Harvey Fuqua, singer, songwriter, record producer and early mentor of Marvin Gaye, died of a heart attack Tuesday at a Detroit hospital. He was 80. The Louisville, Ky., native founded the R&B-doo-wop group the Moonglows, which signed with DJ Alan Freed. The group's first single was the 1954 hit “Sincerely.” Fuqua added Gaye and others in 1958 to a reconstituted group Fuqua called Harvey and the Moonglows. It had the 1958 hit “Ten Commandments of Love.” Fuqua started Tri-Phi and Harvey Records in 1961, recording the Spinners, Junior Walker & the All Stars, and Shorty Long. Motown Records founder Berry Gordy later hired Fuqua to develop recording talent. He was responsible for bringing Tammi Terrell to the label, and for suggesting and producing her duets with Marvin Gaye, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Your Precious Love".
Around 1971, Fuqua left Motown and signed a production deal with RCA Records. He discovered disco pioneer Sylvester, and "Two Tons O' Fun" (aka The Weather Girls), producing Sylvester's hit singles "Dance (Disco Heat)" and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" in 1978 as well as his album Stars in 1979. He also served as Smokey Robinson's road manager. In 1982 he reunited with Marvin Gaye to produce the singer's Midnight Love album which included the single "Sexual Healing".
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/afterword/2010/07/harvey-fuqua-80-a-singer-songwriterrecord-producer-and-early-mentor-of-marvin-gaye-died-of-a-heart-attack-tuesday-at-a-d.html
