Elgie Stover

Who was Elgie Stover?

Elgie Stover was an American songwriter, composer, producer and background singer, most famous for his associations with uncle Harvey Fuqua and legendary Motown star Marvin Gaye, co-writing two of Gaye's songs from the singer's acclaimed 1971 album, What's Going On.

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Elgie and his brother Kenneth later moved to Detroit, where the brothers worked closely with Harvey Fuqua on his Tri-Phi Records label. In the late-1960s, after befriending staff from Motown, the brothers signed with the label as staff songwriters and producers. Elgie's most famous works came as the result of working so closely with Gaye, with whom he and Kenneth had befriended shortly after they signed with Motown.

Elgie co-wrote with Marvin, wife Anna and Iris Gordy on The Originals' 1970 classic, "The Bells". A year later, Stover's greatest contribution came when he took part in co-writing "Flying High in the Friendly Sky" and "God is Love" on Marvin's What's Going On. He is credited as the voice that helps open the hit "What's Going On" with "hey man, what's happening?" and "everything is everything". Elgie later co-wrote Gaye's 1973 ballad, "Just to Keep You Satisfied". Stover is vocally heard shouting and screaming on a demo version of Gaye's later hit, "Distant Lover", from a November 1970 session as Gaye struggled with Motown over releasing the "What's Going On" single.