I recently saw a video of Marvin Gaye singing sultry love ballads...laying on his back, on a wooden bench at a studio and the words flowed smoothly from his mouth as if he were LIVE AT THE FOX THEATRE! It was phenomenal!! I've always been a fan of his smooth grooves. I just learned in this chapter that his father was a cross dresser. I strict, Pentecostal preaching, cross dresser.
What effects do you think this had on his short music career?
I'm sure it was a challenge for Marvin growing into adult/manhood living with a parent who lead such a conflicting, tumultuous lifestyle. How could a person grow and live their best life when they were probably being condemned by a parent, who probably projected their own ill choices on their child?! What a confusing time it must have been for him and then his father kills him. Heart wrenching. Some parents really screw up and/or over their children.
ReplyDeleteI know a number of people with "Daddy" issues and came to understand how difficult it is to overcome abuse at the hands of someone who should act as your protector. Unfortunately, if not treated, you repeat the "sins of the father" on your own children to perpetuate the cycle.
DeleteA bad parental relationship can push someone in a lot of directions. I think Marvin's talent helped him live the best life possible for him, but ultimately it was not enough to overcome the demons he inherited from his father.
DeleteTen years ago, I read the Marvin Gaye biography, Divided Soul. If I remember correctly, Marvin did not know about his father’s penchant for dressing in women’s clothing until later in his life. What did have a significant effect on him was the physical and psychological abuse his father imposed on him throughout Marvin’s formative years. When Marvin’s father showed signs of dementia later in life, he lived with this father to look after him. Unfortunately, his father was so far gone that he murdered his own son.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching the Easter Seals telethon when the announcement that Marvin was killed by his father. My mother started crying. I did not know his father had dementia and that was what led to the incident. Wow! Such a sad story.
DeleteI think Marvin's relationship with his father left a hole in him that even fame and fortune could not fill. I think it helps the emotion that came out in his performances. Yet, I believe his father was the reason Marvin was so hard on the women in his life as well.
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