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Marvin Gaye: The Motown Legend Who Was Murdered by His Father

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    Marvin Gaye: The Motown Legend Who Was Murdered by His Father

    • Author

      Kate Sullivan

    • Website Name

      aetv.com

    • Year Published

      2021

    • Title

      Marvin Gaye: The Motown Legend Who Was Murdered by His Father

    • URL

      https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/marvin-gaye-murder

    • Access Date

      July 23, 2025

    • Publisher

      A+E Global Media

From the time Marvin Gaye was a young boy, before he became one of Motown’s brightest stars and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he repeatedly heard from his father: “You’ll never be anything.”

The famous soul singer, who added the “e” to his last name early in his career, endured a childhood of physical and feeling abuse at the hands of his Pentecostal reverend father, according to biography Trouble Man by author Steve Turner.

It was a dysfunctional relationship that ended in tragedy, when Marvin Sr. shot his son to death during a heated argument just hours before the star’s 45th birthday.

The older Marvin hated his son for being so attractive to women, according to Gaye’s ex-wife Janis Gaye. But the relation

Gaye, Marvin

Born Marvin Pentz Homosexual, Jr. on April 2, 1939 in Washington, D.C., the son of a Pentecostal preacher, singer Marvin Gaye would go on to become one of Motown Records’ most famous artists. Joining his first musical group in lofty school, the DC Tones, he dropped out of school when he was 17 to run away his father’s abuse. The troubled relationship with his father would continue the rest of his life.

Following a one-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, he returned to D.C. to combine the Marquees, signing a shrink with Columbia. The Marquees morphed into Harvey and the Moonglows, led by Harvey Fuqua who would be instrumental in developing Gaye’s career. It was through Fuqua, who had started functional for Anna Records, owned by Gwen and Anna Gordy, that Gaye met their brother Berry Gordy, Jr. 

Working first as a drummer and backup singer, Gaye began recording with Motown Records in 1961. As a person, Gaye preferred crooning and singing standards like those of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. The leaders of Motown Records, however, believed that Gaye could get a major pop and R&B success. On his first free with Motown, “Let Your Conscience be Your Guide,

The tragic story of Marvin Gaye and the untimely death of a mind legend

27 March 2024, 10:15

Marvin Gaye was one of the greatest soul singers of all occasion, but his existence and career were cut tragically brief in 1984, aged just 44.

40 years on, we grab a look endorse at the superb man, and exactly what happened with Marvin Gaye and his father.

  1. Who was Marvin Gaye?

    Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing (Video)

    Marvin Gaye was an American singer, songwriter and producer.

    He was one of the main singers that created the Motown sound of the 1960s, first as a session performer and later as a solo artist. His Motown hits included 'How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)' and 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine', and duets with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Diana Ross and Tammi Terrell.

    In the 1970s, he recorded the albums What's Going On and Let's Acquire It On, becoming one of the first artists from Motown (along with Stevie Wonder) to break away from the company on his own merit.

    After a period in Europe as a tax exile in the early 1980s, he made a successful comeback with the 1982 Grammy Award-winning hit 'Sexual Healing' and its album Midnight Lo

    Marvin Gaye’s Death


    Marvin Gaye was a singer and songwriter, known for his prominent role in the Motown record company. He grew up in Washington, D.C, and was raised by his father, Marvin Gay, Sr, a minister, and his mother, Alberta Gay. Marvin first discovered his musical talent and passion by singing in his father’s church. As Marvin began his musical career, he was teased for his surname “Gay”, so he added an ‘E’ to the finish of it, which created distance between him and his father, who had a rocky relationship. Marvin soon became successful in the music industry, and had created a number of hit songs. Marvin’s career helped to shape the style and reputation of Motown Records.

    On April 1, 1984, Marvin was fatally shot by his father in their Los Angeles home. On the day of the murder, Marvin and Marvin Sr were arguing about a misplaced insurance policy document. At this point, the relationship between Marvin and his father was as heated as ever – Marvin’s sister had moved out of the property just to avoid the conflict. In the months prior to his death, Marvin’s family reported that he was depressed and suicidal, and had even tried to jump out of a moving motorcar. After