August 13, 2024 • 9 mins
A father hates his son for being everything he’s not: gentle and wildly talented. That hatred culminates in murder. The tragic family story of Marvin Gaye, where a life of pain goes unaddressed.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, You grow up hoping to somehow make your
parents proud of you. Then, as a parent, you want
your kid to succeed. But here's the thing. When somebody
reaches success way beyond what anybody expected, shouldn't they all
be thrilled? Then how does it all fall apart to
the point where a dad murders his super successful child.
(00:21):
I'm Patti Steele. The death of music icon Marvin Gay
at the hands of his father. That's next on the backstory.
We're back with the backstory. Relationships between parents and kids
can be pretty darn complicated. Right, In a perfect world,
your parents help you to be the best version of yourself.
(00:44):
Maybe in a less perfect world they're not so helpful,
but you get there yourself, and in the end everybody's
good with it. But that's not what happened to Marvin Gay,
one of the greatest soul singers of all time. Now.
He grew up in a home where his dad, a
pentic costal minister, constantly told him you're never going to
be anything. He spent his childhood being physically and emotionally
(01:08):
abused by him. As Marvin grew up, he was incredibly
attractive to girls and he was a gentle, creative soul,
qualities his father detested in him. In the end, Marvin
Senior shot his son to death following a nasty battle,
just hours before the star's forty fifth birthday. But how
(01:28):
did he get to that? Well, said one friend. The
relationship was never good, but it really collapsed as Marvin
Junior's amazing career took off with huge hits like herd
it through the grapevine, what's going on? And sexual healing,
And said the friend, when he started to earn more
than his daddy, everybody ran to Marvin Junior, which really
(01:50):
enraged his dad. So it's April first, nineteen eighty four,
Palm Sunday. Marvin is living with his mom and dad
in a gorgeous six bedroom Tutors house in La that
he bought for them ten years earlier. Despite his unhappy childhood,
he had moved back home due to his own problems.
He was struggling with drug addiction, depression, and money troubles.
(02:14):
Some of his depression stemmed from the loss of his
singing partner, Tammy Terrell, years earlier. She was just twenty
four years old when she collapsed in his arms on stage.
She was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and died
several months later in nineteen seventy. Can you imagine that
in all those years he never really recovered from the shock.
(02:37):
His relationship with his dad, Marvin Senior, had always been rough.
Dad was a strict, controlling guy known for being really
cruel to his family. Marvin Junior was the oldest kid,
and he was bullied endlessly by his father. Marvin Junior
said his dad disapproved of pretty much everything about him
(02:58):
as far back as he could remember. So on this
palm Sunday there were a series of arguments between Marvin
Junior and Marvin Senior. It was usually minor stuff, but
the arguments had been getting nastier and more frequent. At
the same time, Marvin Junior's mental and emotional state was
getting worse. He was wildly paranoid, heavily into cocaine, and
(03:22):
despite his gentle demeanor, his temperament was getting a little
more volatile. Now it reached a boiling point once again.
It started over something small, an insurance document that Marvin
Senior just couldn't find, but it blows up into a
deadly confrontation. Marvin Senior blames his wife for the missing
(03:42):
document and starts screaming at her right in front of
his son. Marvin Junior, already at the end of his rope,
is furious. He says, you can't talk to my mother
like that. He then begins to physically attack his dad.
He punches and kicks him. The pot is boiling over
a dolimination of years of pent up frustration and issues
(04:03):
with his father that were never dealt with. Marvin Senior
is humiliated and he's furious. He leaves the room, but
it doesn't end there. Less than thirty minutes later, he's back.
This time he's armed with a thirty eight caliber revolver. Ironically,
this is the gun Marvin Junior gave his dad just
(04:24):
a few months earlier for protection. Marvin Senior doesn't say
a word to his son as he enters the bedroom.
He fires not one, but two shots at point blank range.
Because Marvin Junior was sitting down. The first bullet was fatal,
piercing his heart, lung, liver, stomach, and left kidney. Then
(04:45):
his dad walks even closer, shooting his son point blank
through the shoulder. Marvin Junior is rushed to California Hospital
Medical Center, but it was too late. He was pronounced
dead at one oh one pm, just eleven hours before
or his forty fifth birthday. His death, especially at the
(05:09):
hands of his own father, shocked the music industry and
fans around the world. Of course, Marvin Senior was arrested
and taken into custody, and this will knock your socks off.
When asked if he loved his son or it is,
he replied, let's just say I didn't dislike him. Whew,
that is a chilling response, you know. So what happened
(05:30):
after that, well, nobody could make sense of the killing,
but it was clearly based on a decades long toxic
family dynamic that nobody had addressed. At first, Marvin Gay
Senior was charged with first degree murder, but it quickly
grew hair. During the very complicated trial, Marvin Senior said
he shot in self defense, that he was afraid of
(05:52):
his angry, much stronger, drug addicted son. Then it came
out during the trial that Marvin Senior had a brain tumor.
