Marvin Gaye Top Songs Greatest Hits and Chart Singles Discography Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (né Gay; April 2, – April 1, ) was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of successes, which earned him the nicknames "Prince of.