Motown Minute – Marvin Gaye

Our “Motown Minute” is designed to put the spotlight on a deserving Motown singer, songwriter or key member of the sound to pay tribute to the best sound from the 60s. Here’s our look at the late Marvin Gaye.

Marvin was born in Washington D.C, but grew up in Detroit. In his early years, Marvin began to climb the ladder as an amateur boxer, but was always told he had a beautiful singing voice, so after one too many knock downs, Marvin changed careers and signed with Motown records.

Marvin was a very good song writer, and began to record his own music, eventually selling millions of record. In spite of his early success, Marvin didn’t win a Grammy till his “Sexual Healing” phase in the mid-80s.

On April 1st, 1984, Marvin got into a shouting match with his father (his parents were living in the Los Angeles estate with Marvin) and sulked away to be alone… A few hours later while talking to his mother, his father ambushed him to continue the argument, carrying a gun, and in the heat of the verbal fight, shot his son twice.

The paramedics had to wait for nearly 45 minutes to be sure they themselves would not be harmed before they could reach Marvin (company insurance policy), but it was to no avail as indicated later, the initial shot to the heart proved to be instantly fatal.

Marvin Gaye died at the age of 44, and his father was given a six-year suspended sentence. Marvin Gaye Sr. died in a nursing home in 1998 at the age of 84.