows. The theater will now offer a full-scale kitchen, bar and, of course, live acts. (Barbara L. Sallisbury/The Washington Times)