Trouble Man is a live-band Marvin Gaye tribute starring L. Young — a Billboard charting recording artist with two Top-40 Billboard hits, two #1 songs on the UK Soul Charts, and an ABC Good Morning America #1 trending pop news feature. L. Young has shared stages with Stevie Wonder and Patti LaBelle, and is joined onstage by Billboard artist Crystal Starr as Tammi Terrell, recreating the most iconic duet pairing in Motown history.
Marvin Gaye is one of the most enduring and influential voices in American music history: 170+ million records sold worldwide, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987), Grammy Hall of Fame inductions for “What’s Going On” and “Let’s Get It On,” a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a catalog (“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “What’s Going On,” “Sexual Healing,” “Let’s Get It On,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “Mercy Mercy Me,” “Trouble Man,” “Got to Give It Up,” “Distant Lover”) that defined Motown, soul, and 1970s socially conscious R&B.
Most Marvin Gaye tributes don’t recreate the Tammi Terrell duets at all, or stage them as a solo arrangement of duet material. Trouble Man features Billboard artist Crystal Starr in dedicated character as Tammi Terrell, recreating the most iconic duet pairing in Motown history with full live chemistry. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “You’re All I Need to Get By,” and “Your Precious Love” are staged the way the originals were recorded.
Marvin Gaye was tragically killed on April 1, 1984, at age 44. The catalog has only grown in cultural significance over the four decades since: “What’s Going On” was ranked the greatest album of all time by Rolling Stone in 2020, “Sexual Healing” continues to dominate adult R&B radio, and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” has had major Gen-Z TikTok revival alongside steady wedding-reception rotation. Marvin’s catalog will never again be performed live by the original artist, and Trouble Man is one of the credentialed ways to experience it.
Documented venue and audience credentials:
“This was an awesome show — Mr Young did his thing, he sang just like Marvin. I highly recommend this show. I would go see him again!” — Sharon — verified attendee review
Documented venue credits include Northern Quest Resort & Casino (Spokane WA), the Axelrod Performing Arts Center (Deal NJ — Juneteenth booking), the Haugh Performing Arts Center (CA, May 2026), Thornton Winery, ASU Kerr (Oklahoma), The Canyon (Agoura Hills CA), Spaghettini Long Beach, Vibrato Grill Jazz LA, plus symphony pops orchestra programming. Trouble Man is a Live Nation artist with active national touring across 2025-2026.
Trouble Man offers two distinct show formats:
Trouble Man is a proven fit for:
Trouble Man performs 20+ Marvin Gaye hits spanning his Motown era through Columbia Records era, with Crystal Starr joining for the iconic Tammi Terrell duet recreations.
Trouble Man — A Tribute to Marvin Gaye is a live-band Marvin Gaye tribute starring L. Young, a Louisville, KY native now based in Los Angeles. The show debuted in April 2024 and has since built a sustained national PAC, casino, winery, and symphony pops touring footprint across 2024-2026.
Co-starring Crystal Starr (Billboard charting recording artist) as Tammi Terrell, the show recreates the most iconic duet pairing in Motown history with full live chemistry — a real differentiator in the Marvin Gaye tribute category. Musical Director Carnell Harrell leads an all-star backing band whose collective credits include Usher, the Jonas Brothers, Hanson, and Dave Koz. Trouble Man is a Live Nation artist, and the act also offers a dedicated holiday production, “The Soul of Christmas,” fusing Marvin Gaye’s artistry with the broader Motown Christmas catalog.
While this is our top Marvin Gaye tribute act, TSE Entertainment works with a range of high-quality Marvin Gaye tributes nationwide.
That means you are not locked into a single option. We help match the right act to your event based on practical factors that actually affect success.
We have booked hundreds of tribute acts nationwide, and every option we recommend is vetted and event-proven. If Trouble Man is not the perfect fit, we will quickly suggest comparable options that are.