The defense, paid for with Marvin Junior's money, argued that
the brain tumor had impaired Marvin Senior's judgment and that
led to the shooting. They also blamed the shooting on
Marvin Junior's aggressive behavior, including him beating up on his
(06:15):
dad just moments before he pulled the gun. Now. In
the end, Marvin Senior accepted a plea deal and the
charges were reduced to voluntary manslaughter. He got a six
year suspended prison sentence and five years of probation. So
because of his brain tumor, he never served any time
in prison for the killing. He spent the remainder of
(06:36):
his life fourteen years in a nursing home, where he
died in nineteen ninety eight at the age of eighty four.
But what about Marvin Junior's mom, Well, Alberta Gay had
watched the horrifying event come down and had to live
with the memory of her husband killing the son she adored.
She never fully recovered, and she divorced Marvin Senior after
(06:58):
the trial. One of the most chilling stories she told
she said, the first time she spoke to her husband
after she posted his thirty thousand dollars bail, he started
speaking to me, but he said nothing about Marvin. His
eyes were dry. He wasn't apologetic or repentant. He acted
like someone who had finally simply gotten something out of
(07:18):
the way. Alberta died in nineteen eighty seven, just three
years after her son's death. Others left behind include Marvin
Junior's bodyguard, who had a recording of the singer saying
his dad had threatened his life before with the words
I brought you into the world and if you cross me,
I can take you out. Marvin told him that the
(07:39):
threat opened away for him to leave his troubles behind
by effectively committing suicide by parent and killing his father
at the same time with guilt. Finally, Marvin's brother, Frankie,
was living in a guesthouse on the property that night.
He rushed in minutes after the shooting. He said, his
brother put himself out of his misery. He brought relief
(08:01):
to our mother by getting our dad out of her life,
and he punished my father for all the pain he inflicted.
Frankie shared Marvin Junior's last words, I got what I wanted.
I couldn't do it myself, so I made him do it.
It's good I ran my race. There's no more left
in me. Marvin Gaye Junior had a life filled with
(08:21):
unaddressed pain, but his talent and voice transcended the struggles
he faced. I hope you're enjoying The Backstory with Patty Steele.
(08:44):
Follow or subscribe for free to get new episodes delivered automatically,
and feel free to dm me if you have a
story you'd like me to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty
Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele.
The Backstories a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, the Elvis
(09:05):
Durand Group, and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser.
Our writer Jake Kushner. We have new episodes every Tuesday
and Friday. Feel free to reach out to me with
comments and even story suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty
Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening
to the Backstory with Patty Steele. The pieces of history
(09:27):
you didn't know you needed to know.
All right, You grow up hoping to somehow make your
parents proud of you. Then, as a parent, you want
your kid to succeed. But here's the thing. When somebody
reaches success way beyond what anybody expected, shouldn't they all
be thrilled? Then how does it all fall apart to
the point where a dad murders his super successful child.
(00:21):
I'm Patti Steele. The death of music icon Marvin Gay
at the hands of his father. That's next on the backstory.
We're back with the backstory. Relationships between parents and kids
can be pretty darn complicated. Right, In a perfect world,
your parents help you to be the best version of yourself.
(00:44):
Maybe in a less perfect world they're not so helpful,
but you get there yourself, and in the end everybody's
good with it. But that's not what happened to Marvin Gay,
one of the greatest soul singers of all time. Now.
He grew up in a home where his dad, a
pentic costal minister, constantly told him you're never going to
be anything. He spent his childhood being physically and emotionally
(01:08):
abused by him. As Marvin grew up, he was incredibly
attractive to girls and he was a gentle, creative soul,
qualities his father detested in him. In the end, Marvin
Senior shot his son to death following a nasty battle,
just hours before the star's forty fifth birthday. But how
(01:28):
did he get to that? Well, said one friend. The
relationship was never good, but it really collapsed as Marvin
Junior's amazing career took off with huge hits like herd
it through the grapevine, what's going on? And sexual healing,
And said the friend, when he started to earn more
than his daddy, everybody ran to Marvin Junior, which really
(01:50):
enraged his dad. So it's April first, nineteen eighty four,
Palm Sunday. Marvin is living with his mom and dad
in a gorgeous six bedroom Tutors house in La that
he bought for them ten years earlier. Despite his unhappy childhood,
he had moved back home due to his own problems.
He was struggling with drug addiction, depression, and money troubles.
(02:14):
Some of his depression stemmed from the loss of his
singing partner, Tammy Terrell, years earlier. She was just twenty
four years old when she collapsed in his arms on stage.
She was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and died
several months later in nineteen seventy. Can you imagine that
in all those years he never really recovered from the shock.
(02:37):
His relationship with his dad, Marvin Senior, had always been rough.
