If there was a good example of Rick James' famous tagline, "Cocaine's a helluva drug", this definitely is. But so is alcohol in the case of Father Gay.

Even 28 years later, the details are still shocking. RIP Marvin.

I'm @ work right now, but I'm reluctant to watch it when I get home.

Hell, the description in Divided Souls alone haunted me for a long time, I don't think I'll be ready for this one.

Is it a new documentary btw?

Harlepolis said:

I'm @ work right now, but I'm reluctant to watch it when I get home.

Hell, the description in Divided Souls alone haunted me for a long time, I don't think I'll be ready for this one.

Is it a new documentary btw?

It came out a few years ago, I'm thinking 2009 but I'm not sure. It really delves into why Marvin did what he did and what led to it. I mean I knew cocaine triggered Marvin to hit his father but damn cocaine can do real damage to your psyche.

This has to be one of the most devastating tragedies in all of music. This one still disturbs me to this day. I recently went to a play on Marvin's life. It was written and produced by Janis, here in Chicago and I could hardly bear to witness the drama that surrounded this episode of jealousy, substance abuse, mental anguish, and insanity.

silverchild said:

This has to be one of the most devastating tragedies in all of music. This one still disturbs me to this day. I recently went to a play on Marvin's life. It was written and produced by Janis, here in Chicago and I could hardly bear to witness the drama that surrounded this episode of jealousy, substance abuse, mental anguish, and insanity.

His death is like a horror/drama/murder film. Like you knew what happened but the graphic details are all too much. Even Marvin Sr. had short term memory loss about what he had done (and then alleged it was self-defense). But here's what I don't understand, even if Marvin was that messed up and he hit him (and I'm against kicking my own family members down), why would you wait about, what 10 minutes, to get up, retreive your gun and then shoot the person who attacked you? That sounds more like this was planned then a reaction (though he did have a brain tumor that was later taken out). His sister Jeanne seemed to think that Marvin knew this because he wanted to die so it was "premeditated suicide" (which I don't buy). But what I'm most angered by is that his family - with probably the exception of Frankie - really wanted to help him. Even Marvin thought Frankie had turned against him when that wasn't the case at all but when you're doped on cocaine and PCP (the autopsy found PCP in his system along with cocaine), you definitely had delusions. When I read he had PCP in his system I was shocked. I'm thinking PCP can trigger your emotions more than cocaine did. I mean, look at James Brown, high on PCP...

[Edited 6/25/12 12:53pm]

I better not watch it-it's gonna make me cry.

I guess I should've titled this: "not for the faint of heart".

But yeah I can see why it's hard to watch. It's actually real grippling and done beautifully. I was just amazed by the time I saw the reenactments of that final day. Just chilling. Marvin lived and died to the extreme... he probably wouldn't have had it any other way.

Timmy84 said:

I guess I should've titled this: "not for the faint of heart".

But yeah I can see why it's hard to watch. It's actually real grippling and done beautifully. I was just amazed by the time I saw the reenactments of that final day. Just chilling. Marvin lived and died to the extreme... he probably wouldn't have had it any other way.

See the thing that always bothered me about his death was the fact that his father killed him. That to me is just so sad even to this day I can't imagine a situation being to bad and urgent that I would kill my child. Just sad. Imma pass on watching it and just remember Marvin as I liked him.

I actually did think Marvin Sr. got off lucky. Back then, you could get off on a murder charge if the victim did something to you. So they let him off because Marvin was doped up on cocaine and PCP. That was not right.

Quick question: what the hell is in the jar that lady is putting in Marvin's mouth, backstage while Marvin is getting prepared for the show? Weird...

[Edited 6/25/12 13:08pm]

Timmy84 said:

I actually did think Marvin Sr. got off lucky. Back then, you could get off on a murder charge if the victim did something to you. So they let him off because Marvin was doped up on cocaine and PCP. That was not right.

I agree I found the whole way they handled it unjust. For him to be a preacher I wonder how that played on his mind throughout the years-very sad. Somebody could've left the situation before it came to murder. So sad for a legend to go out like that.

nursev said:

I better not watch it-it's gonna make me cry.

I know same... its already a sad day as it is...

R.I.P. Marvin, I love you

mjscarousal said:

nursev said:

I better not watch it-it's gonna make me cry.

I know same... its already a sad day as it is...

R.I.P. Marvin, I love you

Agreed-I can't take too much more after remembering Mike today. I don't think the sadness of his death will ever go away. Time will make it better, but the way he died is just forever sad.

silverchild said:

Quick question: what the hell is in the jar that lady is putting in Marvin's mouth, backstage while Marvin is getting prepared for the show? Weird...

[Edited 6/25/12 13:08pm]

I don't know... I wanted to say water but it looked like apple juice.

Timmy84 said:

silverchild said:

Quick question: what the hell is in the jar that lady is putting in Marvin's mouth, backstage while Marvin is getting prepared for the show? Weird...

[Edited 6/25/12 13:08pm]

I don't know... I wanted to say water but it looked like apple juice.

I don't know Tim...that shit looked a little too thick. Looked like some weird drug paraphernalia to me.

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

I don't know... I wanted to say water but it looked like apple juice.

I don't know Tim...that shit looked a little too thick. Looked like some weird drug paraphernalia to me.

