The tragic story of Marv Gaye and the untimely ath of a soul legend - Smooth

year marvin gaye died

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the ath of mic legend Marv Gaye, who was killed by his father 1984. NPR's Tavis Sey talks wh David Rz, an old iend of Gaye's, about the mician's life, tragic ath and long-lastg legacy.

Contents:

MARV GAYE IS SHOT AND KILLED BY HIS OWN FATHER

On April 1, 1984, Motown legend Marv Gaye was fatally shot by his father Marv Gay Sr. si the fay's Los Angel home. * year marvin gaye died *

At the peak of his reer, Marv Gaye was the Prce of Motown—the soulful voice behd hs as wi-rangg as “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and “Mercy Mercy Me (The Elogy). That life me to a tragic end on April 1, 1984, when Marv Gaye was shot and killed by his own father one day short of his 45th the physil e of Marv Gaye’s ath was straightforward—”Gunshot wound to cht perforatg heart, lung and liver, ” acrdg to the Los Angel County Coroner—the events that led to were much more tangled. Marv Gay, Sr., (the “e” was add by his son for his stage name) was a preacher the Hebrew Pentestal Church and a proponent of a strict moral he enforced btally wh his four children.

Only one year removed om his first Grammy w and om a triumphant return to the pop charts wh “Sexual Healg, ” Marv Gaye was horrible physil, psychologil and fancial an argument between father and son lated to a physil fight on the morng of April 1, 1984, Alberta Gay was tryg to lm her son his bedroom when Marv Sr.

Marv Gaye’s brother, Frankie, who lived next door, and who held the legendary sger durg his fal mut, later wrote his memoir that Marv Gaye’s fal, disturbg statement was, “I got what I wanted…. It also marked the high pot of 25-year Marv Gaye’s reer - which went hand hand wh womanisg, dg addictn and creasg paranoia, and end wh tragedy a day before his 45th birthday.

HOW DID MARV GAYE DIE? INSI THE MOTOWN LEGEND’S MURR

Marv Gaye, Amerin soul sger-songwrer-producer who, to a large extent, hered the era of artist-ntrolled popular mic of the 1970s. Among his h songs were ‘I Heard It Through the Grapeve,’ ‘A’t Nothg Like the Real Thg,’ ‘What’s Gog On,’ ‘Let’s Get It On,’ and ‘Sexual Healg.’ * year marvin gaye died *

At the same time he add an ‘e’ to his origal surname of Gay - to shut down any speculatn about his sexualy and to distance himself om his abive dad. Shot his son Marv Gaye at pot-blank range si the fay's Los Angel home on April 1, mic cric Michael Eric Dyson once said, Motown legend Marv Gaye “chased away the mons of lns… wh his heavenly sound and dive art.

But not only did Marv Gaye endure this abive childhood, he eventually found worldwi fame as a soul sger for the inic Motown Rerds the 1960s and ’70s. By the time he had a fay himself, Gay was a mister a strict Pentestal sect who discipled his children severely, wh Marv reportedly gettg the worst of . Whether or not that’s te, the source of the mors was largely that he cross-drsed, a behavr that was — often erroneoly — lked wh homosexualy, pecially s past.

Acrdg to Marv Gaye, his father often wore women’s cloth, and “there have been perds when [my father’s] hair was very long and curled unr, and when he seemed que adamant showg the world the girlish si of himself. As he started to make a name for himself profsnally, Gaye wanted to distance himself om his toxic relatnship wh his father so he changed his name om “Gay” to “Gaye. Gaye eventually moved wh a mil lleague of his to Detro and was able to secure a performance for the biggt name on that cy’s mic scene, Motown Rerds founr Berry Gordy.

MARV GAYE

MARVIN Gaye was an ternatnal superstar until his life was cut short how did the sger die? Here's everythg you need to know about h * year marvin gaye died *

By the time Marv Gaye fished what would be his last tour 1983, he had veloped a e addictn to pe wh the prsur of the road as well as his failed marriage to Anna due to his fily and which rulted a ntent legal battle. That one shot was enough to kill Gaye, but after he fell to the ground, his father approached him and shot him a send and third time at pot-blank range. Alberta fled horror and her younger son Frankie, who lived a gut hoe on the property wh his wife, was the first one to enter the scene jt after Marv Gaye’s ath.

