Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Marvin Gaye Quiz

Answer: Washington D.C.

Marvin Gaye was born April 2, 1939. His father was a very strict minister in the House of God, a religion that mixed ideologies of Judaism and Pentecostalism. This religion does not celebrate any holidays. His name at birth was Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. He later added the "e" to the end of his name.

Answer: Drums

Gaye started playing the drums at an early age in his church and used that talent to get a job at Motown backing up some greats such as Smoky Robinson and the Miracles and the Marvelettes.

Answer: "Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas

Marvin Gaye wrote or co-wrote many songs for other artists. At Motown, he penned 39 Top 40 hits for other artists.

Answer: Tammi Terrell

Gaye and Terrell were an incredible duo. There voices supported one another quite well. Unfortunately, Terrell collapsed onstage in 1967 after a performance due to the onset of a brain tumor. She died in 1970, an event that traumatized Gaye for the rest of his life. He remarked that "a part of me died with Tammi" and he was never quite the same afterwards.

Answer: Bo Diddley

After the song "Wyatt Earp" was released, Harvey Fuqua hired The Marquees and changed their name to The Moonglows to be his backing band. After the band split, Fuqua left for Detroit with his girlfriend, a young lady named Gwen Gordy. Marvin decided to follow them to Detroit. Gwen Gordy had a brother who was putting together a new record label called Motown and he was looking for some acts. Gwen introduced Marvin to her brother, Berry Gordy, and the marriage between Marvin Gaye and Motown was formed.

Answer: Anna

Berry Gordy introduced Marvin Gaye to his younger sister, Anna, and they quickly fell in love and married in 1961. Shortly thereafter, Marvin had his first hit titled "Stubborn Kind of Fellow". This was his fourth single released, but the first to garner any radio airplay.

Answer: Midnight Love

"Midnight Love" released in 1982 was the first release for Gaye on the Columbia record label. At the time, "Sexual Healing" had the longest consecutive run at number one on the R&B singles charts ever (ten weeks).
One interesting note, the album "Here, My Dear" was released in an effort to make royalties to pay back alimony to his ex-wife, Anna Gordy, thus the title.

Answer: Gladys Knight and the Pips

Gladys Knight and the Pips reached number two in the US on the Billboard singles chart on December 1, 1967. Exactly one year later, Gaye's version of the song reached number one on the same chart. Gaye's version of the song was found on the compilation album by the same name of the song released on New Year's Day, 1968.

Answer: The Commodores

This song paid tribute to both Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. The world was shocked by the circumstances surrounding Marvin's death on April 1, 1984. Gaye was shot to death by his own father after a heated argument involving money.

Answer: False

Marvin was actually enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's second induction year of 1987. The charter class included ten artists and groups including Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard.