American R&B singer, songwriter, and pianist Marvin Earl Johnson, known professionally as Marv Johnson, was born on 15 October 1938 in Detroit, Michigan. He began his musical career as a singer with the doo-wop group The Junior Serenaders in the mid-1950s. His breakthrough came when he was discovered by Berry Gordy while performing at a carnival. This led to his recording of "Come to Me", which became the first single released by Tamla Records, the precursor to Motown, in May 1959. He went on to release several albums and singles for United Artists, including "You Got What It Takes", which peaked at number 10 in the US. He also had notable hits with "I Love the Way You Love" and "(You've Got To) Move Two Mountains". His music enjoyed significant popularity overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom and Australia. In Australia, he achieved three chart-topping singles, including "You Got What It Takes", which stayed at number one for over 16 weeks. He re-signed with Motown in 1964 and continued to write and produce songs, including "I Miss You Baby (How I Miss You)". His final US single was "I'll Pick a Rose for My Rose" in 1968. He passed away on 16 May 1993.
