Originally
inspired by a police brutality incident
witnessed by Renaldo "Obie"
Benson, the song—recorded at Motown
Studios A and B in Detroit—was composed
by Benson, Al Cleveland, and Gaye, and
produced by Gaye himself. It was also
the first album to credit Motown’s
in-house studio band, The Funk Brothers.
“What’s Going On” would
go on to sell millions of copies and became
Gaye’s second-most successful Motown
song to date, after “Let’s Get
It On.” The groundbreaking album
was named No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s
2020 list of ‘500 Greatest Albums
of All Time.’
Governor Gretchen Whitmer recognized the
day in a State of Michigan special tribute.
“Having this tribute on the calendar
provides us with an important moment—one
where we can come together as a unified
state to pause, reflect and appreciate
the need for ideas, perspective, love
and understanding. These are values that
mean more today than ever before,”
said Whitmer. “Through the recognition
of “What’s Going On” Day,
we hope to bring awareness to Marvin Gaye’s
profound words as his timeless music remains
in our hearts and minds and continues
inspiring generations to come.”
As the first step in commemorating What’s
Going On and its legacy this year,
Motown Museum is asking fans to visit
its social media channels—Facebook, Instagram and Twitter—to
join the conversation and share the personal
impact the lyrics of “What’s
Going On” have made in their lives.
In addition to the statewide tribute on
January 20, the museum will honor Gaye’s
groundbreaking album and words throughout
the year with a series of upcoming virtual
celebrations, signature events and an
infusion of Gaye’s legacy in its
2021 programming lineup, including its
spoken word poetry competition, Motown
MIC: The Spoken Word, and its singing
competition, AMPLIFY: The Sound of Detroit.
For more information on Motown Museum,
visit http://www.motownmuseum.org.
