Marvin Gaye's original passport! Full story here:-

 

https://www.eurweb.com/2014/02/marvin-gayes-1964-passport-found-inside-an-album-bought-for-50-cents/

 

Ian D 

Marvin Gaye's original passport! Full story here:-

 

https://www.eurweb.com/2014/02/marvin-gayes-1964-passport-found-inside-an-album-bought-for-50-cents/

 

Ian D 

 

Great story.  Being told to insure it for $20k would have made the guy's day.

If that passport was found in Nottingham there would be a

few credit cards floating about in the name of Marvin Gaye

Brilliant, thanks for sharing.

I'm a tad cynical about this though.

Ian. Hope your well.

Thats a brill story, what a find and how ironic that the guy used to work for the motown museum.

 

Steve

suprised to see his name spelling- g a y e, I read it was actually, G a y, assuming he changed it by deed poll by 64.   

suprised to see his name spelling- g a y e, I read it was actually, G a y, assuming he changed it by deed poll by 64.

Good point, but the report states:

"The thing I’m in love with is how young he is here,” Wooley says on Monday’s episode. “This is dated 1964, which is great, and it is after he added the “E” to the end of his name, because when he was signed as a solo artist with Motown, he decided to add that “E,” and there’s a lot of different theories: people say it’s because he wanted to separate himself from his father or because he actually liked Sam Cooke so much, who had an “E” at the end of his name, that he wanted to imitate his idol.”

You think someone wouldn't be able to feel a passport in an lp sleeve?

Thanks for posting.

suprised to see his name spelling- g a y e, I read it was actually, G a y, assuming he changed it by deed poll by 64.   

 

He changed it (added the e) because of the implication of being "Gay". This was when appointed at motown but before his first release.

 

Regards

He changed it (added the e) because of the implication of being "Gay". This was when appointed at motown but before his first release.

 

Regards

thanks for clearing that up, wasn't sure when it happened

After a bit of digging...according to Marvin's biographer and long-time friend, David Ritz, the adding of the "E" was three-fold:

 

1. To distance himself from his father, as his home life consisted of brutal whippings at the hands of his father, who struck him for any shortcoming. The younger Marvin described living under his father's house as similar to "living with a king, a very peculiar, changeable, cruel and all powerful king." He further stated that had his mother not encouraged his singing, he would have been a child suicide case. His sister later explained that Marvin was beaten often, from age seven well into his teenage years.

2. To avoid any jokes about his name/sexuality.

3. To follow one of his favourite singers, Sam Cooke.

Going off on a tangent...I once received an email from a studio owner in South Africa, who was trying to track down Eddie Singleton (Shrine etc).

He sent me a colour scan of Eddie's passport details page to check it was the same guy...I kid you not!

 

Going off on a tangent...I once received an email from a studio owner in South Africa, who was trying to track down Eddie Singleton (Shrine etc).

He sent me a colour scan of Eddie's passport details page to check it was the same guy...I kid you not!

 

Eddie - South Africa, but why you may ask

Heres a link but its a bit sad but well worth reading 

 

 

Barbara Randolph was one of my favourite Motown girls, She was so tall, elegant, and fabulous, full of charm and poise and grace. She was married to Eddie Singleton, former A&R executive at Motown in the 1960s. Eddie's first wife had been Berry Gordy's ex-wife, Raynoma Gordy, also known as Miss Ray, who ran off with Eddie and together they formed Shrine Records, which, supposedly, got blacklisted by every radio station in the USA, out of their loyalty to Motown. Eddie married Barbara, but had the amazing situation of Raynoma still living in their house. Barbara's biggest Motown classic was "I Got A Feeling", a true anthem, and in fact only recently, Motown put out an entire CD of her work there, including many unreleased recordings. Her version of "Baby Don't You Do It" has to be heard to be believed. After Motown, she acted in a couple of films, recorded for Eddie's label Tarca, and then signed to Motorcity, where we did an entire album called "Breaking Into My Heart". This song, "Mister Wonderful", was written by Sylvia Moy and myself, about her love for Eddie, and indeed she sings it straight to him as she records it, captured on this amazing video for posterity. Years later, she suddenly and without warning left Eddie, and told him she'd fallen out of love with him, something he couldn't come to terms with, so he moved to South Africa. It transpired that she knew she was wasting away from Cancer, and didn't want him to see her die slowly, so she left him, and lied to him, just to spare him the agony, and he only found this out after her death. Knowing this tragedy makes this video so poignant, and knowing how deeply they loved each other really brought tears to my eyes. She was lovely, and is much missed.

Edited February 13, 201411 yr by Mick Boyle