Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father Marvin Gay Sr. at his parents' home in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles on April 1, 1984. Gaye (who added the “e” to his name later in life) had risen to superstardom in the 1960s with such hits as “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” By the 1980s, however, Gaye had become riddled with drug addiction and was living with his parents and spending hours a day in bed. Marvin had also become paranoid that people were trying to kill him and had taken to carrying a pistol at all times. In the early afternoon on April 1, Marvin and his father engaged in an argument. According to an account from Gaye’s mother, things turned violent and the singer began physically assaulting his father. A few moments later Mr. Gay broke free from Marvin’s hold and retrieved a .38 caliber firearm from the singer’s bedroom. He allegedly fired without warning, killing him almost instantly.