Just read Janis Gayes autobiography.....

[nomis]

I thought it was brutally honest..candid..it saddens me that male musicians i respect and admire could sexually pass women around to each other in the way detailed in the book I know this way the way things happened "at that time"..but that dosent make it right..at least twice a week I listen to "Whats Goin On" album..i think its the greatest album ever made..period..the devil took that beautiful man..his bizarre father destroyed him early in life and thru drugs the devil claimed him...If I could meet Janis i would hug her for the longest time..shes a survivor.a mother wife and her battle against Robin thickes intellectual property theft was just cause..Marvin's love for her shines thru on "I want you" album..I hope she takes solace that she met Marvin at his peak when his art,soul,message and his spirit shone so brightly..amen

[midnightman]

I came off that same way. Still a huge fan of Marvin but he treated Janis WRONG. Obviously his childhood affected how he became as an adult and Janis beautifully expressed that. Marvin's definitely not the only male idol who suffered from that [[David Ruffin is the closest Motown idol to relate to Marvin's issues, with the abusive father, the ego, religious struggles, treating their loved ones wrong, etc.). Marvin was also very troubled and confused [[I definitely think he struggled with his sexuality by being overly aggressive when those closest to him say he was very sensitive but you can tell he tried to fight that). Marvin was a genius artist/performer but obviously a "trouble man". Also he admitted his faults himself. He was never happy. All that abuse would depress someone for the rest of their lives. It was one of the best biographies to focus on a Motown artist I've ever read.

[marv2]

There are still a lot that has not been told and I sure it never will...............at least in book form.

[midnightman]

IDK, with Marvin, I think most had been told, well I do want more of his good side lol

Like I said, very complex. The chapter where Janis discussed Marvin singing "The Lord's Prayer" in front of a group of children in Kentucky was touching.

[nomis]

nah Marv..I dont wanna know anymore..its so dark,twisted,evil the path he went down..theres a song by new zealand hip hop artist Che Fu called "Random"..the lyrics have always struck a chord with me - "Media or hearsay..at some point they will always judge you...family and friends say nothing..their loyal..they keep it to themselves..they say nothing"..thats the beautiful [[one of so many) of the samoan culture - we are a village we protect each other..problems are solved with just a quiet word in the right ear...the advancment of the polynesian culture and tribe is a union we all share..New zealand as a country live and breath soul/funk/rnb & hip hop we identify with the african american struggle..and as for marvins sexuality -he was a closet cross dresser..it was a fetish that was aroused in those final dark years stimulated by the drug abuse..now i dont know if it was gentetic from his father..but Marvin was hetrosexual..many hetrosexual men have fantasies of dressing in womens clothes in private..its not a subject discussed or really documented..and yes janis did wrong things..money drugs and fame fuck up so many..the list is endless the final years of Judy garlands drug abuse can match Marvins hell in spades..I could tell you Garland tales that would stop you sleeping at night but why fixate on the negativity when the legacy of their art transcends...

[marv2]

IDK, with Marvin, I think most had been told, well I do want more of his good side lol

Like I said, very complex. The chapter where Janis discussed Marvin singing "The Lord's Prayer" in front of a group of children in Kentucky was touching.

Uh, uh you need to hang out in Detroit for a while. The old-timers could fill your ears up with things that even made my jaw drop. LOL! I remember I was getting my haircut back in the mid-80s and my ex-girlfriend's uncle walked in . Somewhere in the normal barber shop discussions Marvin came up. He had just died like a year before. The way they told the stories were very matter of factually ; like oh everyone knows or remembers when certain things occurred. The things they spoke about I know have never been written in any books.

[nomis]

amen Marv so so much of Motown has never been told there is scant written history on Florence years after 1967..the benjamin interviews and the Jet cover...time is running out we are all getting older..fact..if i was in Detroit i would be running everywhere with a tape recorder to document..document

[marv2]

amen Marv so so much of Motown has never been told there is scant written history on Florence years after 1967..the benjamin interviews and the Jet cover...time is running out we are all getting older..fact..if i was in Detroit i would be running everywhere with a tape recorder to document..document

Yes, you are right. Maxine has passed on. Florence did quite a bit after 1967 including being featured in the Bud Billiken Day Parade in Chicago, opening for Bill Cosby, singing at one of Nixon's Inaugural Balls, appearing on "Swingin' Time" television program, even having some her singles charting on local radio stations like WKLR in Toledo. There's more that has not been documented in the mass media, but local and regional newspapers in the African American community reported on Florence regularly after 1967. Jet was the magazine that ran the cover story of Florence being on welfare almost exactly one year before she died. The Detroit Free was first, but Jet was the first nationally.

