I chose this particular photo to reflect on one of the many highlighted moments in Marvin's life. This photo was shot at a charity event held in downtown Los Angeles for Marvin’s project, Save the Children... and well.. this is what happened.
”The evening was an all-star happening. Besides Marvin, Ali had agreed to go a round with Richard Pryor;Sammy Davis Jr;and Burt Young....Everyone knew how they were going to handle their time in the ring with Ali. It was all set up for laughs, which would have them running, jumping, and clowning around. Not Marvin. He had to take his one chance at the champ by training seriously "Im going to knock him out", Marvin had boldly predicted beforehand. He'd even come up with some serious threads to parade in, for his entrance into the ring. There were lots of laughs before Ali and Marvin climbed into the ring, with Ali coaching Marvin by saying, ''Now don't hit me too hard or try to show off''. Those remarks had Marvin responding with, ''Go ahead, hit me with your best shot. Don't just try to make it look good!''. Wearing his classy robe, Marvin might have come across as a pro, but once he took it off he turned into a string bean, his long arms flailing, hitting nothing but air. But Ali kept missing too, on purpose, which made Marvin mad. Ali landed only one light jab, and even that had Marvin bent over, staggering, ''You Okay?'' Ali asked, grabbing Marvin to keep him from falling. It was almost over before it started, but the crowd had a great time.” – an excerpt from Marvin Gaye, My Brother By Frankie Gaye.
Here's one of my top 3 favorite Marvin cuts ever in life. Though many of us mourned Marvin's death yesterday, today we get to celebrate his life. Happy Birthday to the Great. R.I.P.
Wonderful pic Bug.
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