WHAT WAS MARV GAYE’S E OF ATH?

On April 1, 1984, mician Marv Gaye was fatally shot by his own father. Although Marv Gaye Sr. shot his son at pot-blank range, the urt granted * year marvin gaye died *

Kypros/Getty ImagAfter the funeral, which clud a performance om Stevie Wonr, Marv Gaye was cremated and his ash were sttered near the Pacific Ocean.

Furthermore, his fense, Gay claimed that his son had bee “somethg like a beastlike person” on e and that the sger beat him terribly before the shootg occurred.

WHAT MARV GAYE'S FAL YEAR WAS REALLY LIKE

Marv Gaye was a soul sger-songwrer wh Motown the 1960s and 1970s. He produced his own rerds and often addrsed ntroversial them. * year marvin gaye died *

As for the nature of the argument that preced Marv Gaye’s ath, distrght neighbors claimed at the time that the fight was over plans for the sger’s 45th birthday, which was the next day.

Whatever the e and whatever the tth of Gay’s BB claims, he add that he was remorseful and that he didn’t even know his son had died until a tective told him hours later.

MARV GAYE: A LOOK INSI HIS FAL YEAR OF LIFE

Marv Gaye was a sger and songwrer, known for his proment role the Motown rerd pany. He grew up Washgton, D.C, and was raised by his father, * year marvin gaye died *

Blsed wh an exceptnally wi range that enpassed three distct vol styl—a piercg falsetto, a smooth mid-range tenor, and a ep gospel growl—Gaye bed great technil prows wh rare mil dividualy. Gaye also displayed dazzlg virtuosy by overdubbg (buildg sound track by track onto a sgle tape) his own voice three or four tim to provi his own rich harmony, a technique he would employ for the rt of his reer.

Here, My Dear (1979) brilliantly alt wh Gaye’s divorce om Gordy’s sister Anna (the first of the sger’s two tumultuo divorc)’s growg addictn to e exacerbated his psychologil stggl. Gaye, who ced his chief fluenc as Ray Charl, Cly McPhatter, Rudy Wt (lead sger for the doo-wop group the Five Keys), and Ltle Willie John, was ducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1987.

WHY WASN’T MARV GAYE’S FATHER CONVICTED OF HIS MURR?

* year marvin gaye died *

He received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement an artist who employed urban soul mic to exprs social and personal ncerns, as well as a sger of exquise sensivy and romantic grace, Gaye left a legacy that has wined sce his mise, and his mic has bee a permanent fixture Amerin pop. Pl, Gaye was able to satisfy the executiv at his longtime rerd label, Motown, by churng out a bunch of hs, om "I Heard It Through the Grapeve" to "What's Gog On" to "Sexual Healg. Some of those thgs are mentned whenever people talk about his tragic ath, bee on April 1, 1984 — jt one day before his 45th birthday — Gaye's father, Marv Gay Sr., shot and killed him Los Angel, California the same hoe that Gaye prevly signed over to his parents.

But there was another inic sger who kept a lot of people buzzg as they moonwalked, sce many were also talkg about Gaye's touchg performance the now-classic televised event. Some might say that between Gaye's talkg tro the performance and sgg "What's Gog On, " he not only showed his keen micianship, but perhaps a glimpse to his emotnal state, as his words seemed to have a touch of sadns to them.

MARV GAYE, 30 YEARS ON

On April 1, 1984, legendary soul sger, Marv Gaye, was shot twice and killed by his father, Marv Gay Sr. * year marvin gaye died *

Pl, "Sexual Healg" uld be nsired a sequel to Gaye's 1973 cut, "Let's Get It On, " which also did well on the charts and explored the same subject matter.

"Sexual Healg, " which is off of Gaye's 17th (and fal) LP, "Midnight Love, " was wrten by the sger, as well as Oll Brown, and was Gaye's first h on Columbia after leavg Motown followg 20 years. The song also earned Gaye two Grammy Awards  1983, after he went through years of personal challeng, cludg two divorc and a mounta of fancial problems.

