Marvin Gaye Substance Abuse

The song was motivated by acts of police brutality against blacks that Marvin

Gaye had personally witnessed. Initially, the record company refused to release the record, but strong protests from Gaye resulted in its release. The haunting record was a smashing hit – reaching the top of the charts and selling two mil- lion copies . This was followed by two more top hits – “Mercy Me” and “Inner

City Blues.” These records had a profound message that resonated throughout the country and enhanced Marvin Gaye’s reputation beyond the world of pop music. As a result, Gaye received the Grammy Award plus recognition from the

NAACP.

In the late 1970s, Marvin Gaye developed a serious addiction to cocaine. He moved to Europe to cope with his addiction

Hampered by drug dependency problems, his career went into decline. Tragically in 1984, Gaye was visiting his parents in California when an argument ensued with his father. Be- coming enraged for reasons unclear, Gaye’s father shot him at point blank range. Marvin Gaye died in a California hospital at the relatively young age of forty-five. Marvin Gaye had a wide vocal range. He actually had three distinct voices: a smooth tenor, a growling rasp, and an unreal falsetto. Critics said it was the sweetest voice ever heard. In addition to his versatile voice, Marvin Gaye was a maverick in the genre of social and racial commentary. During the 1960s, Mo- town artists were told not to delve into political and social criticism of America.

But the racial injustices of that era moved Marvin Gaye to express these themes in his songs – especially in “What’s Going On” which has endured well beyond the 1960s and

Tom’s a good guy. He’s helped me to fix up a home for down-and-out folks – many of them Korean and Vietnam

War veterans,” Amon asserted, eye-balling the bully intently.

“Were you in ‘Nam?” Wayne asked, sensing that Amon was no pushover.

“Have you heard of the Ia Drang Valley?”

Wayne’s demeanor towards Amon changed as he leaned towards him, rapt with attention. “I was with a battalion from the First Cavalry Division. We were trying to flush out the Viet Cong who had been taking potshots at us for about a week. They were good at hit and run attacks – looking to catch us off guard,” Amon said.

“Yeah, those sons of bitches could hide in the underbrush five feet away. Then, they’d jump out and fire at you from point blank range,” Wayne yelled, attrac- ting the attention of the bar patrons nearby.

“As we were moving through the dense underbrush of the Drang River, I told my sergeant to slow down because I felt the enemy’s presence around us. But he disregarded my warning and we marched straight into a Viet Cong ambush. The sergeant and several of my buddies were shot dead within seconds. I got hit in the shoulder,” Amon related, showing Wayne and Tom a gaping hole in his left