CHILDHOOD

On April 2nd 1939 in Washington D.C.,  Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. was born as the second of three children (1 brother and two sisters). His father, the Reverend Marvin Gay, Sr., was an ordained minister in The House of God, an conservative Christian sect which fuses orthodox Judaism and Pentecostalism. As gospel music was part of his upbringing, he joined the singing choir at the age of three, quickly rising to become a choir soloist.  He learned to play the drums and the piano, and music became a means to escape his verbally and physically abusive father Marvin Senior.

Early Career

After graduation Marvin enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. After his discharge he returned to Washington where he joined some local music groups, eventually joining The Rainbows, which was local top group. Singer Harvey Fuque asked The Rainbows to join as a backing ensemble for his group The Moonglows, for which Marvin had to move to Chicago. During a tour visiting Detroit, Marvin Gaye caught the attention of the promotor Berry Gordy Jr ., who quickly signed him to the Motown Label in 1961.