On April 1, 1984, Motown legend Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father Marvin P. Gay Sr., on the eve of the singer's 45th birthday.
Gaye's younger sister Zeola joined HuffPost Live on Tuesday, just before the 31st anniversary of the Grammy Award-winner's death, and fondly remembered her brother. She said that even though her father fired the shot that ended her brother's life, she has forgiven him.
"I had to. Because you know what? The bottom line is he was my father. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him," she told host Nancy Redd. "So I felt that, what he did, like I said, not condoning it in any form or fashion, that is something he would have to answer to with God."
Gaye said she was one of the few family members that lent her father a helping hand after Marvin died. Gay Sr., who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, had developed a benign tumor and later caught pneumonia before he died.
"He needed some help. I had to help him. And I was the only one who actually did that, other than my niece Angie," she said. "We had to take care of him and we had to take care of our mom and a lot fell on us. And I wish that he had not killed Marvin but it happened."
Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation with Zeola Gaye on HuffPost Live.
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