1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: All right, You grow up hoping to somehow make your 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: parents proud of you. Then, as a parent, you want 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: your kid to succeed. But here's the thing. When somebody 4 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: reaches success way beyond what anybody expected, shouldn't they all 5 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 1: be thrilled? Then how does it all fall apart to 6 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 1: the point where a dad murders his super successful child. 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: I'm Patti Steele. The death of music icon Marvin Gay 8 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: at the hands of his father. That's next on the backstory. 9 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: We're back with the backstory. Relationships between parents and kids 10 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: can be pretty darn complicated. Right, In a perfect world, 11 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: your parents help you to be the best version of yourself. 12 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: Maybe in a less perfect world they're not so helpful, 13 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: but you get there yourself, and in the end everybody's 14 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: good with it. But that's not what happened to Marvin Gay, 15 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: one of the greatest soul singers of all time. Now. 16 00:00:57,680 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: He grew up in a home where his dad, a 17 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: pentic costal minister, constantly told him you're never going to 18 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: be anything. He spent his childhood being physically and emotionally 19 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: abused by him. As Marvin grew up, he was incredibly 20 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: attractive to girls and he was a gentle, creative soul, 21 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: qualities his father detested in him. In the end, Marvin 22 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: Senior shot his son to death following a nasty battle, 23 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: just hours before the star's forty fifth birthday. But how 24 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: did he get to that? Well, said one friend. The 25 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: relationship was never good, but it really collapsed as Marvin 26 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: Junior's amazing career took off with huge hits like herd 27 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: it through the grapevine, what's going on? And sexual healing, 28 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,759 Speaker 1: And said the friend, when he started to earn more 29 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: than his daddy, everybody ran to Marvin Junior, which really 30 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: enraged his dad. So it's April first, nineteen eighty four, 31 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: Palm Sunday. Marvin is living with his mom and dad 32 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: in a gorgeous six bedroom Tutors house in La that 33 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: he bought for them ten years earlier. Despite his unhappy childhood, 34 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 1: he had moved back home due to his own problems. 35 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,359 Speaker 1: He was struggling with drug addiction, depression, and money troubles. 36 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: Some of his depression stemmed from the loss of his 37 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: singing partner, Tammy Terrell, years earlier. She was just twenty 38 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,959 Speaker 1: four years old when she collapsed in his arms on stage. 39 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 1: She was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and died 40 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: several months later in nineteen seventy. Can you imagine that 41 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 1: in all those years he never really recovered from the shock. 42 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: His relationship with his dad, Marvin Senior, had always been rough. 43 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: Dad was a strict, controlling guy known for being really 44 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: cruel to his family. Marvin Junior was the oldest kid, 45 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: and he was bullied endlessly by his father. Marvin Junior 46 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: said his dad disapproved of pretty much everything about him 47 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: as far back as he could remember. So on this 48 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: palm Sunday there were a series of arguments between Marvin 49 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: Junior and Marvin Senior. It was usually minor stuff, but 50 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: the arguments had been getting nastier and more frequent. At 51 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 1: the same time, Marvin Junior's mental and emotional state was 52 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: getting worse. He was wildly paranoid, heavily into cocaine, and 53 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 1: despite his gentle demeanor, his temperament was getting a little 54 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: more volatile. Now it reached a boiling point once again. 55 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: It started over something small, an insurance document that Marvin 56 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: Senior just couldn't find, but it blows up into a 57 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: deadly confrontation. Marvin Senior blames his wife for the missing 58 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: document and starts screaming at her right in front of 59 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: his son. Marvin Junior, already at the end of his rope, 60 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: is furious. He says, you can't talk to my mother 61 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: like that. He then begins to physically attack his dad. 62 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: He punches and kicks him. The pot is boiling over 63 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: a dolimination of years of pent up frustration and issues 64 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: with his father that were never dealt with. Marvin Senior 65 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: is humiliated and he's furious. He leaves the room, but 66 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: it doesn't end there. Less than thirty minutes later, he's back. 67 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: This time he's armed with a thirty eight caliber revolver. Ironically, 68 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: this is the gun Marvin Junior gave his dad just 69 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: a few months earlier for protection. Marvin Senior doesn't say 70 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: a word to his son as he enters the bedroom. 71 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: He fires not one, but two shots at point blank range. 