Marvin Gay Sr.
| Marvin Gay Sr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Marvin Pentz Gay October 1, 1914 Jessamine County, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | October 10, 1998 (aged 84) Culver City, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Occupation | Minister |
| Spouse(s) |
Alberta Gay (née Cooper) (m. 1935–1984; divorced) |
| Children | Jeanne Gay (b. 1937) Marvin Gaye (1939–1984) Frankie Gaye (1941–2001) Zeola "Sweetsie" Gay (b. 1945) Antwaun Carey Gay (b. 1970) |
| Parent(s) | George Gay (1891–1971) Mamie Gay (1891–1981) |
The Reverend Marvin Pentz Gay Sr. (October 1, 1914 – October 10, 1998) was an American minister of the House of God. He was the father of American recording artist Marvin Gaye and gained notoriety after shooting and killing him on April 1, 1984 following an argument at their Los Angeles home.
Marvin Gay Sr. was born the first of 15 children to George and Mamie Gay on October 1, 1914 on a farm along Catnip Hill Pike in Jessamine County, Kentucky and was raised in Lexington. He had a troubled childhood, where his physically abusive father would often beat his mother and five siblings. According to Gay's wife, Alberta, Gay's family life consisted of constant violence involving domestic abuse and shootings. "Gays against Gays", she told author David Ritz. When Gay Sr. was still a child, he and his mother joined the Pentecostal church sect, the House of God. Gay moved to Washington, D.C. in his late teens to pursue a career as a minister of a House of God church there.
While in Washington, Gay Sr. met his future wife, Alberta Cooper, whom he would marry on July 2, 1935. The couple bought a small house in southern Washington at 1617 First Street, which was only a few blocks away from the Anacostia River. The street would be nicknamed "Simple City" for its being "half-city, half-country". Alberta already had a son named Michael, but believing he couldn't raise another man's son, Gay Sr. sent Michael to live with his sister-in-law, Pearl. Two years after marrying, they had their first child, a daughter they named Jeanne. On April 2, 1939, their first son, Marvin Jr. was born. Son Frankie (born Frances) and daughter Zeola followed shortly afterwards. In 1970, Gay would later father a son named Antwaun Carey with another woman as a result of one of his extramarital affairs.
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