Marvin Gaye’s Mother (Alberta) once revealed that her husband and Marvin’s dad, (Marvin Gaye Sr.) never liked their son because she says he was always in constant thought on whether or not Marvin Jr. was really his child. His wife assured him otherwise and told him that was nonsense. “He knew Marvin was his,” says Alberta Gay. “But for some reason he didn’t love Marvin and, what’s worse, he didn’t want me to love Marvin either. Marvin wasn’t very old before he understood that.” She added. The one-time pastor had his doubts because of his many strange ways and habits.

Although he had given up his pastoral duties, he pressed its many beliefs on his family. For instance he forbade athletics, dancing, movies, television and popular music – the very things the Prince of Motown would come to endeavor. His daughters were not allowed to wear sleeveless dresses, nylons, lipstick, nail polish or open-toed shoes. He forced his children to observe an extended Sabbath, from Friday afternoon until midday Sunday. He drilled them on Biblical passages and administered beatings for incorrect answers. This could explain why Marvin became such a “Stubborn Kind Of Fellow.”

“Living with father was something like living with a king, a very peculiar, changeable, cruel and all-powerful king,” Marvin Gaye told his biographer Ritz. “You were supposed to tip-toe around his moods. You were supposed to do anything to win his favor. I never did. Even though winning his love was the ultimate goal of my childhood, I defied him. I hated his attitude… If it wasn’t for mother, who was always there to console me and praise my singing, I think I would have been one of those child suicides you read about in the papers.”

At his father’s insistence, Marvin, Jr. spent the first third of his life suppressing all urges to indulge in secular vices. Once freed of his father’s rule, he spent the final two-thirds of his life indulging every vice that struck his fancy. And did he ever, giving us rebellious and sexy tunes like “Sexual Healing”, “Let’s Get It On,” “I Want You.” So we wonder, if not given this “childhood” that Marvin was handed, would we have had this wonderful soulful records to create the soundtrack to our life?