Pricing depends on event date, location, routing, travel, production requirements (live band, costume changes, duet staging, symphony pops orchestration), set length, optional “Soul of Christmas” holiday programming, and overall scope. The fastest way to get a real number is to request availability with your event details.
Popular dates can tighten up quickly—especially Black History Month (February), Juneteenth (June 19), peak Christmas and holiday programming (November-December “Soul of Christmas” dates fill very early), peak summer festival weekends, symphony pops orchestra season, casino entertainment, and high-demand corporate dates. Early inquiries usually create better artist and budget options.
Yes. Regularly booked for corporate events, charity galas, private parties, theaters, casinos (Northern Quest Resort & Casino documented), PACs (Axelrod PAC, Haugh PAC documented), wineries (Thornton Winery documented), wedding receptions, and other special events. The live-band production scale and Billboard-artist credentials make Trouble Man well-suited to major corporate galas and luxury programming.
Three things. First, L. Young is a Billboard charting recording artist with two Top-40 Billboard hits, two #1 UK Soul singles, an ABC Good Morning America #1 trending pop news feature, and documented shared stages with Stevie Wonder and Patti LaBelle. Second, the dedicated Tammi Terrell duet recreation with Billboard artist Crystal Starr — most Marvin Gaye tributes do not stage the Tammi duets in dedicated character, making this a real differentiator. Third, the all-star backing band whose collective credits include Usher, the Jonas Brothers, Hanson, and Dave Koz.
Marvin Gaye was tragically killed on April 1, 1984, at age 44. The catalog has only grown in cultural significance over the four decades since: “What’s Going On” was ranked the greatest album of all time by Rolling Stone in 2020, “Sexual Healing” continues to dominate adult R&B radio, and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” has had major Gen-Z TikTok revival alongside steady wedding-reception rotation. Trouble Man is one of the credentialed ways to experience the catalog live.
Yes, and this is one of the show’s real differentiators. Billboard artist Crystal Starr appears in dedicated character as Tammi Terrell, recreating the most iconic duet pairing in Motown history with full live chemistry. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “You’re All I Need to Get By,” and “Your Precious Love” are staged the way Marvin and Tammi originally recorded them.
Yes. “The Soul of Christmas” is a dedicated holiday production that fuses Marvin Gaye’s artistry with the broader Motown Christmas catalog — opening with Motown energy (Stevie Wonder’s “What Christmas Means to Me,” the Jackson 5’s “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” Diana Ross & the Supremes’ “Favorite Things”), moving into soulful reinterpretations of Christmas classics (Otis Redding’s “Merry Christmas Baby,” Temptations-style “Silent Night,” gospel-soul “O Holy Night”), and building to a Motown Holiday Party Finale. November-December dates fill very early.
Yes, and especially so. Marvin Gaye is foundational to Black music history, with “What’s Going On” (Rolling Stone’s greatest album of all time) as one of the most important socially conscious albums in popular music. Trouble Man is a flagship booking for Black History Month (February) and Juneteenth (June 19) programming — Axelrod PAC has already documented a Juneteenth engagement.
R&B, soul, Motown, 1960s/70s soul, 1980s soul-pop, and Marvin Gaye-catalog audiences. Longtime Marvin Gaye fans. Multi-generational R&B and Motown crowds (Boomer, Gen-X, Millennial, and Gen-Z via TikTok). Black History Month and Juneteenth programming audiences. Wedding-reception audiences (Marvin Gaye is a reception staple). The show plays especially well at PACs, casinos, symphony pops, wineries, corporate galas, multi-generational corporate events, college programming, and wedding receptions.
Yes. If Trouble Man is unavailable or not the best fit, TSE can recommend other vetted Marvin Gaye and R&B / soul / Motown tribute options based on budget, location, and event style.
Submit an inquiry with your event date, location, event type, and whether you would like the full Trouble Man show or the dedicated “Soul of Christmas” holiday production. TSE can confirm availability and provide pricing guidance.
Check availability, get pricing, and let TSE match the right Marvin Gaye tribute for your event. Call 800-765-8203 or submit an entertainment request to get started.
