Marvin Gaye, My Brother

Marvin Gaye, My Brother

(Book). Marvin Gaye's life and brilliant career were cut tragically short on April 1, 1984 one day before his 45th birthday when he was shot and killed by his own father. Now, for the first time ever, Marvin Gaye's story is told in intimate detail by a member of his own family. Frankie and Marvin Gaye were close from childhood until Marvin's death. Frankie was at Marvin's side when he died, and only Frankie heard his deathbed confession. Full of never-before-told personal anecdotes, this book takes you behind the scenes from Marvin's childhood, through his spectacular success at Motown and then Columbia, his stormy relationships with women, and finally to his descent into drugs and despair. The true story of the man behind the beloved music is now available to fans old and new. Includes great photos throughout, a helpful index, and a timeline of important events in Marvin's life.From Publishers WeeklyThis posthumous memoir (Frankie Gaye died of a heart attack in 2001), reconstructed from a year of interviews with collaborator Basten, presents the tragic, tumultuous career of Motown singer Marvin Gaye from his younger brother's perspective. Bookended by the sorrowful scene of Marvin's violent death, the story moves from the brothers' tough childhood, dominated by a stern, God-fearing father, through Marvin's rise to fame and into his paranoid, drug-fueled dissolution. Through it all, brother Frankie watches from the wings, offering support and solace, and joining in the party when the times are good. Due to their close physical resemblance, Frankie appears with Marvin onstage at times to confuse the crowd. Perhaps most importantly, both for Frankie and Marvin, Frankie's experience in Vietnam colors Marvin's increasingly politicized art in the 60s. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Marvin, my brother, the star, was so inspired by me that he had written a song about me-for me-a song about the frustrations of a returning Vietnam vet, a song that was so personal and heartfelt I started to cry, Frankie says. The song was What's Happening, Brother, on the landmark What's Goin' On. With great affection for his deeply flawed family-his father's religious zealotry, his brother's rebellious self-destruction-Frankie himself emerges as a sensitive, cautious peacekeeper and witness, a paradigmatic younger brother to one of music's great voices. 30 b&w photos.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.