Great Interview!
[Edited 5/25/09 18:00pm]

Yeah it is. This is actually from 1974 tho.

Timmy84 said:

Thanks. Doesn't Marvin Father look a bit like Ike Turner

tamewar said:

He does.

I could not keep my eyes off of Marvin as his father was talking. When his dad spoke about not praying for him, you could see the expression on Marvin's face change, just a tad bit. When his dad told him that he was proud of him, his face lit up again....

shorttrini said:

Yeah i spot that too but he was telling a joke, he just didn't want Marvin to get beat up lol.

shorttrini said:

Marvin & his father had a very complicated relationship to say the least.

Timmy84 said:

It reminds me of the relationship that I have with my dad. It's too bad that Marvin or his father never lived long enough to work things out....

I find it a bit disturbing. Seems his father is jealous of him. I can imagine Marvin starving for is father's attention. Even though its a casual conversation, its just weird imo.

tamewar said:

His dad acts more like his mom.

No, seriously. By today's standard, Marvin Sr. would make Pete Burns, Boy George, AND RuPaul look macho.

TonyVanDam said:

According to Marvin's mother, Marvin Sr.'s family, which also had an abusive father (shocked, I think not), had at least five brothers that were gay. And it's a possibility that Marvin Sr. was at least bi or gay because he was very effeminate. Marvin Jr. was very confused about that growing up.

Timmy84 said:

Wasn't there a story about Marvin not liking his last name? This is why he added the "E"? Timmmy, do you know anything about this?

shorttrini said:

Yeah, kids in school and around the neighborhood used to tease Marvin and his family especially him and kid brother Frankie because of it. They also used their father's effeminacy to attack them. Of course being devoted sons, they tried to fight it off. It got to the point where Marvin's relationship with his father deteriorated and he was tired of the gossip that he looked at what Sam COOK did adding the e to his name so he did the same thing so he would "free" himself so to say.

Plus Frankie's full name was Frances Gay. Both Frances and Frankie, as it turns out was a unisex name though Frankie said in his book that his parents gave him a "girl's name".
[Edited 5/25/09 21:05pm]

Timmy84 said:

I knew you would know the story, Tim. Oh and I am sorry for adding the extra "m" in your name, before...lol!! Too much food I guess.

shorttrini said:

That's alright. I understand, you were probably typing with one hand. I make that mistake sometimes.

Oh and you're welcome.

Timmy84 said:

I love that their last name is Gay!!!!!

Cinnie said:

It's crazy, ain't it?

I remember Bobby Taylor of the Vancouvers talking about that issue and he said some folks thought Marvin was gay BECAUSE of the last name, to which Bobby responded, "that's ignorance, look at the phone book, you'll find a whole bunch of 'Gay' people then!"

TonyVanDam said:

His daughter Nona Gaye is just beautiful http://www.youtube.com/wa...2cY3B9kZm4 singing the with her late daddy. Wow that's Marvin Gaye's dad? I never would have guess it! Is that a lacefront wig he's wearing? Uh damn well enjoy the clip... If that headline didn't read (Marvin Gaye and his father) I would have thought otherwise! That is an interesting interview and it's spooky to watch since, he's the one that took his own son's life.

I don't recall ever having recognized just how obviously gay Marvin’s dad was. However, neither do I remember ever having gotten this close a look at him. At the time of Marvin’s death, they either just referred to him, or else all I saw were still photos, or footage of his dad being played behind the news reporters commentary. Now I see him here in screaming Technicolor, lol.

However, I had always wondered about Marvin’s sexuality. Because I remember reading the liner notes in one of his albums back in the day (I can't recall which album, it may have been "Let's Get it On"), where he was speaking about love. I remember he was speaking about all types of love, and it seemed to me at the time that he was including love between any two individuals, which I took to mean love between two men or two women. At least the way it was worded, you couldn't have ruled that out. Of course, now I'm feeling that it was probably his dad that influenced his understanding of love between any two individuals.

When I see clips like this, I wish it were possible to reach into the video and pull the person back out to life, to turn back time. I still can't believe Marvin is gone, or that it was his dad that took him out. We’re living in a very complicated world.

I can not believe this is Marvin's father.


He doesn't look like Marvin at hall. Different hair, different skull structure, different everything. Also they look the same age, not like father and sun.

His father comes across a bit gay I think. Not the straight preacher I always imagined.

Marvin could have beaten the shit outta his dad.

Does anyone have a pic of MG's mum?

graecophilos said:

i think i understand what u want to say..if indeed he doesnt look a lot like his mum either...it isnt really impossible afterall..and it woulld explain a lot..but is there any real ground for this tough? sorry i am bored..

PDogz said:

Marvin definitely DID say "love between anybodies", he didn't seem to discriminate. Their relationship was difficult though. Marvin has said of his dad that he was like a king, "a peculiar, powerful king". Marvin felt intimidated by his dad up until their last fight.

graecophilos said:

graecophilos said:

now, that's what I call a typo!

- I notice they put their arms in the same stance

Interesting video

Mstrustme said:

They did.

wow, Marvin seemed to be really happy at the end when he kissed his father.

Was Marvin a cuddler and one for hugging and stuff?

graecophilos said:

Yeah. In the Motown 25 finale, where Marvin is seen wearing a very flashy, I might add, red suit and wearing shades, near the end, he sees his former brother-in-law (Berry) and they embrace similarly.

graecophilos said:

Interesting you should say this, I'm assuming you're not being sarcastic. Because in my opinion, they look extremely similar. Particularly their noses and cheek bones. I wouldn't consider the hair because it looks like dad MAY be wearing a wig (...or if it is his hair, looks like he's had it "DONE" many times over, lol). And regarding their age, dad looks appropriately OLDER than Marvin in this clip (to me), even has the mannerisms and rhetoric of an older person of that time (...and Marvin looks nowhere near the age of the man to his right).

I've often heard it said that it's hard to determine the age of Black people by looking at them, perhaps this is what you're experiencing. Moreover, I understand that it's not uncommon for different people to view the same phenomenon in different ways, even to notice or dismiss different details.