How much was Marvin Gaye worth?
| Net Worth: | -$9 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Singer |
| Date of Birth: | April 2, 1939 (aged 44) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 1.85 m |
About Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. on April 2, 1939 was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer with an estimated net worth of -$9 million. The son of a preacher man who ministered to an obscure and conservative Christian sect, Marvin sang in the choir at an early age. He was influenced by the sounds of the time and formed the doo-wop group, The Marquees.
Marvin was born and raised in Washington, DC, his father was strict however from an early age he would occasionally sing for his father in church. By the time he started high school, Marvin had also learned to play musical instruments. He then began to venture into singing and playing more secular music, something that had been forbidden by his father. However, The Marquees were soon hired by Harvey Fuqua to be his backing vocalists, the Moonglows.
After the group split, Marvin followed Fuqua to Detroit, where he met Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records. Gordy signed Gay(e) to a recording contract, during his early days with Motown, he was assigned work as a studio session drummer. However, he was also mentored by Smokey Robinson and others. He was the drummer on many early Motown hits, including the Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman,” Martha and the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street,” and Stevie Wonder‘s “Fingertips.”
His early material was more jazz and blues influenced, and Marvin’s first few singles for Motown were flops. After adding an “e” to his last name, something that he claims to have been a tribute to idol Sam Cooke, Marvin hit with “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” in 1962. He crafted a sexy image and established himself as Motown’s leading man, something that drew him a lot of attention at the time. All of his talent and fond attention resulted in a number of solo hits and duets with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, and Tammi Terrell. Gaye considered himself a pop-vocal balladeer and there were opportunities for him arising almost everywhere, however he struggled to make much of them as he was married to Gordy’s sister, Anna.
Despite Marvin Gaye being recognized today as one of the most iconic singer-songwriters, ever; with songs like “Let’s Get It On”‘s melody impossible not to shift your consciousness. He died with debts of almost $9 million dollars, mostly owed to the IRS in the form of unpaid taxes. Before his death he was living with his parents, had sold most of his music royalty rights to Motown Records and was earning essentially nothing. The few royalties that he was entitled to and earned by his estate after his death, were eventually all received by the IRS to the tune of about $1 million dollars per year.
Gaye had challenged Gordy to give him more creative control in the early Seventies, resulting in the dual masterpieces “What’s Going On” and “Let’s Get It On.” However Gaye spent most of the late Seventies battling Anna in divorce court and trying to control his cocaine habit. He returned to the charts with 1983’s successful “Sexual Healing.” His predicament forced him to move back into his father’s house, however, and after a violent argument, the elder Gay shot his son, ending his life.
Marvin had been staying at his parents’ house in Los Angeles, when he got into a series of arguments with his father. The situation came to a head on April 1, 1984, when Marvin Sr. was arguing with his wife and Marvin Jr. interfered. The father shot and killed his son with a gun that Marvin Jr. had previously given his father as a present. At the time of his death in 1984, Marvin Gaye’s net worth was -$9 million. He was 44 years old.
The day of his death was just one day before Marvin Jr.’s 45th birthday. Eventually, Marvin Sr. pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to five years’ probation.
