Divided soul marvin gaye

“A biography as dramatic as any to come out of the pop field . . . told with sympathy and unflinching candor.”–San Francisco Chronicle

In this intimate biography of the Prince of Soul, David Ritz provides a candid look at a celebrity and a friend. Ritz had been collaborating with Gaye on his story for several years before the singer’s tragic death, and had conducted a series of extraordinary interviews in which Gaye discussed his deepest secrets. Drawing from these interviews, Gaye’s life is recounted in his own words and the words of those who knew him best: his family, friends, and colleagues. What emerges is a full-scale portrait of a charming but tortured artist, a brilliant singer with a divided soul.

Here is Marvin’s story from his early years in the slums of Washington, D.C., to is ascend to the top of the Motown industry, his fall from grace, his comeback, and finally his sudden, shocking end at the hands of his own father. But it is also the story of his glorious melody, and the music of black America over the past fifty years, from gospel to doo-wop to soul to funk. The result is an titanic tale whose cast of characters includes Diana R

Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye

October 25, 2011

This book was good, as good as possible, but not as good as it could have been. I believe that’s because the author, David Ritz, was too close to the subject. Knowing that Ritz and Gaye had a rollercoaster relationship that included litigation and disputes over money, there was no way I can take Ritz’s biography at face value. Even though the story of Divided Soul is nonfiction, it is told in the voice of an undependable narrator.

Don’t get me incorrect. I give Ritz a lot of credit for this work. This was heavily researched and there was a lot of in depth interviews with Marvin Gaye’s close friends and family. The interviewees, including Marvin, himself, are quoted heavily. With very rare exception, the quotes work and fit seamlessly into the story.

And that story was fantastic. Tragic, but fantastic. The way Ritz was able to relate Marvin’s lyrics to his life was wonderful. It is difficult to read this book without emoting. And very complicated to read it and not judge the people closest to Gaye—personally, I find it very challenging, despite knowing that times and life were much different back then, to not judge Marvin’s mother. If thi

Divided Soul: The Existence of Marvin Gaye

Title: Divided Soul: The Animation of Marvin Gaye

Author: David Ritz

Publisher: Da Capo Press

Publication Year: 2003

ISBN-10: 140235396

In this intimate biography of the Prince of Soul, David Ritz provides a candid look at a celebrity and a friend. Ritz had been collaborating with Gaye on his story for several years before the singer's tragic death, and had conducted a series of extraordinary interviews in which Gaye discussed his deepest secrets. Drawing from these interviews, Gaye's life is recounted in his own words and the words of those who knew him best: his family, friends, and colleagues. What emerges is a full-scale portrait of a charming but tortured artist, a brilliant singer with a divided heart. [line break] Here is Marvin's story from his early years in the slums of Washington, D.C., to is rise to the top of the Motown industry, his decline from grace, his comeback, and finally his sudden, shocking end at the hands of his retain father. But it is also the story of his glorious music, and the music of jet America over the past fifty years, from gospel to doo-wop to spirit to funk. The product is an epic tale whos

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