Marvin Gaye's Murder by His Father

From childhood, American singer Marvin Gaye endured years of brutal abuse from his father, Marvin Gay Sr., a strict preacher with a violent temper. The singer later said his mother's love was the only thing that kept him from suicide and added an "e" to his last name to distance himself from his father. On April 1, 1984, during a heated family argument at their Los Angeles home, Marvin Sr. shot and killed his son. The murder of the soul icon shocked the world and ended one of music's greatest voices.

Previous Fact Next Fact