Jan Gaye, the second wife of Marvin Gaye, died Saturday at her home. She sang background on ‘Got to Give It Up’ and wrote a book about their marriage.
Janis Hunter Gaye, the second wife of Motown legend Marvin Gaye and mother of two of his children, has died, her family said in a statement. She was 66.
Jan Gaye, who sang backup on Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give it Up,” died Saturday at home in Rhode Island. No cause of death was given.
“From the time she met my father, she was exposed to the way he saw this world was aching, and she did her best to preserve his legacy as he was taken from us far too early,” Nona Gaye said in a statement, after noting how “deeply saddened” she was by her mother’s passing. “She took every moment to speak about every word and every note of his music, and she wanted to make sure everyone knew the man she fell in love with.”
“From the first memory of my grandmother, I knew then and now, how much she cared about her family and the warmth she gave to all of us,” grandson Nolan Pentz said. “I will always be grateful for all the memories. She also cared about so many people in the world, and I will do everything I can to put into action the things she wanted and help continue the Gaye legacy.
