After The Dance : My Life With Marvin Gaye by Jan Gaye and David Ritz

A gripping cautionary tale about the joys and perils of being infatuated with Marvin Gaye, an artist adored by all – and a raw memoir of drugs, passion, and classic R&B from the wife of the legendary soul legend Marvin Gaye.

After turning seventeen in 1973, Janis Hunter crossed paths with Marvin Gaye – the soulful Motown prince with a voice as smooth as velvet, whose socially conscious album “What’s Going On” had catapulted him to superstardom two years earlier. Despite a seventeen-year age gap and Marvin’s marital ties to Berry Gordy’s sister, the naive teen and the emotionally volatile crooner embarked on an intense and fiery relationship.

One moment, Janis was a high school student, and the next, she was accompanying Marvin to glamorous parties, navigating through the captivating world of 1970s to 1980s stardom. She rubbed shoulders with Don Cornelius on the vibrant set of Soul Train and even helped discover talent like Frankie Beverly. However, the burdens of fame, the turmoil of dysfunctional families, and the allure of drugs complicated their love.

Remaining mostly silent since Marvin’s tragic death in 1984, Janis now chooses to open up and share the moving and deeply charged story of one of music history’s most legendary marriages. Unapologetically honest and offering profound insights, “After the Dance” is accompanied by sixteen pages of poignant black-and-white photographs. It unravels the experience of being in love with a creative genius who revolutionized popular culture and continues to be revered today.