[detmotownguy]

There are still a lot that has not been told and I sure it never will...............at least in book form.

Hi Marv,
I agree with you, but wonder if enough has already been said esp w Marvin. In my early 20's I interned at one of the Detroit untility companies I got to know a couple of ladies who were secretaties at Motown and learned more info than I needed to know. I think you what I am talking.... we have discussed this before. I struggle at where to draw the line so not to diminiss the value of the artists legacy of their contributions to music. IMO Marvin was genius.

[sansradio]

I, too, finished this book this summer and came away feeling much as you do, nomis. Marvin was a deeply troubled and flawed man who nonetheless changed the sound of American culture. Kudos to Janis for her courage. My only quibble is that I wish the book would have not ended so abruptly at his death; I would have liked to have read what life has been like for her and the family in the ensuing decades from her perspective. Still a must read.

[marv2]

Hi Marv,
I agree with you, but wonder if enough has already been said esp w Marvin. In my early 20's I interned at one of the Detroit untility companies I got to know a couple of ladies who were secretaties at Motown and learned more info than I needed to know. I think you what I am talking.... we have discussed this before. I struggle at where to draw the line so not to diminiss the value of the artists legacy of their contributions to music. IMO Marvin was genius.

You see DET you know what I mean. There are so many people still in and Detroit that had interaction with the Motown stars, some good, some bad. Yep, there are things
I will never say on this forum just out of respect. All the Motown women had the hots for Marvin Gaye. They liked Smokey a lot too...........LOL! Marvin was very complex. He was a genius in my opinion.

[marv2]

I, too, finished this book this summer and came away feeling much as you do, nomis. Marvin was a deeply troubled and flawed man who nonetheless changed the sound of American culture. Kudos to Janis for her courage. My only quibble is that I wish the book would have not ended so abruptly at his death; I would have liked to have read what life has been like for her and the family in the ensuing decades from her perspective. Still a must read.

Had Anna wrote a book, it would have been entirely different.

[midnightman]

Uh, uh you need to hang out in Detroit for a while. The old-timers could fill your ears up with things that even made my jaw drop. LOL! I remember I was getting my haircut back in the mid-80s and my ex-girlfriend's uncle walked in . Somewhere in the normal barber shop discussions Marvin came up. He had just died like a year before. The way they told the stories were very matter of factually ; like oh everyone knows or remembers when certain things occurred. The things they spoke about I know have never been written in any books.

Interesting... but not surprising tbh.

[midnightman]

You see DET you know what I mean. There are so many people still in and Detroit that had interaction with the Motown stars, some good, some bad. Yep, there are things
I will never say on this forum just out of respect. All the Motown women had the hots for Marvin Gaye. They liked Smokey a lot too...........LOL! Marvin was very complex. He was a genius in my opinion.

Well that was well known lmao [[that Marvin was a heartthrob to the Motown women, but women outside Motown too). I think Raynoma said that while women were swooning over Harvey Fuqua, they fell out over Marvin [[like you see those cartoons where the girl birds are screaming when the Sinatra "bird" was singing, that's how it was with Marvin allegedly lmao). And yes, Marvin is a genius.

[marv2]

Interesting... but not surprising tbh.

I was about to burst open with some of the things people had told me. But I know better than to share some things out of respect for the individuals.

[marv2]

Here's an example of the type of person Marvin Gaye was. After the taping of "Motown 25", he called Kat [[Katherine Anderson Schaffner ) of the Marvelettes to ask her why they weren't there? Kat told him that they were not invited. Marvin was enraged upon hearing that.