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HE RERD SONGS BY SMOKEY ROBSON BEFORE BEG HIS OWN PRODUCER ON THE PROTT ALBUM WHAT'S GOG ON (1971). GAYE'S LATER RERDS VELOPED HIS PRODUCTN STYLE AND YIELD SEVERAL HS, CLUDG "LET'S GET IT ON," "SEXUAL HEALG" AND "I HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVE." GAYE WAS KILLED 1984 DURG A DOMTIC DISPUTE WH HIS FATHER.EARLY LIFESGER MARV PENTZ GAYE, JR., ALSO KNOWN AS THE "PRCE OF SOUL," WAS BORN WASHGTON, D.C., ON APRIL 2, 1939. GAYE WAS RAISED UNR THE STRICT NTROL OF HIS FATHER, REVEREND MARV GAY SR.—MARV GAYE JR. ADD THE "E" ON THE END OF HIS NAME LATER LIFE—THE MISTER AT A LOL CHURCH, AGAST A BLEAK BACKDROP OF WISPREAD VLENCE HIS NEIGHBORHOOD. THROUGHOUT HIS CHILDHOOD, GAYE OFTEN FOUND PEACE MIC, MASTERG THE PIANO AND DMS AT A YOUNG AGE. UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL, HIS SGG EXPERIENCE WAS LIMED TO CHURCH REVIVALS, BUT SOON HE VELOPED A LOVE FOR R&B AND DOO-WOP THAT WOULD SET THE FOUNDATN FOR HIS REER. IN THE LATE 1950S, GAYE JOED A VOL GROUP LLED THE NEW MOONGLOWS. THE TALENTED SGER HAD A PHENOMENAL RANGE THAT SPANNED THREE VOL STYL AND HE SOON IMPRSED THE GROUP'S FOUNR, HARVEY FUQUA. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE GAYE AND FUQUA BOTH ME TO THE ATTENTN OF DETRO MIC IMPRAR {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}BERRY GORDY JR. AND WERE SIGNED TO GORDY'S LEGENDARY MOTOWN RERDS.MOTOWN RERDSGAYE'S FIRST CERTIFIED H UNR HIS OWN NAME WOULDN'T E UNTIL 1962, BUT HIS EARLY YEARS AT MOTOWN WERE FULL OF BEHD-THE-SCEN SUCCS. HE WAS A SSN DMMER FOR MOTOWN LEGENDS SUCH AS LTLE STEVIE WONR, THE SUPREM, THE MARVELETT AND MARTHA AND THE VANLLAS. SHOWG HIS STRIP AS MOTOWN'S RENAISSANCE MAN, GAYE WENT ON TO BREAK TO THE TOP 40 FOR THE FIRST TIME ON HIS OWN 1962 WH HIS SOLO SGLE "HCH HIKE." THROUGHOUT THE 1960S, GAYE WOULD SHOW HIS IMMENSE RANGE, CHURNG OUT SOLO DANCE HS AND ROMANTIC DUETS WH H-MAKERS LIKE DIANA ROSS AND MARY WELLS. "CAN I GET A WNS" AND "I HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVE" WERE SOME OF GAYE'S BIGGT HS OF THE PERD, THE LATTER ACHIEVG S PLACE AS MOTOWN'S BT-SELLG SGLE OF THE 1960S. FOR THREE HIGH-FLYG YEARS, GAYE AND TAMMI TERRELL WOWED THE UNTRY WH THEIR SOARG DUET PERFORMANC OF SONGS LIKE "A'T NO MOUNTA HIGH ENOUGH" AND "IF I COULD BUILD MY WHOLE WORLD AROUND YOU." UNFORTUNATELY, THEIR REIGN AS THE ROYAL COUPLE OF R&B END WHEN TERRELL SUCCUMBED TO A BRA TUMOR 1970. HIS BELOVED PARTNER'S