Two Marvin Gaye Biopics in the Works

Another Marvin Gaye biopic is now in the works. Director F. Gary Gray will direct Marvin, which will be competing against the James Gandolfini-produced Sexual Healing, starring Law & Order's Jesse L. Martin as Gaye. One difference between the two films is their soundtracks: Marvin managed to secure the rights to Gaye's Motown output. Sexual Healing only has permission to use Gaye's post-Motown recordings, and will focus on Gaye's declining years, his life in Europe and his untimely death. Marvin has not cast the role of Gaye yet.

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Song Stories

“Tonight's the Night”

The Shirelles | 1960

The lead cut and title track from this girl group's debut album, "Tonight's the Night" was written by 19-year-old bandmember Shirley Owens, who sings lead, and producer Luther Dixon. The band from Passaic, New Jersey met in high school, first calling themselves the Pequellos. The song's frank thoughts about sexual and emotional surrender was racy for the time, but that didn't stop the Chiffons from cutting a similar version immediately after the original came out. "We were the first female group to write some of our own material," band member Beverly Lee recalls. "We did have some say-so in our writing."

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