Table of Biography
Marvin Gaye III was an African-American singer, composer, and businessman. Marvin Gaye III was known for his super hit songs like ‘How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)’ and ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine.’ Moreover, he has helped Motown Records to emerge.
Early life
Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., best known as Marvin Gaye III was born on the 2nd of April, 1939, in Washington, D.C., the United States of America.
At the time of his death, he was 44 years old and holds an American nationality. Moreover, he has a zodiac sign of Aries and belongs to the African-American ethnicity.
Caption: Marvin Gaye III with his family (Source: Strokin’)
Marvin was the son of Marvin Gay Sr (father) and Alberta Gay (mother). His mother was a housekeeper, while his father was a church priest. He has five siblings total, including his brothers from his father’s extramarital affair and his mother’s previous marriage.
His father frequently beat him physically and emotionally as he was growing up in a tumultuous environment. From an early age, he was interested in music, and singing and playing musical instruments gave him pleasure.
Talking about his academic career, he studied at Cardozo High School and also started performing with some local bands. When Marvin was a teenager, his father’s abuse of him got worse, and he couldn’t handle it any longer, so he left home and stopped going to school.
Death
On the eve of his birthday, during an argument with his father, Marvin Gay Sr shot and killed him at the age of 44. On the night of April 1, 1984, he was shot twice.
After that, his father was sentenced to 6-years of suspension and 5-year of probation. Moreover, he spent his remaining life in nursing homes and died in 1998 at the age of 84.
Awards
As a singer and composer, he has won several awards and honors in his life. For “Sexual Healing,” he received two Grammy Awards in 1983: Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Instrumental Performance.
In the R&B-soul category, the song also earned him an American Music Award. For his creative and aesthetic contributions to the music industry, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.
Caption: Marvin Gaye III showing his Grammy award (Source: Fanpop)
Net Worth 2023
Talking about his net worth, at the time of his death, his net worth estimated at around $5 million.
Professional career
Talking about his profession, he joined the United States Air Force when he was 17 and dreamt of being a pilot. He was disappointed when he was only given basic tasks to do and lied about being sick to get discharged.
After that, he with his friend, Reese Palmer formed the vocal quartet, The Marquees. Later, the group changed its name to ‘Harvey’ and began recording songs.
In 1961, he eventually began pursuing a solo career and released his debut single, “Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide,” later a few weeks later, he released the album “The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye.”
In 1962, his single “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” became his first solo hit. The R&B charts put it at Number 8. After that, he had his first top 10 single, “Pride and Joy.”
Other songs and albums
He began singing duets with female singers like Tammi Terrell and Mary Wells when his solo career was still growing.
He had a very close collaboration with Tammi, and they recorded successful songs like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1967) and “You’re All I Need to Get By” (1968).
Sadly, Tammi had a brain tumor and passed away in 1970. By her passing, Marvin was left broken and depressed. Even thinking about suicide, he immersed himself in music to find comfort.
He released the album “Let’s Get It On” in 1973, marking his entry into the funk and romance-themed music genres.
The record went on to become a great hit, despite some music critics feeling put off by its explicit sexual lyrics. He started a tour to promote this record.
Live performances increased his appeal and helped him become a highly sought-after musician. He went on tour in 1974 and 1975.
The album “Here, My Dear,” which was dedicated to Marvin’s failed marriage to his first wife, Anna Gordy, was recorded in the late 1970s while he was going through a nasty divorce.
He released his song “Sexual Healing” in 1982, and it quickly rose to popularity. The song included gospel, funk, boogie, and soul elements.
Relationship Status
Marvin Gaye III married twice in his life. Firstly, he married Anna Gordy who was 17 years older than Marvin. They first met in 1960. They married in 1963 and adopted a newborn baby boy.
Eventually, the marriage crumbled and later turned into a divorce. In 1977, he married Janie Hunter. With the marriage, the couple has two children whose names are unknown. Due to Marvin’s drug addiction and mental health problems, the marriage ended in 1981.
Marvin Gaye III – Body measurements
Regarding his physical appearance, Marvin Gaye III was 6 feet 11 inches tall. Marvin had black hair with dark brown eyes color and there is no other information regarding his other body measurements.
Marvin Gaye III – Social media
This singer is no longer with us. So, Marvin Gaye III was not active on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.