Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. was an American R&B and soul singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of successes, which earned him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul". Gaye is often considered one of the greatest singers of all time.