ATH HERED A DARK PERD FOR THE SGER, WHO SWORE NEVER TO PARTNER WH ANOTHER FEMALE VOLIST AND THREATENED TO ABANDON THE STAGE FOR GOOD.POLIL MSAGEIN 1970, SPIRED BY LATG VLENCE AND POLIL UNRT OVER THE VIETNAM WAR, GAYE WROTE THE LANDMARK SONG "WHAT'S GOG ON." DPE CLASH WH MOTOWN OVER THE SONG'S CREATIVE DIRECTN, THE SGLE WAS RELEASED 1971 AND BEME AN STANT SMASH. ITS SUCCS PROMPTED GAYE TO TAKE EVEN MORE RISKS, BOTH MILLY AND POLILLY. WHEN WAS RELEASED THE SPRG OF 1971, THE WHAT'S GOG ON ALBUM SERVED TO OPEN GAYE UP TO NEW DIENC WHILE MATAG HIS MOTOWN FOLLOWG. DEPARTG OM THE TRIED AND TE MOTOWN FORMULA, GAYE WENT OUT ON HIS OWN ARTISTILLY, PAVG THE WAY FOR OTHER MOTOWN ARTISTS LIKE WONR AND MICHAEL JACKSON TO BRANCH OUT LATER YEARS. BEYOND FLUENCG HIS PEERS, THE ALBUM GARNERED WISPREAD CRIL ACCLAIM, WNG THE ROLLG STONE ALBUM OF THE YEAR AWARD.CROSSOVER SUCCSIN 1972, GAYE MOVED TO LOS ANGEL AND SOON MET JANIS HUNTER, WHO WOULD LATER BEE HIS SEND WIFE. INSPIRED PART BY HIS NEWFOUND PENNCE, GAYE RERD ONE OF THE MOST REVERED LOVE ANTHEMS OF ALL TIME, "LET'S GET IT ON." THE SONG BEME HIS SEND NO. 1 BILLBOARD H, CEMENTG HIS CROSSOVER APPEAL ONCE AND FOR ALL. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, MOTOWN PHED GAYE TO TOURG TO PALIZE ON HIS MOST RECENT SUCCS; RELUCTANTLY THE SGER-SONGWRER RETURNED TO THE STAGE. THROUGH MOST OF THE MID-1970S, GAYE WAS TOURG, LLABORATG OR PRODUCG. WORKG WH DIANA ROSS AND THE MIRACL, HE PUT OFF RELEASG ANOTHER SOLO ALBUM UNTIL 1976. HE NTUED TOURG AFTER THE RELEASE OF I WANT YOU (1976) AND, AFTER SRG A NO. 1 H 1977 WH THE DANCE SGLE "GOT TO GIVE IT UP," RELEASED HIS LAST ALBUM FOR MOTOWN RERDS (HERE, MY DEAR) 1978. (DES LATER, "GOT TO GIVE IT UP" WOULD BEE THE CENTER OF A BIG NTROVERSY. IN 2013, GAYE'S TATE ASSERTED THAT PRODUCER/SONGWRER PHARRELL WILLIAMS AND SGER/SONGWRER ROB THICKE HAD MTED PYRIGHT GEMENT BY TAKG MAJOR MIL ELEMENTS OM THE DIS TRACK FOR THE MEGA-H "BLURRED L." AFTER A SE WHICH THICKE TTIFIED THAT HE'D HAD LTLE TO DO WH THE WRG OF THE SONG, THE JURY LED FAVOR OF GAYE'S FAY, WHO WERE AWARD $7.3 LN DAMAG AND PROF SHAR. THE JURY ALSO LED THAT NEHER WILLIAMS OR THICKE HAD PURPOSELY MTED GEMENT.) AFTER TWO S AT MOTOWN, GAYE SIGNED WH CBS'S COLUMBIA RERDS 1982 AND BEGAN TO WORK ON HIS LAST ALBUM, MIDNIGHT LOVE. THE LEAD SGLE OM THAT ALBUM, "SEXUAL HEALG," BEME A HUGE EBACK H FOR THE R&B STAR AND EARNED HIM HIS FIRST TWO GRAMMY AWARDS AND AN AMERIN MIC AWARD FOR FAVORE SOUL SGLE.PERSONAL LIFEIN 