As well as recordings, the treasure trove of Gaye’s memorabilia includes typed running orders for concert performances, angry letters to his record company, lyrics for new songs and notebooks filled with his musings.
“They belong to [the Dumolin family] because they were left in Belgium 42 years ago,” said Mr Trappeniers. “Marvin gave it to them and said, ‘Do whatever you want with it’ and he never came back. That’s important.”
Negotiations with Gaye’s estate
But before the recordings can be released in any form permission has to be obtained from Gaye’s estate.
While the Dumolin family has the right under Belgian law to keep the cassettes and other items left behind by Gaye, the property rights needed to publish the songs remain with the singer’s children, Marvin III, Nona and Frankie, and the administrators of his estate.
Mr Trappeniers is looking to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Lawyers for two of Marvin Gaye’s children are understood to have been made aware of the existence of the Belgian collection, but negotiations over its future have yet to begin.
“I think we both benefit, the family of Marvin and the collection in the hands of [Dumolin’s heirs],” he said. “If we put our hands together and find the right people in the world, the Mark Ronsons or the Bruno Mars…. I’m not here to make suggestions but to say OK, let’s listen to this and let’s make the next album.”
In one of the most tragic codas in pop music Gaye was shot twice by his father when he tried to intervene in an argument between his parents.
He was pronounced dead on arrival at the California Hospital Medical Center on 1 April 1984, the day before his 45th birthday.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