[TomatoTom123]

Here's an example of the type of person Marvin Gaye was. After the taping of "Motown 25", he called Kat [[Katherine Anderson Schaffner ) of the Marvelettes to ask her why they weren't there? Kat told him that they were not invited. Marvin was enraged upon hearing that.

Thank you, Marv! That's fascinating. And I'm glad to know that was the kind of person Marvin was. [[I am also enraged that she wasn't there, she's a goddamn Marvelette!!!)

[midnightman]

Here's an example of the type of person Marvin Gaye was. After the taping of "Motown 25", he called Kat [[Katherine Anderson Schaffner ) of the Marvelettes to ask her why they weren't there? Kat told him that they were not invited. Marvin was enraged upon hearing that.

Marvin was definitely a gentleman and he definitely cared about the Motown artists. He also defended Shorty Long when Motown wasn't properly promoting him.

[dvus7]

Here's an example of the type of person Marvin Gaye was. After the taping of "Motown 25", he called Kat [[Katherine Anderson Schaffner ) of the Marvelettes to ask her why they weren't there? Kat told him that they were not invited. Marvin was enraged upon hearing that.

We are all aware of who was responsible for that.......ms. depasse!!!!

[arr&bee]

Ho hum another book!!!

[splanky]

Ho hum another book!!!

I guess reading is not your thing, Jai. O well, to each it's own. Some people watch television...
Anyway, I read Janis's book when it first came out and was glad she got her own chance to tell her side of the story. She certainly deserved it. I, as I've said before read bios and auto-
bios all the time. Especially of musical figures. Anyone who does so would best be prepared
to learn something that may portray your subject in a different light, may upset, offend or
even disgust you. The thing about celebrity culture is that most of us, world wide, have a
tendency to not just idolize but in some cases almost deify a person just because they can
sing so pretty, dance so hot or make a guitar talk. It spreads even to sports, my own brother
looked at Michael Jordan as a God but in the end had to realise the dude's only a man,
only human as we all are. None of what I've learned from biographies of James Brown,Marvin White, Curtis Mayfield,Miles Davis, John Coltrane, or Marvin Gaye have taken
away what their music have given me and never will...Maybe, that's just me...

[Ollie9]

An intelligent and interesting posting splanky. This book would probably have passed me had i not read other fans opinion of it. This is when forums such as Soulful Detroit really come come into their own. As such i ordered a copy of After The Dance yesterday.

[midnightman]

The funny thing was when I read David Ritz's bio on him, instead of turning me off him [[especially with his struggles with his sexuality and being negative when he was obviously taught that showing sensitivity was "weak"), it made me feel sorry for him. There were times I was angry with him, but it made me love his music even more. Janis' book didn't change my opinion. Hell, the fact that Marvin was a fan of SYLVESTER was enough for me to think this book was that good. I learned even more of Marvin giving advice to Michael, how "Ego Tripping Out" was supposedly a diss record to Teddy Pendergrass but because he was so screwed up, he turned it to be about himself [[because he didn't have it in his heart to outright diss anyone, even Anna and Berry). Reading about Marvin's final years, his label should've known his relationship with fame was toxic but I guess money won over heart. :/

Hopefully Marvin has found his peace at last.

[arr&bee]

i guess reading is not your thing, jai. O well, to each it's own. Some people watch television...
Anyway, i read janis's book when it first came out and was glad she got her own chance to tell her side of the story. She certainly deserved it. I, as i've said before read bios and auto-
bios all the time. Especially of musical figures. Anyone who does so would best be prepared
to learn something that may portray your subject in a different light, may upset, offend or
even disgust you. The thing about celebrity culture is that most of us, world wide, have a
tendency to not just idolize but in some cases almost deify a person just because they can
sing so pretty, dance so hot or make a guitar talk. It spreads even to sports, my own brother
looked at michael jordan as a god but in the end had to realise the dude's only a man,
only human as we all are. None of what i've learned from biographies of james brown,marvin white, curtis mayfield,miles davis, john coltrane, or marvin gaye have taken
away what their music have given me and never will...maybe, that's just me...

actually reading is my thing,i just wonder about the timing,for me david ritz book was good enough,ex-wives,sisters,brother-uncles-aunt-cats-dogs..everybody wants apiece of the pie,sometimes one book is enough.