1975, GAYE'S WIFE ANNA GORDY—BERRY GORDY'S SISTER—FILED FOR DIVORCE, AND TWO YEARS LATER GAYE MARRIED HUNTER, WHO HAD BY THEN GIVEN BIRTH TO THEIR DGHTER, NONA (BORN SEPTEMBER 4, 1974) AND THEIR SON FRANKIE (BORN NOVEMBER 16, 1975). GAYE ALSO HAD AN ADOPTED SON (MARV PENTZ GAYE III) OM HIS PREV MARRIAGE. THE SGER'S MARRIAGE TO HUNTER PROVED SHORT LIVED AND TUMULTUO, ENDG DIVORCE 1981.DEATH AND LEGACYDPE HIS SUCCSFUL EBACK THE EARLY 1980S, GAYE STGGLED BADLY WH THE SUBSTANCE ABE AND BOUTS OF PRSN THAT HAD PLAGUED HIM FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE. AFTER HIS LAST TOUR, HE MOVED TO HIS PARENTS' HOE. THERE HE AND HIS FATHER FELL TO A PATTERN OF VLENT FIGHTS AND QUARRELS THAT RELLED NFLICTS THAT HAD HNTED THE FAY FOR S. ON APRIL 1, 1984, MARV GAYE SR. SHOT AND KILLED HIS SON AFTER A PHYSIL ALTERTN; THE FATHER CLAIMED HE ACTED SELF-FENSE BUT WOULD LATER BE NVICTED OF VOLUNTARY MANSLGHTER. THREE YEARS AFTER HIS ATH, GAYE WAS DUCTED TO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME. CREATG BETIFUL ART OM A TROUBLED LIFE, GAYE AGA AND AGA BROUGHT HIS VISN, RANGE AND ARTISTRY TO THE WORLD STAGE. AT THE END OF HIS REER, HE ADMTED HE NO LONGER MA MIC FOR PLEASURE; STEAD, HE SAID, "I RERD SO THAT I N FEED PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED, WHAT THEY FEEL. HOPEFULLY, I RERD SO THAT I N HELP SOMEONE OVERE A BAD TIME."{BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;MARG:0.9375REM 0 0 0.625REM;PADDG:0 0 0 1.25REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:0.9375REM 0;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} LI{PADDG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} LI::MARKER{LOR:#323232;}NAME: MARV GAYEBIRTH YEAR: 1939BIRTH DATE: APRIL 2, 1939BIRTH CY: WASHGTON, D. C.BIRTH COUNTRY: UNED STATGENR: MALEBT KNOWN FOR: MARV GAYE WAS A SOUL SGER-SONGWRER WH MOTOWN THE 1960S AND 1970S. HE PRODUCED HIS OWN RERDS AND OFTEN ADDRSED NTROVERSIAL THEM.INDTRIPOPASTROLOGIL SIGN: ARIINTERTG FACTSBEFORE MAKG AS A SOLO ARTIST, MARV GAYE PLAYED DMS FOR ARTISTS SUCH AS STEVIE WONR AND THE SUPREM.DEATH YEAR: 1984DEATH DATE: APRIL 1, 1984DEATH STATE: CALIFORNIADEATH CY: LOS ANGELDEATH COUNTRY: UNED STATFACT CHECKWE STRIVE FOR ACCURACY AND YOU SEE SOMETHG THAT DON'T LOOK RIGHT,NTACT !CITATION INFORMATIONARTICLE TLE: MARV GAYE BGRAPHYAUTHOR: EDORSWEBSE NAME: THE WEBSEURL: ACCS DATE: PUBLISHER: A&E; TELEVISN NETWORKSLAST UPDATED: APRIL 19, 2021ORIGAL PUBLISHED DATE: APRIL 2, 2014QUOTES

