Marvin Gaye (; born
Marvin Pentz Gay Jr.; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American soul singer, songwriter, and musician. Gaye helped to shape the sound of
Motown in the
1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of hits, including
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) and
I Heard It Through the Grapevine, and duet recordings with
Mary Wells,
Kim Weston, and
Tammi Terrell, later earning the
titles Prince of Motown and
Prince of Soul.