Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye lived "in an old van he'd parked on a bluff overlooking the beach.", in Maui, Hawaii.

His brother said: "And nobody bothers you?" Marvin replied, "I wouldn't say that. Word's gotten out that I'm here. People keep coming around to bring me whatever. A lot of partying going on, you know what I mean?"

For a while Marvin had his son, nicknamed Bubby, living in the van with him.

That information comes from the book, "Marvin Gaye, my brother" authored by Frankie Gaye with Fred E. Basten. Actually Frankie died of a sudden illness prior to the book's publication. I did not know that Marvin had a look-alike, sound-alike brother until I read the book. Sad that the brothers did not record or perform together while both were alive.

I also learned that Marvin "loved the Panthers even though he never completely agreed with their policies." He said, "And too many of our people are homeless and going hungry. The Panthers go door-to-door for donations of food or money to help the poor. I support that." Can not say that I was aware that the Black Panthers were active in helping homeless and hungry poor.

Something weird when Marvin Gaye died ~ you know how you hear news that Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston or some other young celebrity died? It is an unexpected shock. When I heard that Marvin Gaye was dead, I already knew it, though I have no idea why. I also knew (or assumed) it was suicide by father (as in suicide by cop).

I may have read about it later, others feeling the same way as I did. No clear understanding why I knew this. No recall of reading about his life at that time, but must have known something about what was going on, to have this foreknowledge. Just weird.

Interesting tidbit for me: Marvin's father was given a six-year suspended sentence and five year's probation. After his probation which was served at Inglewood Retirement Home, he moved to Long Beach, California where he died in 1998. I do not remember reading about his death in the local newspaper, but may have. Summer 1998 was a bad time for me. I mark it as the start of my descent into homelessness.

"Job stress, take three days off and call if you need Valium," the nurse I thought was the LCT, BC/BS of Rhode Island finally authorized me to see at an emergency room, diagnosed me. If my head was not in a fog...