Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ turns 50 — secrets behind the hit album
“What’s Going On.”But for the late Motown legend, football was the answer to help lift him out of a deep depression after the 1970 death of Tammi Terrell — his frequent duet partner on hits such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” — and into creating “What’s Going On,” his classic album that was released 50 years ago on May 21, 1971.“It was during a time when he was trying out for the Detroit Lions and being a football player,” said David Ritz, author of 1985’s “Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye,” the definitive biography of the singer. “He was a good athlete, and he had this notion of wondering if he could turn pro, but I’m not sure he had the chops.