Artist Name: Marvin Gaye

Year Inducted: 2023

Details

Category: Legendary Songs

"Sexual Healing" - (M. Gaye, O. Brown, D. Ritz) - Marvin Gaye; Columbia/CBS label, # 3 Billboard Hot 100 - 1983. Inducted 2023.

“Sexual Healing” was the first single Gaye released with CBS Records after parting ways with Motown Records after 20 years following royalty disputes and his divorce from Motown founder Berry Gordy’s sister. 

Released on Gaye’s 17th and final album, “Midnight Love”, “Sexual Healing” reached No. 3 on the Hot 100 and # 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart, where it remained for 10 weeks, earning Gaye two Grammys for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Instrumental Performance.

Gaye’s biographer, David Ritz, said he wrote the song lyrics as a poem and was done within 30 minutes. “I wrote most of the lyrics, including all of the verses and the chorus lyric, and Marvin wrote the melody and the bridge lyric,” said Ritz.

Ritz was never given writing credit for the song, only thanked in the liner notes, which caused a rift in his friendship with Gaye. He later sued for credit and won the case after Gaye’s death in 1984. The writing credits now include Ritz, Gaye, and Gaye’s keyboardist Odell Brown, who also contributed to the song.

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjlSiASsUIs