Marvin Gaye made an amazing contribution to soul music in general and the Motown sound in particular. In his early days at Motown, he played drums and piano on tour and in the studio for the likes of the Miracles and the Marvelettes . He wrote and cowrote songs for himself and other Motown artists, including the all-time soul classic, "Dancing in the Street," by Martha and Vandellas. As a solo artist, he recorded in a variety of , ranging from crooning pop balladeer to gritty soul singer to socially conscious auteur of ambitious concept albums. At every stage in his multifaceted career, he projected an air of honesty and conviction driven by a fervid idealism. In the words of biographer David Ritz, Gaye's voice was that of "an angel trapped in a man."
