8/12/1983 Marvin Gaye, Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ


 38 years ago today...

August 12, 1983 - Phoenix, AZ 

Motown soul singer Marvin Gaye made his next-to-last live concert appearance at Celebrity Theatre.
The "Prince of Motown" had just released "Sexual Healing" and the crowd was primarily women who wanted to approach the stage to give the singer some love in form of a hug, a kiss or a rose. Marvin was embracing the love.
Throughout the concert, a few female fans climbed onto the stage, only to be briskly removed by security. During the encore, "Sexual Healing" of course, a woman made her way onto the stage and started pawing at Marvin's one-piece jump suit. In a flash, the woman pulled the outfit right off his body, leaving Marvin wearing nothing but a leopard print bikini brief. Predictably, the crowd went wild as Marvin gyrated in male stripper fashion to the shrieking audience. This remains one of my most memorable moments in the 125+ shows I have witnessed at Celebrity Theatre.
The "Sexual Healing" tour concluded two days later in Costa Mesa, CA. It would be Gaye's final concert. Tragically, he was shot and killed by his own father on April 1, 1984, a day shy of his 45 birthday. His politically-driven album "What's Going On" remains one of the most influencial and important records ever released.

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