The tragic death of Marvin Gaye, explained

Soul and R&B singer Marvin Gaye is one of the greatest Motown artists ever. He had a unique vocal style, digging deep into his emotions and expressing them through his singing. Motown record label founder Berry Gordy, Jr., who worked with the soul singer for more than two decades, once described Gaye as “the truest artist” he’s ever known.

Gaye gained popularity and success throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, and today, he’s most known for his hit songs, such as “Let’s Get It On,” “Sexual Healing,” and “What’s Going On.” Tragically, his life was cut short when he was killed in 1984.

Marvin Gaye’s family background

The singer was born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. on April 2, 1939, in Washington, D.C. His mother, Alberta, was a domestic worker while his father, Marvin Sr., was a preacher at a Pentecostal church where Marvin Jr. started singing at 4 years old. Gaye once said that he loved his father’s voice. 

“I loved everything about his church. He expected me to fulfill what he considered God’s dictum — that I sing, preach, and carry on in his hallowed tradition.”

Marvin Sr. was a strict disciplinarian and resorted to corporal punishment to discipline his children, even for the most insignificant errors. Marvin Jr.’s sister, Jeanne, said that his brother endured “brutal whippings” from their father from 7 years old until his teens. Marvin Jr. stated later in life that by 12 years old, there was no area of his body that his father hadn’t beaten.

Marvin Jr.’s mother, Alberta, told biographer David Ritz that her husband always had a dislike for his son and even thought he wasn’t his. “I told him that was nonsense. He knew Marvin was his. But for some reason, he didn’t love Marvin, and what’s worse, he didn’t want me to love Marvin either. Marvin wasn’t very old before he understood that,” Alberta explained.

The only thing that kept Marvin Jr. going was his mother’s love and support. As he grew older, he learned to appreciate other types of music, such as doo-wop, and after a short stint at the Air Force, he decided he wanted to be a singer, which his father was vehemently opposed to. According to Marvin Jr., it was that decision that ultimately broke his already fragile relationship with his father.

“The fact that I chose another path ruined our relationship. I rebelled against his authority. I rebelled against all authority.”

What happened on the day of Marvin Gaye’s death?

Before Marvin Jr.’s career took off, he included an “e” at the end of his family name as a way to distance himself from his father, as well as to eliminate rumors about his sexuality. As found success in his career, his relationship with his father further deteriorated, but he still took care of his parents. He purchased a bigger home for them in Washington D.C. and later another one in Los Angeles. 

By the ‘80s, Marvin Sr. and Alberta’s relationship had been rocky for at least a decade. They shared a home, but slept in separate rooms and often fought. For several months between 1983 and 1984, Marvin Jr. temporarily lived at his parents’ home in Los Angeles to help take care of Alberta who had just had surgery. 

Tensions were high in the household. Marvin Sr. had become an alcoholic, and Marvin Jr. had been battling personal issues, such as depression and substance abuse, and had attempted to kill himself three times. Despite the tensions between him and his father, though, biographer Steve Turner said that Marvin Jr. didn’t hate his father. “He thought deeply, and he could never understand why his father didn’t acknowledge his success and give him some praise,” Turner said.

In the days leading up to Marvin Jr.’s death, Marvin Sr. and Alberta had been arguing over the insurance policy on their prior home. On April 1, 1984, the singer heard his parents arguing again and told his father to leave his mother alone. However, the fight didn’t stop. Marvin Jr. went to his father and beat him up. Alberta recalled, “I shouted for him to stop, but he paid no attention to me. He gave my husband some hard kicks.”

Marvin Sr. then went out of the room and when he came back, he was armed with the .38 Smith & Wesson pistol that his son had given him for Christmas. He raised the gun and shot Marvin Jr. twice. The singer was brought to the California Hospital Medical Center, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at 1:01 pm. He was just a day shy of his 45th birthday.

Marvin Jr.’s final words

Frankie, Marvin Jr’s brother, was in the guest house at his parents’ property when the shooting occurred. After hearing the commotion and learning that his brother was shot, he raced to his side and held him. It was then that Marvin Jr. said his final words.

“I got what I wanted… I couldn’t do it myself, so I had him do it. It’s good, I ran my race; there’s no more left in me.”

Frankie and other members of the family believe that Marvin Jr. attacked his father to provoke him into shooting him. “He put himself out of his misery. He brought relief to mother by finally getting her husband out of her life,” Frankie said.

What happened to Marvin Sr.?

Marvin Sr. was arrested and was held on $100,000 bail. He claimed that he didn’t mean to shoot his son and wasn’t aware that the gun had real bullets. He was initially charged with first-degree murder and was let out on bail. Just a month later, it was discovered that he had a brain tumor, and it helped change his fate in court. Arnold Gold, Marvin Sr.’s defense lawyer, argued during the preliminary hearing that his client’s brain tumor may have affected how he acted during the altercation.

Marvin Jr.’s autopsy showed that he had PCP and cocaine in his system at the time of his death. That, together with the photographic evidence of Marvin Sr.’s injuries from being attacked by his son and the brain tumor, led the judge to offer the defendant a plea bargain. His charges were reduced to voluntary manslaughter, to which he pleaded no contest, a type of plea wherein the defendant does not admit guilt, but accepts the conviction.

In November 1984, Marvin Sr. was sentenced to a six-year suspended sentence as well as a five-year probation. He was also prohibited from drinking alcohol and owning firearms. Marvin Sr. died of pneumonia in 1998 at 84 years old.