Happy Birthday Marvin Gaye: 5 Memorable Live Performances

Today would have been masterful soul singer Marvin Gaye’s 81st birthday had he not been tragically shot and killed by his father one day shy of his 45th birthday in April 1984. The legend of Motown Records left an enduring legacy of some of the best and most recognizable performances in music history despite his abbreviated career.

The man behind such seminal American R&B recordings as “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,” “Let’s Get It On” and the groundbreaking 1971 LP What’s Going On, was a force to be reckoned with and the epitome of a timeless voice. In celebration the renowned singer’s birthday today here’s a look at some of his most memorable live appearances.

Gaye performed “The Star Spangled Banner” before the 1983 NBA All-Star Game at The Forum in Los Angeles. One of the most memorable renditions of the anthem, Gaye had the crowd swaying and clapping along by the end of song.

In 1980 Gaye appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Perhaps the most well-known song in his canon, this video of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” was recorded live at Montreux Casino on July 7.

This cut of “What’s Going On” was filmed during Gaye’s 1976 European tour. Sporting an iconic green tuxedo, the clip comes from October 10 at Jaap Edenhal in Amsterdam.

Gaye was a performer in 1983 at the Grammy Awards show. The tuxedo-wearing vocalist belted out one of his most sensual hits, “Sexual Healing,” before an audience on their feet from the first note.

This clip comes from Gaye’s standout concert held on January 4, 1974 at the Oakland Coliseum in California. Check out a grooving performance of “Inner City Blues” from the famed show.

[Originally Published: April 2, 2017]