72 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 1: Because Marvin Junior was sitting down. The first bullet was fatal, 73 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: piercing his heart, lung, liver, stomach, and left kidney. Then 74 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: his dad walks even closer, shooting his son point blank 75 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: through the shoulder. Marvin Junior is rushed to California Hospital 76 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: Medical Center, but it was too late. He was pronounced 77 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: dead at one oh one pm, just eleven hours before 78 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: or his forty fifth birthday. His death, especially at the 79 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: hands of his own father, shocked the music industry and 80 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: fans around the world. Of course, Marvin Senior was arrested 81 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: and taken into custody, and this will knock your socks off. 82 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: When asked if he loved his son or it is, 83 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: he replied, let's just say I didn't dislike him. Whew, 84 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: that is a chilling response, you know. So what happened 85 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: after that, well, nobody could make sense of the killing, 86 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 1: but it was clearly based on a decades long toxic 87 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: family dynamic that nobody had addressed. At first, Marvin Gay 88 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 1: Senior was charged with first degree murder, but it quickly 89 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: grew hair. During the very complicated trial, Marvin Senior said 90 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: he shot in self defense, that he was afraid of 91 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: his angry, much stronger, drug addicted son. Then it came 92 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: out during the trial that Marvin Senior had a brain tumor. 93 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: The defense, paid for with Marvin Junior's money, argued that 94 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: the brain tumor had impaired Marvin Senior's judgment and that 95 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 1: led to the shooting. They also blamed the shooting on 96 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: Marvin Junior's aggressive behavior, including him beating up on his 97 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: dad just moments before he pulled the gun. Now. In 98 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: the end, Marvin Senior accepted a plea deal and the 99 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: charges were reduced to voluntary manslaughter. He got a six 100 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: year suspended prison sentence and five years of probation. So 101 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: because of his brain tumor, he never served any time 102 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: in prison for the killing. He spent the remainder of 103 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 1: his life fourteen years in a nursing home, where he 104 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: died in nineteen ninety eight at the age of eighty four. 105 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: But what about Marvin Junior's mom, Well, Alberta Gay had 106 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,039 Speaker 1: watched the horrifying event come down and had to live 107 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 1: with the memory of her husband killing the son she adored. 108 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: She never fully recovered, and she divorced Marvin Senior after 109 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,239 Speaker 1: the trial. One of the most chilling stories she told 110 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 1: she said, the first time she spoke to her husband 111 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: after she posted his thirty thousand dollars bail, he started 112 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: speaking to me, but he said nothing about Marvin. His 113 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: eyes were dry. He wasn't apologetic or repentant. He acted 114 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: like someone who had finally simply gotten something out of 115 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: the way. Alberta died in nineteen eighty seven, just three 116 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: years after her son's death. Others left behind include Marvin 117 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: Junior's bodyguard, who had a recording of the singer saying 118 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: his dad had threatened his life before with the words 119 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: I brought you into the world and if you cross me, 120 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: I can take you out. Marvin told him that the 121 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: threat opened away for him to leave his troubles behind 122 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:47,239 Speaker 1: by effectively committing suicide by parent and killing his father 123 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: at the same time with guilt. Finally, Marvin's brother, Frankie, 124 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: was living in a guesthouse on the property that night. 125 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: He rushed in minutes after the shooting. He said, his 126 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: brother put himself out of his misery. He brought relief 127 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: to our mother by getting our dad out of her life, 128 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: and he punished my father for all the pain he inflicted. 129 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: Frankie shared Marvin Junior's last words, I got what I wanted. 130 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 1: I couldn't do it myself, so I made him do it. 131 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:18,119 Speaker 1: It's good I ran my race. There's no more left 132 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: in me. Marvin Gaye Junior had a life filled with 133 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: unaddressed pain, but his talent and voice transcended the struggles 134 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: he faced. I hope you're enjoying The Backstory with Patty Steele. 135 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:49,319 Speaker 1: Follow or subscribe for free to get new episodes delivered automatically, 136 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: and feel free to dm me if you have a 137 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,839 Speaker 1: story you'd like me to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty 138 00:08:54,880 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 1: Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. 139 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: The Backstories a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, the Elvis 140 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: Durand Group, and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser. 141 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: Our writer Jake Kushner. We have new episodes every Tuesday 142 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: and Friday. Feel free to reach out to me with 143 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:20,079 Speaker 1: comments and even story suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty 144 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening 145 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 1: to the Backstory with Patty Steele. The pieces of history 146 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 1: you didn't know you needed to know.