Dad was a strict, controlling guy known for being really
cruel to his family. Marvin Junior was the oldest kid,
and he was bullied endlessly by his father. Marvin Junior
said his dad disapproved of pretty much everything about him
(02:58):
as far back as he could remember. So on this
palm Sunday there were a series of arguments between Marvin
Junior and Marvin Senior. It was usually minor stuff, but
the arguments had been getting nastier and more frequent. At
the same time, Marvin Junior's mental and emotional state was
getting worse. He was wildly paranoid, heavily into cocaine, and
(03:22):
despite his gentle demeanor, his temperament was getting a little
more volatile. Now it reached a boiling point once again.
It started over something small, an insurance document that Marvin
Senior just couldn't find, but it blows up into a
deadly confrontation. Marvin Senior blames his wife for the missing
(03:42):
document and starts screaming at her right in front of
his son. Marvin Junior, already at the end of his rope,
is furious. He says, you can't talk to my mother
like that. He then begins to physically attack his dad.
He punches and kicks him. The pot is boiling over
a dolimination of years of pent up frustration and issues
(04:03):
with his father that were never dealt with. Marvin Senior
is humiliated and he's furious. He leaves the room, but
it doesn't end there. Less than thirty minutes later, he's back.
This time he's armed with a thirty eight caliber revolver. Ironically,
this is the gun Marvin Junior gave his dad just
(04:24):
a few months earlier for protection. Marvin Senior doesn't say
a word to his son as he enters the bedroom.
He fires not one, but two shots at point blank range.
Because Marvin Junior was sitting down. The first bullet was fatal,
piercing his heart, lung, liver, stomach, and left kidney. Then
(04:45):
his dad walks even closer, shooting his son point blank
through the shoulder. Marvin Junior is rushed to California Hospital
Medical Center, but it was too late. He was pronounced
dead at one oh one pm, just eleven hours before
or his forty fifth birthday. His death, especially at the
(05:09):
hands of his own father, shocked the music industry and
fans around the world. Of course, Marvin Senior was arrested
and taken into custody, and this will knock your socks off.
When asked if he loved his son or it is,
he replied, let's just say I didn't dislike him. Whew,
that is a chilling response, you know. So what happened
(05:30):
after that, well, nobody could make sense of the killing,
but it was clearly based on a decades long toxic
family dynamic that nobody had addressed. At first, Marvin Gay
Senior was charged with first degree murder, but it quickly
grew hair. During the very complicated trial, Marvin Senior said
he shot in self defense, that he was afraid of
(05:52):
his angry, much stronger, drug addicted son. Then it came
out during the trial that Marvin Senior had a brain tumor.
The defense, paid for with Marvin Junior's money, argued that
the brain tumor had impaired Marvin Senior's judgment and that
led to the shooting. They also blamed the shooting on
Marvin Junior's aggressive behavior, including him beating up on his
(06:15):
dad just moments before he pulled the gun. Now. In
the end, Marvin Senior accepted a plea deal and the
charges were reduced to voluntary manslaughter. He got a six
year suspended prison sentence and five years of probation. So
because of his brain tumor, he never served any time
in prison for the killing. He spent the remainder of
(06:36):
his life fourteen years in a nursing home, where he
died in nineteen ninety eight at the age of eighty four.
But what about Marvin Junior's mom, Well, Alberta Gay had
watched the horrifying event come down and had to live
with the memory of her husband killing the son she adored.
She never fully recovered, and she divorced Marvin Senior after
(06:58):
the trial. One of the most chilling stories she told
she said, the first time she spoke to her husband
after she posted his thirty thousand dollars bail, he started
speaking to me, but he said nothing about Marvin. His
eyes were dry. He wasn't apologetic or repentant. He acted
like someone who had finally simply gotten something out of
(07:18):
the way. Alberta died in nineteen eighty seven, just three
years after her son's death. Others left behind include Marvin
Junior's bodyguard, who had a recording of the singer saying
his dad had threatened his life before with the words
I brought you into the world and if you cross me,
I can take you out. Marvin told him that the
(07:39):
threat opened away for him to leave his troubles behind
by effectively committing suicide by parent and killing his father
at the same time with guilt. Finally, Marvin's brother, Frankie,
was living in a guesthouse on the property that night.
He rushed in minutes after the shooting. He said, his
brother put himself out of his misery. He brought relief
(08:01):
to our mother by getting our dad out of her life,
and he punished my father for all the pain he inflicted.
Frankie shared Marvin Junior's last words, I got what I wanted.
I couldn't do it myself, so I made him do it.
It's good I ran my race. There's no more left
in me. Marvin Gaye Junior had a life filled with
(08:21):
unaddressed pain, but his talent and voice transcended the struggles
he faced. I hope you're enjoying The Backstory with Patty Steele.
(08:44):
Follow or subscribe for free to get new episodes delivered automatically,
and feel free to dm me if you have a
story you'd like me to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty
Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele.
The Backstories a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, the Elvis
(09:05):
Durand Group, and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser.
Our writer Jake Kushner. We have new episodes every Tuesday
and Friday. Feel free to reach out to me with
comments and even story suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty
Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening
to the Backstory with Patty Steele. The pieces of history
(09:27):
you didn't know you needed to know.
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