Marvin Pentz Gay Sr. was born on October 1, 1914, in Jessamine County, Kentucky. The oldest of 13 children, he grew up in a household marked by violence, particularly at the hands of his own abusive father. This cycle of domestic abuse would follow him into adulthood. In his youth, Gay joined the House of God Pentecostal Church and would eventually become a preacher, drawn to the ministry during his late teens.

He moved to Washington, D.C., where he met and married Alberta Cooper on July 2, 1935. The couple would go on to have several children, including their son Marvin Jr., born in 1939. Their marriage, however, was strained early on. Alberta supported the household financially, often working as a domestic worker, while Gay Sr. struggled to hold steady employment and began to withdraw socially, leaning heavily on alcohol and his rigid spiritual beliefs.

As a minister, he was once seen as charismatic, even known for having “healing powers” within his church. But after being denied leadership roles in the church hierarchy, Gay reportedly lost faith and left the church entirely. This change coincided with a dark turn in his personal life. He became increasingly controlling and abusive at home, particularly toward his son Marvin Jr., who would later become a Motown legend.

Gay Sr.’s strict religious practices included extended Sabbaths, brutal punishments for wrong answers to Bible questions, and intense discipline for small mistakes. According to Marvin Jr., the abuse was relentless—from harsh beatings to emotional neglect. Their relationship was fractured, to the point where Marvin Jr. changed the spelling of his last name to "Gaye" to distance himself from his father and the negative associations that came with him.

Despite his son's rising fame and success, Gay Sr. remained a difficult presence in the family. He also became known for his cross-dressing, which further embarrassed his son and added to their complicated dynamic. Over time, his alcoholism worsened, and his marriage with Alberta crumbled. By the early 1980s, the couple lived in separate bedrooms in their Los Angeles home, speaking only minimally. Their relationship with Marvin Jr. was strained, but Marvin, battling his own demons with drugs and paranoia, returned home in 1983 seeking some form of stability.

On April 1, 1984, the world lost one of its greatest musical icons, Marvin Gaye, in a tragedy that shocked fans across the globe. What made the event even more horrifying was the identity of the killer—his own father, Marvin Pentz Gay Sr.

The day before the shooting, Gay Sr. had been arguing with his wife Alberta over a misplaced insurance policy. Marvin Jr., hearing the argument, intervened. Though tensions flared, no violence erupted that night. But by midday the next day, the argument resumed. Alberta recalled that Marvin Jr., wearing a robe, warned his father not to enter his room. When Gay Sr. ignored the warning, Marvin pushed and hit his father, a physical confrontation that turned violent quickly. Alberta managed to separate them temporarily.

But at 12:38 p.m., Gay Sr. returned with the very gun Marvin Jr. had gifted him for protection months earlier—a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol—and shot his son in the chest. The bullet pierced Marvin’s heart. Gay then fired a second shot into his son’s shoulder. Marvin Gaye Jr. was pronounced dead at 1:01 p.m. at California Hospital Medical Center. He was just one day short of his 45th birthday.

After the shooting, Gay Sr. calmly sat on the front porch and waited for police. During questioning, he claimed self-defense, saying he feared his son was going to hurt him. When asked if he loved Marvin, he responded, “Let’s say I didn’t dislike him.”

Initially charged with first-degree murder, Gay Sr.’s defense team presented medical evidence of a benign brain tumor. Combined with Marvin Jr.’s autopsy—which showed high levels of cocaine and PCP—his legal team successfully pushed for a plea deal. On September 20, 1984, he pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter. Two months later, during sentencing, he delivered an emotional statement, expressing regret and sorrow, saying he wished Marvin could walk through the door again.

The court sentenced him to a six-year suspended sentence and five years of probation. He was banned from owning firearms or consuming alcohol. Alberta filed for divorce soon after. Gay spent his final years in a nursing home, first in Inglewood, then in Culver City, where he died of pneumonia on October 10, 1998, at the age of 84.