Frankie Gaye (born Frances Gay; November 15, 1941 – December 30, 2001) was an American recording artist and the brother of fellow recording artist

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

. Gaye's recollections of his tenure in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

inspired Marvin's song "

What's Happening, Brother ''What's Going On'' is the eleventh studio album by American Soul music, soul singer Marvin Gaye. It was released on May 21, 1971, by the Motown Records subsidiary label Tamla. Recorded between 1970 and 1971 in sessions at Hitsville U.S.A., Gold ...

," from the album '' What's Going On''.

Early life

Gaye was born in Washington, D.C., the third of four children born to Alberta Williams and Marvin Gay, Sr. in 1941. Both Frankie and elder brother Marvin sang, first in church and then with local

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

groups. Frankie had several jobs in Washington, D.C. before answering

the draft Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

to serve his country during the

at 25; he served as a radio disk jockey in the army. In 1970, Frankie returned to civilian life in D.C. Emotional conversations between Frankie and Marvin over Frankie's horrific recollections of the war led to Marvin to compose the song "

", later issued for Marvin's album, '' What's Going On'', released in 1971.

Music career

Starting in the mid-1970s, Frankie began working with his brother, joining him on the road during Gaye's concert tours and sometimes, to test audience reactions, Marvin would place Frankie onstage first before he arrived. Like his brother and, later, their sister Zeola, Frankie added an "e" to his

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

. In 1977, Frankie participated in background vocals for Marvin's hit, " Got to Give It Up, Pt. 1" and contributed co-composition rights for music for the 1979 film, ''

Penitentiary A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correcti ...

''. Frankie and his second wife (later widow), Irene, were next door to his parents' house on April 1, 1984, when Frankie's brother was shot and killed by their father after an argument. In 1989, Frankie signed with

Motorcity Records Motorcity Records is a British record label formed by producer Ian Levine in 1989. The label aimed to record new material with former Motown artists. History Levine, a Motown fan since his childhood in the 1960s, was offered a chance to recor ...

and recorded two singles, "Extraordinary Girl" and "My Brother". The latter song featured in the 1990 album of the same name.

Personal life

In 1972, Frankie relocated to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

where he married his first wife, Judy Tench; the couple had two daughters, Christy and Denise. After their divorce, Frankie dated Irene Duncan, a Scottish woman, after meeting her in London. They were married in 1978 and had three children: daughters April (b. 1983) and Fiona (b. 1993); and son Frankie, Jr. (b. 1992). In 1999, Frankie worked on his memoir, ''Marvin Gaye: My Brother''. The book was scheduled to be released in 2002.

Death

Frankie died of complications following a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

on December 30, 2001, at the age of 60; and the book was posthumously released in 2003. Francis Gaye is buried at

Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills is one of the six Forest Lawn cemeteries in Southern California. It is located at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, California 90068, in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. Histor ...

.Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 17112). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Discography

Albums

* 1979: ''Penitentiary'' * 1990: ''My Brother'' * 1996: ''The Very Best of Frankie Gaye''

Singles

*1989: "Extraordinary Girl" *1990: "My Brother"

References

External links

Frankie Gaye Page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaye, Frankie 1941 births 2001 deaths American soul musicians

Frankie Frankie may refer to: People *Frankie (musician), indie pop musician from Los Angeles, California * Frankie Abernathy (1981–2007), American MTV Real World cast member *Frankie Adams (born 1994), Samoan New Zealand actress *Frankie Avalon (born ...

African-American United States Army personnel United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) United States Army soldiers African Americans in the Vietnam War 20th-century African-American musicians