Jan Gaye gained public interest after she got hitched to Marvin Gaye; a popular soul singer whose voice had a touch of magic. She became his backup singer and mother of his two children.
Nonetheless, her marriage to the singer suffered a lot of turmoil marked by infidelity, drug addictions, depression, and even suicide attempts. While all this may have been kept in the dark for so long, she finally pressed the publish button and took the world through a journey of her life in 304 monochromic pages that took thirty long years to write. Here’s all to know about her.
Brief Biography of Jan Gaye
Jan Gaye was born Janis Hunter on the 5th day of January 1956 in Los Angeles. Jan’s father, Slim Gaillard was a jazz singer while her mother, Barbara Hunter was from a middle-class family and had a humble occupation.
As regards her education, she proceeded to high school after her basic education. However, it’s not known if she completed that phase since she got into marriage quite early.
Here are 10 Startling Facts about Jan Gaye
1. Her Ex-Husband Was a Soul Singer and 16 Years Older Than Her
Jan Gaye first met Marvin when she was only 17 years old. His full name was Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. and he was born on April 2, 1939, in Washington DC. He was a soul singer, songwriter, and producer signed with Motown within the 60s and 70s. He later became a producer and recorded several hit albums which earned him several awards including Grammy Awards and America Music Award. Some of his interesting albums are;
- What’s Going On
- Let’s Get It On
- Sexual Healing
- I Heard it Through a Grapevine
As the story goes, the connection between Jan and Marvin was instant and they went on to prove that age is just a number when it comes to love. His marital status didn’t come between them either.
The duo dated for a period that saw the birth of their two kids and tied the knot in October 1977 the same year he finalized his divorce from his first wife, Anna Berry.
2. She Endured a Wide Range of Abuse
Jan’s marriage to Marvin suffered a lot of trauma. She was abused physically, emotionally, mentally, and even sexually. He reportedly went as far as encouraging her to engage in sexual acts with other men while he gets pleasured from the scene.
As it may, he once got her trapped in a threesome with a different couple against her will while he just watched. He was using her to satisfy all his fantasies
Like many people who have suffered abuse, she felt ashamed and didn’t tell anyone, remaining in the abusive relationship until 1982. Even after their separation, no one knew all she had been through until her book was published.
3. Jan Gaye Wrote Her Book In Thirty Years
Jan Is the author of the book ‘After the Dance; My Life with Marvin Gaye’. In the book, she revealed all the hurts that accompanied her marriage to Marvin and how she constantly fell prey to his abuse to sustain their marriage. Reading through the monochromic pages of the book, Marvin was a character who was overly obsessed with her and paranoid.
The mother of two was first silent after his tragic death nonetheless she overcame her fear of being judged and released all the pains that had traveled through with her through the years. It took her that long because she would start writing and stop at some point.
4. She Was Almost Killed by Her Ex-Husband
According to her book, she came to her breaking point when he tried to kill her after getting overly high on cocaine and magic mushroom. She said he became so angry and started accusing her of cheating. Amidst the argument, he grabbed a kitchen knife and placed it on her throat.
At that point, she thought it was the end for her but he suddenly became remorseful and calm admitting that his love for her was killing him. He went on to drop the knife while she remained terrified.
5. Jan Gaye’s Kids Followed the Career Path of Her Ex-Husband
Jan’s relationship with Marvin Gaye produced two children. Their first child was born Nona Marvisa Gaye on November 16 1974 in Los Angeles while the second was born Frankie Christain in 1975.
Jan’s Children also took in their father’s footsteps as entertainers. Nona is a singer and actress. She was previously managed by her mother. Whist her younger brother Frankie is an artist and also enjoys graphic arts.
6. She Was a Drug Addict
As stated, Jan Gaye was introduced to drugs by her ex-husband who was constantly taking them to ease his pains. It took no time before she became an addict as well.
She admitted that It was a normal thing in her environment and even her parents were addicts.
Read Also: Who Is Randy DeBarge? How Drug Use Has Affected Him – Bio, Net Worth, Family, 5 Facts
7. Jan Gaye Did Several Odd Jobs to Raise Her Kids
After her divorce from Marvin, she became so broke and had to take up several odd jobs to take care of her kids who were already accustomed to a life of luxury and fame.
Being a high school dropout, she couldn’t secure a good job so she settled for low-income jobs like being a cleaner. She also resolved to beg from her ex-lovers just to make ends meet.
8. She is a Cancer Survivor
Jan Gaye was previously diagnosed with cancer however, she confirmed that she was cancer-free during a question and answer session in 2015.
She went on to add that the dreaded disease claimed the lives of her parents and even though she gets scared sometimes, she’s keeping her hopes high.
9. How Rich is She
Jan was a backup singer while she was still married to her husband and enjoyed a life of glamor. However, after their divorce, she was left with nothing and engaged in several odd jobs to sustain a living.
Moving on, her husband was a known singer, songwriter, and producer who at the time of his death was worth $9 million.
10. Jan’s Ex-Husband Was Murdered by His Father
For some reason, Marvin and his father, Marvin Sr. didn’t get along so well. According to his ex-wife, he was always looking for his dad’s approval and acceptance but never got that. His mother, Alberta added that her husband suspected that Marvin wasn’t his child for reasons best known to him
On the day he died, he was involved in an argument with his father which suddenly escalated into a deadly fight that saw his father attack him with a gun that he had bought for him. According to reports, he was shot twice by his father and he was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Marvin died on April 1 1984 a day before his 45th birthday. The reason for the fight wasn’t revealed however it was linked to the anger of the past that sustained for so many years.