Marv Gaye's father shot and killed the soul legend at the age of 44 1984. Why did Marv Gaye's father kill his son and what happened to him?" name="scriptn * year marvin gaye died *

After Marv Gaye performed at the 33rd annual NBA All-Star Game on Febary 13, 1983, people were buzzg about that entire year, the year after, and 's still beg talked about today. It all went down at The Fom Inglewood, California, and Gaye's breathtakg performance was the perfect addn to his already succsful year, as his song, "Sexual Healg, " was a h and the rerd "Midnight Love, " which ho the sgle, was gettg a lot of attentn.

Lookg ol enough to provi the dience wh air-ndng by jt starg at them, Gaye rocked a blue su wh dark aviator sunglass, and livered his signature smooth vols over a rollg dmbeat. When Marv Gaye won the Grammy Award for bt R&B male vol on Febary 23, 1983 for "Sexual Healg" at Los Angel' Shre Audorium, what took the artist to fally w wasn't lost on him. And a clip played before Gaye performed (and later won his two trophi), he talked about the many tim he'd lost to sger Lou Rawls, while also relayg an ia he once had to nab Rawls' award.

As his send wife, Janis Hunter, wrote her 2015 book, "After the Dance: My Life wh Marv Gaye, " the sger also reportedly eebased e — and she often got a ont-row seat to his dangero mood swgs. Dpe Marv Gaye allegedly havg a severe dg problem by the time 1983 rolled around, he still went on tour that year, bee his "Midnight Love" album was dog so well, as was his "Sexual Healg" sgle. Most likely to keep the momentum gog, on April 18th of that year, "The Sexual Healg Tour" began San Diego, California — but Gaye unfortunately brought his problems on the road wh him.

MARV GAYE’S DEATH

Marv Gaye started his reer as one of Motown's brightt stars, helpg to tablish the label's qutsential sound the '60s. * year marvin gaye died *

Gaye's stggl wh paranoia, secury, stage ight, and exhstn also reportedly add difficulty to the tour: Namely, Gaye thought that a hman was tryg to kill him, so he hired bodyguards and had people stand guard outsi his hotel room (but this wasn't the first time he took such safety measur).

It appears that Marv Gaye's cisn to move back wh his parents after his tour wrapped Augt 1983 was attached to multiple reasons: his fanc had seen better days, he was still addicted to dgs and need help, and lastly, his mother, Alberta Gay, beme ill, and he wanted to look after her. But stead of attemptg to kick his dg hab, 's said that Gaye — who grew up an abive hoehold, once referrg to his father, Marv Gay Sr., as "like livg wh...

HERE'S WHO INHERED MARV GAYE'S ESTATE WHEN HE DIED

Even though there were reported tensns between Gaye and his father before the mician moved , some neighbors were shocked by Gaye's ath, bee they didn't hear or see anythg that seemed off. Durg the last year of Marv Gaye's life, there was a lot of talk about his "Midnight Love" album, which was further regnized by the Grammy mtee 1984, as the LP brought him a nomatn for bt male R&B vol performance.

Rerd Belgium while Gaye was there livg tax exile, was clear that "Midnight Love" was ma wh the tentn of beg a h as opposed to beg an album ma for art's sake. As for Marv Gaye, there have never been any reports that say he had a weapon on the day his father shot him, but his sister, Zeola Gaye, ed the suici by p theory to claim that her famo brother "wanted to die.

That cisn probably had much to do wh Gaye owg his ex-wife, Anna Gordy, $600, 000 of his royalti their 1976 divorce, a topic that he explored on his 1978 album, "Here, My Dear. "I was unrgog two divorc at the same time, which n be rather trmatic by self, and then I was bankptcy, " said Gaye, before explag how he was also wasn't "gettg on at all" wh his rerd label, Motown.

THE LIFE AND TRAGIC ATH OF MARV GAYE, THE SON OF A PREACHER WHO BEME MOTOWN'S VOICE OF POLIL CHANGE AND DIED AT THE HANDS OF HIS OWN FATHER

" Joyner also quired about Gaye's past suici attempts, at which time the sger psed for a moment, before admtg that he didn't like talkg about , bee ma him seem "weak. Followg his untimely ath, Gaye's legacy would live on, not only through his mic and his fans' ntued adoratn, but through a youth and fay unselg anizatn lled the Marv P.