Come to think of it... Marvin did say every night before he went onstage, he get high. It might've been prescription pills chopped up.

Timmy84 said:

silverchild said:

I don't know Tim...that shit looked a little too thick. Looked like some weird drug paraphernalia to me.

Come to think of it... Marvin did say every night before he went onstage, he get high. It might've been prescription pills chopped up.

My man had some strong demons. I remember him saying that as well.

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

Come to think of it... Marvin did say every night before he went onstage, he get high. It might've been prescription pills chopped up.

My man had some strong demons. I remember him saying that as well.

Yeah one of his quotes struck me as how much he used drugs (of any sort):

"I do my share at home but on the road the quantities tripled..."

When you bring a guy who has that many demons onstage and they just get worse... it's amazing that no one had no idea what to do with a person like that. That's pretty much what happened with Sly Stone but at least Marvin was functional enough to actually finish his final tour, which could be seen as an achievement within itself when you heard of the things going on in that tour. Few thought he'd survive it.

wow................who in the hell can live like this?

Horrible, horrible situation Marvin hid behind such a mask that everything appeared to be fine. I agree what Timmy said, his life could be made into horror film.

Timmy84 said:

silverchild said:

My man had some strong demons. I remember him saying that as well.

Yeah one of his quotes struck me as how much he used drugs (of any sort):

"I do my share at home but on the road the quantities tripled..."

When you bring a guy who has that many demons onstage and they just get worse... it's amazing that no one had no idea what to do with a person like that. That's pretty much what happened with Sly Stone but at least Marvin was functional enough to actually finish his final tour, which could be seen as an achievement within itself when you heard of the things going on in that tour. Few thought he'd survive it.

Excess is certainly the devil, I tell ya!

aardvark15 said:

Horrible, horrible situation Marvin hid behind such a mask that everything appeared to be fine. I agree what Timmy said, his life could be made into horror film.

Marvin had to be the most tormented artist to ever live. It was like he loved the music, but did everything he could to avoid the fame. Every time I hear an interview he did-for one he always sounded high and for two it seemed as though he was never happy internally. Very sad.

nursev said:

aardvark15 said:

Horrible, horrible situation Marvin hid behind such a mask that everything appeared to be fine. I agree what Timmy said, his life could be made into horror film.

Marvin had to be the most tormented artist to ever live.

This

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

Yeah one of his quotes struck me as how much he used drugs (of any sort):

"I do my share at home but on the road the quantities tripled..."

When you bring a guy who has that many demons onstage and they just get worse... it's amazing that no one had no idea what to do with a person like that. That's pretty much what happened with Sly Stone but at least Marvin was functional enough to actually finish his final tour, which could be seen as an achievement within itself when you heard of the things going on in that tour. Few thought he'd survive it.

Excess is certainly the devil, I tell ya!

It can make you do crazy things. Zeola (Marvin's little sister) was also caught up in that stuff.

aardvark15 said:

nursev said:

Marvin had to be the most tormented artist to ever live.

This

I always felt like the if he wasn't murdered he would've eventually took his own life. He just kinda had that kinda vibe going. Maybe it was the drugs or some other issue, but you could see it in his personality and on his face. He was just very unhappy.

nursev said:

aardvark15 said:

This

I always felt like the if he wasn't murdered he would've eventually took his own life. He just kinda had that kinda vibe going. Maybe it was the drugs or some other issue, but you could see it in his personality and on his face. He was just very unhappy.

I feel like the drugs would have gotten him sooner or later. I don't feel he would have shot himself.

BTW does anybody else find it strange that the documentary made no reference to Tammi or her death?

aardvark15 said:

nursev said:

I always felt like the if he wasn't murdered he would've eventually took his own life. He just kinda had that kinda vibe going. Maybe it was the drugs or some other issue, but you could see it in his personality and on his face. He was just very unhappy.

I feel like the drugs would have gotten him sooner or later. I don't feel he would have shot himself.

maybe an overdose. What's interesting is I use to get the same vibe from Nona before she cleaned up. They say she was on drugs real bad too.

aardvark15 said:

nursev said:

I always felt like the if he wasn't murdered he would've eventually took his own life. He just kinda had that kinda vibe going. Maybe it was the drugs or some other issue, but you could see it in his personality and on his face. He was just very unhappy.

I feel like the drugs would have gotten him sooner or later. I don't feel he would have shot himself.

In 1980 he told someone, it might've been David Ritz, that in 1979 when he was hiding in Hawaii, he "wanted to be let alone and blow my brains out from high octane toot (coke), it would be a more pleasant death, certainly less messy than a gun." It's funny how articulate he was even when he was fucked up. Surely by the time Marvin died he was already dying from drug use because he was using it everyday. If Marvin's dad didn't kill him, a drug overdose would've been almost certain.

Timmy84 said:

aardvark15 said:

I feel like the drugs would have gotten him sooner or later. I don't feel he would have shot himself.

In 1980 he told someone, it might've been David Ritz, that in 1979 when he was hiding in Hawaii, he "wanted to be let alone and blow my brains out from high octane toot (coke), it would be a more pleasant death, certainly less messy than a gun." It's funny how articulate he was even when he was fucked up. Surely by the time Marvin died he was already dying from drug use because he was using it everyday. If Marvin's dad didn't kill him, a drug overdose would've been almost certain.

Damn that's deep and very sad