One Of Soul's Most Beautiful Voices Belonged To A Singer Who Nearly Quit Music

Marvin Gaye might not have been as consistent a chart presence for Motown in the '60s like his contemporaries in the Temptations, the Supremes and the long-running Four Tops. But the singer brought an undeniable grace and charm to the label, singing on 11 U.S. Top 10 hits in the '60s, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," one of the decade's most beloved covers. He also co-wrote one of Motown's defining party anthems, "Dancing In the Street," which came together almost by accident.

Gaye hit an incredible critical and commercial streak in the '70s with a string of acclaimed conceptual albums like "What's Going On," "Let's Get It On," and "I Want You," which tackled deep themes in their grooves while spinning off even bigger radio hits. What made this era even more fascinating is that it followed a crossroads moment in which Gaye seriously considered leaving the music business altogether. Struck by personal tragedy and deep depression, he may have embarked on a very different career before thinking twice and recording some of Motown's best work.

During Motown's first decade, Marvin Gaye wasn't just the balladeer behind favorites like "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)," "I'll Be Doggone," and "Ain't That Peculiar." In 1967, Gaye was paired with Tammi Terrell, a Philadelphia-born singer who'd toured with James Brown, for a series of duets. Their songs, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," and "You're All I Need to Get By," dominated the pop charts in 1967 and 1968. 

Gaye was delighted to work with Terrell. "What we chiefly accomplished was to create two characters — two lovers that might have been in a play or a novel — and let them sing to each other," Gaye told David Ritz (as reported in the liner notes to the Gaye-Terrell compilation "The Complete Duets"). "It was an escape for me."

Sadly, the magic proved to be short-lived. After Terrell collapsed into Gaye's arms during a 1967 concert, doctors discovered a serious brain tumor. She died in 1970, only 24 years old. Her family was reportedly on the outs with everyone at Motown at the time of her death — except Gaye, who delivered a eulogy at her funeral.

Tammi Terrell's death nearly broke Marvin Gaye, who abandoned the stage for several years afterward. "In my heart, I could no longer pretend to sing love songs for people," he told Ritz in the book "Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye." "When Tammi became ill, I refused to sing in public."

Gaye's recorded output was about to change. He began work on a single, "What's Going On," inspired in part by the uncertainties of the world at large — from the race riots that had gripped Motown's hometown of Detroit to the horrors his brother Frankie witnessed serving in the Vietnam War. After Gaye recruited friends Mel Farr and Lem Barney, who played football for the Detroit Lions, to record background voices for the track, he began to form an unusual plan for the next phase of his career, convincing the Lions leadership to let him try out for the team. The catch? He'd never played before. "I assumed [he'd at least] played in high school," then-head coach Joe Schmidt later told ESPN. "But it was kind of funny and kind of neat at the same time."

The Lions did not move forward with Gaye after his tryout, but the singer bore no hard feelings. And while "What's Going On" baffled Motown founder Berry Gordy when it was submitted in 1970, the song soared to No. 2 on the pop charts, enabling him to start a fresh new musical chapter.