REMEMBERG MARV GAYE, 25 YEARS AFTER DEATH

And this emotnal void was said to have ntributed to his rapid cle his fal year and eventually led to Marv Gaye's tragic ath at the hands of his father. In his last year of life, he even moved back wh his parents, settg the stage for a prolonged power stggle between the two men — and for the vlent nontatn that would take Gaye's life.

MARV GAYE: THE MOTOWN LEGEND WHO WAS MURRED BY HIS FATHER

"I thk a lot of who survived those years had a different way of lookg at life, lookg at through a ke spoon or smokg too much weed, " Gaye's ex-wife Janis Gaye told The Detro News. But his fal year, as his nflict wh his father tensified, Gaye's recreatnal e of dgs had turned to a dangero ctch — one that only brought more nflict and difficulty to his life. Still, Gaye found ways to brg extra sh his fal days, cludg sellg the mic royalty rights for his songs to Motown Rerds, acrdg to Celebry Net Worth.

THE TRAGIC STORY OF MARV GAYE AND THE UNTIMELY ATH OF A SOUL LEGEND

In his last year of life, Marv Gaye was unr prsure om all sis — om troubled fay relatnships to his stggl wh dgs and profsnal prsure to tour, somethg that he never enjoyed, acrdg to Ebony. And this meant that, which he did receive some ath threats as large stars unfortunately sometim do, some of the most dntg threats Marv Gaye faced his fal months existed only his md.

THE STORY BEHD THE MURR OF MARV GAYE

While no evince of any such threats ever emerged, Gaye neverthels sisted on wearg a bulletproof vt and havg armed guards statned outsi his hotel room. As he grew more agated and emotnally isolated his fal year, Marv Gaye seemgly sought to return to the stabily and fort of two of the people who had known him the bt and red for him the most — his two ex-wiv, Anna Gordy Gaye and Janis Gaye.

In his emotnal ght state, Ebony reported, Gaye attempted to rekdle relatnships wh both of them at the same time, tellg iends he was thkg of rtartg his relatnship wh Anna Gordy Gay, whom he divorced 1977, all while actively pursug Janis Gaye, who had recently broken off their relatnship. While Marv Gaye's relatnship wh his father had always been marked by hostily and nflict, he and his mother, Alberta Gay (she mataed the origal spellg of their fay name), had always been fiercely loyal to each other, acrdg to Ebony. And Gaye's fal year, as his mental, fancial, and personal problems approached a boilg pot, his mother remaed his most loyal protector and fenr spe his creasgly erratic behavr.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE DEATH OF MARV GAYE

Wh his physil and mental health rapidly terratg his fal months and his star seemg to have crted — tickets for his fal tour cled as went on, acrdg to Ebony — Marv Gaye beme creasgly sponnt and self-stctive. Many who knew Gaye well spected he provoked his fal nontatn wh his father tentnally, wh a full unrstandg of how his vlence-prone father would react.

On April Fool's Day 1984, a day before what would have been Marv Gaye's 45th birthday, a fal — and fatal — dispute broke out between Gaye and his father, Marv Gay, Sr.

Alberta Gay, who wnsed the whole nontatn and narrowly missed a bullet herself, regnized the pistol: It was among the guns Gaye had given his parents for their personal safety some time before. However, police officers quickly disputed the claims that Gaye was vlently beaten after they found no ditn of bis on his head or any physil ditn that he had been kicked or punched multiple tim. After reviewg the documents associated wh the murr, cludg the amount of dgs Gaye had his system, the judge pridg over the se agreed to grant Marv Gaye Sr.

WHY MARV GAYE'S DEATH IS MORE TRAGIC THAN YOU KNOW

Even his biggt hs - I Heard It Through The Grapeve spent three weeks at number one the UK 1969 - were ignored by the newspaper's the late 70s, marriage breakdown (Gaye divorced Berry Gordy's sister Anna 1977), dg addictn and tax issu had led to self-imposed exile Europe. Click to view the full obuary Photograph: GuardianGaye's father, Marv Sr, plead guilty to voluntary manslghter and was sentenced to five years' probatn November is only wh hdsight that the Guardian has regnised Gaye's ntributn to mic.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* YEAR MARVIN GAYE DIED

Marv Gaye: A Look Insi His Fal Year Of Life .

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