Marvin Gaye: Magic and mayhem
Published August 22, 2004
In 1982, he made a comeback with the hit generating album, Sexual Healing, which lauded the transcendent qualites of sensuality. However, by the time of his late American tour for the album, Gaye began the day with a tumbler of liquor, a huge joint and doses of cocaine. He believed that people throughout the country, including members of his staff and strangers, were out to kill him. His wealth had evaporated as a result of profligate spending and garnishments by the I.R.S. Broke and broken, Gaye eventually retreated to the house he had bought for his parents in Los Angeles.
It was there that Marvin Gay, Sr. shot and killeded Marvin, Jr. on April 1, 1984. The father was barely penalized for the death because the son had pummeled and kicked the elderly man at the beginning of the encounter. Marvin, Sr., fetched the gun his son had given him and shot him at least three times with it. Marvin Gaye would have turned 45 the next day.
There is a temptation to excuse the bad behavior of geniuses. After all, other folks behave just as awfully, and don't leave a legacy of great music, enlightening literature or brilliant inventions. But, it seems to me that the pathological aspects of our flawed heroes have to be considered along with the rest of their personalities. They remind us what a piece of work the human psyche often is. Even as we marvel at the amazing treasury of magnificent music Marvin Gaye created during his comparatively short life, we must also marvel at the suffering that occurred, both for him, and those he harmed.
Reasonably related
•Among the books I've read about Marvin Gaye are Michael Eric Dyson's Mercy, Mercy Me and Frankie Gaye and Fred Basten's Marvin Gaye, My Brother.
•The picture of Marvin Gaye is from a poster by J.D. Hodges.
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- Marvin Gaye: Magic and mayhem
- Published: August 22, 2004
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- Section: Music
- Writer: Mac Diva
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I grew up in Detroit in the sixties and seventies. Motown music was everywhere and I loved it, from the simple, innocent early days to the more sophisticated later music. I happened upon Dyson's book recently and saw Marvin Gaye's handsome and familiar face on the cover so I bought it. I had known how Marvin was killed, but not the details. And I never knew about Marvin's misogyny, drug crazed psychosis and the dark side of his sexuality including committing statutory rape with a relative. After learning all of this I feel like I've opened Pandora's box. I wish I could stuff it all back in! I just hope I can still listen to the music without remembering his life.
I admit that reading about his life is crazy and disturbing considering that this man was abused and was abusive also but the man DID leave a great collection of classics that'll be endured long after we're all gone. For all of his imperfect personal demons, his voice was the soundtrack of young America during the sixties and seventies and it's because of that, his legacy will remain imprinted. RIP, Marvin.
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[quote]"It was there that Marvin Gay, Sr. shot and killeded Marvin, Jr. on April 1, 1984. The father was barely penalized for the death because the son had pummeled and kicked the elderly man at the beginning of the encounter. Marvin, Sr., fetched the gun his son had given him and shot him at least three times with it. Marvin Gaye would have turned 45 the next day."[/quote]
Isn't the scene in Jungle Fever where Gator (Sam Jackson) the crackhead son of Preacher "the Good Reverend Doctor"?
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[quote]"It is now believed Gaye fathered the son they would rear with Anna's 15-year-old niece. It was about that time that Gaye began to abuse drugs, starting with alcohol and marijuana."[/quote]
It seemed that just pushed the young Gaye over the edge, poor guy. I often equate Berry Gordy to Satan's Disciple. From what I have read and heard about the personal life of his charges at motown ..he seemed very capable of creating hotel Califonia situations for those young impressionable talents.