Gordon Banks (musician)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2024) |
Gordon Banks (February 22, 1955 – July 21, 2023) was an American guitarist, producer, writer and musical director. He was voted one of the top 100 guitarists in America by Rolling Stone magazine in 1985.
Banks played an important part in Marvin Gaye's later years.[1] Gaye referred to him as "ID" meaning "The Indicator".
Biography
Early life and career
Banks was born on February 22, 1955, in
Work with Marvin Gaye
Banks first got acquainted with Marvin Gaye in 1976. After a year, Banks joined Gaye's band. After first working with Gaye with the funk hit, "Got to Give It Up"[citation needed] and playing guitar with Gaye on his 1977 U.S. tour, Banks helped in directing the music for Gaye's 1978 album, Here, My Dear. Their musical partnership grew and Banks was soon performing all over the world with Gaye as his musical director and guitarist.
In 1980, Banks became Gaye's brother-in-law when he married Gaye's sister Zeola.[2]
Banks was one of the few in Gaye's revolving door of backup musicians to continue to accompany him even as several musicians would leave, some later suing Gaye for failing to pay them money for earnings during the tour. Banks contributed on Gaye's final Motown album, In Our Lifetime, and was the musical director of Gaye's acclaimed 1980 European tour. In 1981, when Gaye moved to Belgium as a tax exile, Banks relocated to Ostend where Gaye was staying with musical promoter Freddy Couseart. Banks helped out on Gaye's short "Heavy Love Affair" European tour that year and after the tour, helped in creating music for what turned out to be Gaye's final album in his lifetime, Midnight Love. In regards to the recording development of the album Banks stated:
"It was basically him and I in the studio.
Released in 1982, Midnight Love became the biggest-selling album of Gaye's career, and its parent single, "
Following Gaye's death in 1984, Banks finished production on a posthumous album, 1985's
Later work
Banks was a Media Specialist in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and a collector of unreleased recordings by Marvin Gaye.
Death
Gordon Banks died on July 21, 2023, at the age of 68.[4]
Discography
- 1978: Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear
- 1979: New Birth - Platinum City
- 1979: Penitentiary (film)
- 1980: Marvin Gaye - Marvin Gaye: Live in Montreux 1980
- 1981: High Inergy - High Inergy
- 1981: Marvin Gaye - In Our Lifetime
- 1981: Marvin Gaye - Live In Ostend
- 1981: Edwin Hawkins - Edwin Hawkins Live
- 1982: Marvin Gaye - Midnight Love
- 1982: Edwin Hawkins - Edwin Hawkins Live Vol II
- 1982: Penitentiary II
- 1983: Gladys Knight & the Pips - Marvin Gaye
- 1983: Mona Lisa Young - Knife
- 1983: Marvin Gaye - NBA all star game National Anthem
- 1984: Phyllis St James - Ain't No Turning Back
- 1985: Eddie Murphy - How Could It Be
- 1985: Krystol - Talk Of The Town
- 1985: Marvin Gaye - Dream of a Lifetime
- 1986: Marvin Gaye - Romantically Yours
- 1991: Barry White - Put Me In Your Mix
- 2001: Erick Sermon - Music
References
- ISBN 9780465017706. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ Major, Gerri (1980-10-23). "Society World". Jet. p. 38. Retrieved 2015-12-26.
- ^ "'The Man Was a Genius': Tales from Making Marvin Gaye's Final Album". The Atlantic. October 2012.
- ^ "Obituary of Gordon Banks". Keith Matthews Funeral Home.