The Unexpected Death of Marvin Gaye

It was a tragic day for music on April 1, 1984. Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father Marvin Gay Sr. It happen in the West Adams district of Los Angeles over an altercation that Marvin the son stepped into Between an elder Gay and his mother Albeta. Marvin was shot in his home at Gramercy Place. Gaye was shot twice, both shots were very fatal to Marvin and was named dead on arrival once ambulances and police showed up moments after the shooting. 

Gayes death proved to have huge impact on the music genre of rnb music. Motown lost a legend in Marvin Gaye. Gaye was given a burial in Forest Lawn Cemetary out in Southern California. Later Gaye had his ashes cremated and spread out all over the Pacific Ocean. Marvin's brother Frankie and his wife Irene heard the gun shots in the house next to the Gay's that night. When Irene went out after hearing the gun shots over to the house she was brought to see the tragic, crying, and screaming mother of Marvin saying "He shot my son!" As cops arrived Irene quickly told of where the gun was that the father used to shoot Marvin with. It was found under his pillow and as soon as cops got to the scene Gay Sr. was brought right in for questioning. 

Four days later Marvin had a star-studded funeral with over 10,000 mourners and a along them were a few friends from his Motown days such as Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and Motown CEO Berry Gordy. Starting with his soul-full music with being discovered by Bo Diddley, in a nightclub downtown in D.C.  With no number 1's on billboard however, with Gaye's early success it was true to be said he was a "hit maker." In 1963 Gaye had out a single called "Pride and Joy" which was a major hit in the spring of 1963 reaching top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. With success leading in the next couple years, in 1967 having a smashing first international hit with Kim Weston, "It takes two", which was made very famous and is song you could put a radio on today and hear it. Other notable hits such as "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" in 1967 also. Closing out his time within the next 15 years Marvin touched many people with his music all over the world. His music was thought to be soul-full and have his own smooth jazz and blues to it. The sudden death was a tragic day in Music and proved the end of a time period for a living legend. 

Sources: 

http://tracesofastream.blogspot.com/2008/07/death-of-marvin-gaye.html

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/marvin_gaye/index.html

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/marvin_gaye/13.html

www.google.com

http://www.marvingayepage.net/

Images:

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/marvin_gaye/15.html

http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/marvin_gaye