Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (né Gay; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. Commonly referred to as the "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul", he helped to shape the sound of Motown and soul music in the 1960s. A cultural icon, Gaye is often considered one of the greatest singers and songwriters of all time.
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Gaye began his career being guided by Harvey Fuqua, who put him in his group, Harvey and the Moonglows, before Gaye ventured into a solo career at the beginning of the 1960s. Signing to Motown's Tamla subsidiary, he achieved stardom with a series of hit singles such as "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)", "Ain't That Peculiar" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and also earned success as a collaborative duet partner with several female artists, most notably, Diana Ross and Tammi Terrell, the latter of whom he recorded the hits "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "You're All I Need to Get By".