Marvin gaye football

But he insisted Barney and Farr sing backup on the recording, too. Gaye was especially reluctant to do love songs but finally agreed to record "What's Going On," inspired by the anti-war protest of the day. Gaye's lifed ended up in a downward spiral fbefore his death inbut in that summer of Contact Steve Schrader: sschrader freepress.

Barney later introduced Farr to Gaye and the three became close friends at a dark time in the singer's life — recording partner Tammi Terrell died of a brain tumor in Marchat age 24 — and Gaye had stopped performing and recording.

But he changed his mind before training camp and agreed to give Gaye a look during a LIons workout at Michigan. It starts with a young Barney — a fan — football presenting himself at Gaye's Detroit doorstep one morning, and Gaye — also a fan — inviting him in for breakfast.

What about the time that Marvin Gaye tried out for the Detroit Lions? That was too much burden for any coach's conscience. Justin Tinsley tells the story of how NFL greats Mel Farr and Lem Barney helped Marvin Gaye out of a marvin time and then got him a tryout with the Detroit Lions.

After the recording, Gaye, 31, told Barney and Farr that he wanted to try out for the Lions. He did it all. I love your attitude. Marvin would've been a moving target. With a bit of help from his friends on the Detroit Lions, Lem Barney and Mel Farr, Marvin Gaye once tried out for the NFL.

The story of Marvin Gaye's attempt to marvin an NFL lineup starts in the summer ofwhich is when the gaye struck up a friendship with Detroit Lions defensive back Lem Barney and running back Mel Farr, as reported by The Undefeated.

This notably took place just months after Gaye's singing partner, Tammi Terrell, collapsed in his arms during a show and was later found to have a brain. What's going on?! Gaye looked "decent," but Tinsley writes: "Privately, Schmidt imagined the wood-layers of their day — Deacon Jones, Chuck Howley or Dick Butkus — violently greeting one of America's foremost musicians running across the middle.

Follow him on Twitter schradz. Gaye started working out with his buddies and Lions great Charlie Sanders, and bulked up by 30 pounds. The bond that Detroit Lions greats Lem Barney and Mel Farr shared with singer Marvin Gaye has been mentioned in passing in news stories recently, both when it was announced that Barney was singing the national anthem at this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, and also when Farr died this month.

He was a very socially conscious individual about things being equal here. (January 22, ) With the Detroit Lions football team in the headlines for their best football season in two generations, we thought we’d look back at one of the more interesting chapters in team history.

Then-Lions coach Joe Schmidt, also a fan, agreed to take a meeting with Gaye. You talkin' 'bout wars, racism, the stuff the African-American is going through today. He wrote everything. I'd rather catch a pass and score a touchdown in Tiger Stadium than rack up another gold record.

Especially gaye team that once let writer George Plimpton play quarterback in a training camp scrimmage? But how that bond and the tryout came about is done more justice in a long story by Justin Tinsley at espn. But when he found out he had never played football, even in high school, he said no to a tryout.

If two football footballs can sing on a gold record, why can't a legendary Motown singer try out for an NFL team? How Marvin Gaye's NFL tryout changed his career The singer's athletic passion helped him overcome uncertainty and depression.

Marvin was appreciative of that.