By Julian (152.163.252.68) on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 - 12:34 am:

Did MG ever get upset about J.J. Barnes or the cats on Thelma sounding very much like him?

By Ritchie (62.254.0.9) on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 - 02:51 am:

Rumour has it that Marvin was so concerned about JJ's ability to sound like him that he "leant on" brother-in-law Berry Gordy to suppress JJ's Motown recordings. According to JJ himself, he was allowed to record, but was frustrated when nothing at all was issued during his short time as a Motown artist. JJ appeared on the Motortown Revue, but apart from that, the company barely made use of his singing talents at all.

By Julian (64.12.97.7) on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 - 01:45 pm:

I was wondering! Some of these folks had pretty decent MG impressions!

By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.42) on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 - 02:25 pm:

I've often wondered if Berry used JJ as a threat
when Marvin was being "difficult" - "hey you know,
you CAN be replaced".

By Julian (205.188.209.109) on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 - 02:13 am:

I was thinking that, too.

By R&B (138.238.41.118) on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 - 12:31 pm:

REPLACE MARVIN,NO WAY,BESIDES J.J.IS A GOOD SINGER BUT HE'S NO MARVIN GAYE BESIDES BACK THEN MARVIN AND BERRY NEEDED EACH OTHER AS EACH WAS CRUCIAL TO MOTOWN'S SUCCESS!J.J.BARNES REPLACING MARVIN GAYE AT MOTOWN..UMMM...NO!!

By Uptight (24.55.6.144) on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 - 12:37 pm:

You know who else sounds like MG? Leon Ware.

By Julian (205.188.209.109) on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 - 12:40 pm:

"...as a threat..."

By Julian (205.188.209.109) on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 - 12:46 pm:

I haven't heard all of J.J. songs. but on one comp I have, he is a pretty believable Marvin Gaye. I think the song is call "The House That Jack Built." I think if Marvin had messed up, J.J. could have stepped in and "been Marvin." At least the sixties Marvin.

By TonyRussi (68.210.2.246) on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 - 02:26 pm:

With all due respect to J.J. Barnes who I consider a very good singer No one could take Marvin Gayes place.Now it is very likely that Motown held off his releases Not to compete with a Marvin Gaye record for airplay, promotion ect.

By Julian (205.188.209.109) on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 - 02:42 pm:

I'm just saying that if Marvin Gaye had screwed up, J.J. Barnes produced by Whitfield, Smokey, etc. with Funk Brothers on the tracks, would have sounded pretty much like MG.

By Julian (205.188.209.109) on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 - 02:45 pm:

(addenuem) - judging from his performance on "The House That Jack Built."

By Aba21 (208.191.121.196) on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 - 03:18 pm:

Alexander Oneal did a pretty good Marvin on Aphrodisia.

Aba21

By don (68.78.27.103) on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 - 06:33 pm:

Well not to brag, I was rised up around the Chicago/Detroit music sceen. My father told me that JJ Barnes was recording before Marvin Gaye had come the Big D.What I'm trying to say is Mr. Barnes'vocal delivery was really and truly his very own-style,and for all the soulful fans who was not in the know (this is not to put no one down)that he was not nor trying to copy Marvin Gaye style people.I would like to get some kinda feedback about this.Thank You.

By MEL&THEN SOME9 (217.14.178.36) on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 - 06:34 pm:

don,
thats a nice pice of info.
with thanks
mel.

By janebse (68.63.4.162) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 07:57 pm:

Since Marvin's brother Frankie looked just like Marvin and sounded just like him, was that a factor in why he never got his career going? I suppose it would be a deterrent. No copycats allowed, even if it was a genetic copy.

By STUBASS (64.12.97.7) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 08:10 pm:

ONE HAS TO WONDER JUST WHAT INFLUENCE THE LATE GREAT SAM COOKE HAD ON MARVIN!!!...THEIR DEMEANOR AND STYLE APPEARED TO BE QUITE SIMILAR IN NATURE...WITH MARVIN PERHAPS...MOVING IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL...AT LEAST TO ME!!!...STUBASS

By Nish (66.119.33.170) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 08:15 pm:

Janebse, in Marvin's Book, David Ritz talks about how Marvin frequently encouraged Frankie to open various businesses to keep him out of the music business because he thought of Frankie as the better singer and the one who got the girls.