Former actress Denise Gordy recorded an average level of success in her career which spanned almost three decades. However, she is best recognized for being part of the Gordy family, a famous black American family with a rich history in the music industry as label executives. His uncle is Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records. Did you know that Gordy is the real mother of Marvin Gaye’s son, Marvin Gaye III? Learn more below.
Biography of Denise Gordy
On November 11, 1949, Gordy was born in Detroit, Michigan and named Denise Georgette Gordy. Being born into a family with deep roots in the entertainment industry was always an indicator that Gordy was always going to follow in his family’s footsteps. In his early twenties, his career officially began. She debuted in the 1972 biopic Lady Sings the Blues which focused on the life of famous jazz singer Billie Holiday and taken from her autobiography. Gordy was able to show off her vocal quality as she performed as a choir and a nightclub dancer.
Two years passed before Gordy landed his next role in the obscure blaxploitation film, Black Fist. The film starred her now ex-husband RichardLawson who portrayed one of the main characters. In addition to starring in the film, Gordy also contributed vocals to the film’s soundtrack and also recorded one of his soundtracks titled “Let’s Do It Again”.
Denise Gordy next had an uncredited role in Mahogany, a film directed by her uncle Berry Gordy and produced by his production company Motown Records. A romantic comedy film, it has singer Diana Ross as the lead actress. She made her small-screen debut as a whore in a 1976 episode of Starsky & Hutch. The same year, she had a small role in the hit ABC series, Charlie’s Angels
Denise Gordy ended the 70s with a role in the 1977 film Scott Joplin. She started the 80s with roles in TV shows; Enos, At Ease, the NBC prime-time soap opera, Naked Essence, ABC Fantasy Island, and That’s a Life. Gordy’s films from the 80s included; DC Cabin, My Man Adam, and Girls of School Reform. The actress and singer ended her career in 1991. Her first and last film of the year was the action drama. Tin soldiers
About Denise Gordy’s ex-husband and children
Denise Gordy had been married for over ten years to actor Richard Lawson. The exact day of their wedding was New Years Eve 1978. Lawson started his career in the early 70s and starred in a series of movies and TV shows, remaining active till date.
Some of his most memorable roles appeared in the movie Poltergeist (1982) and the NBC V miniseries where he played the role of Dr. Ben Taylor. Prior to acting, Lawson served in the Vietnam War. He had a near-death experience in 1992 while inside USAir Flight 405, which crashed shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York.
Denise and Lawson would come to divorce in 1989. Their marriage produced one child, a daughter named Bianca Lawson, born March 20, 1979. Bianca followed in her parents’ footsteps to become a television and film actress, with more than success than the first. Richard Lawson married his longtime friend, Tina Knowles, mother of singers Beyonce and Solange Knowles, in 2015.
Denise Gordy’s other child is Marvin Gaye III, whom she gave birth on November 17, 1966, a few days after her 17th birthday. A minor at the time, the son was adopted by Marvin Gaye and his wife, Anna Gordy Gaye – Denise’s aunt. His aunt, Anna, had publicly flaunted a fake pregnancy while pregnant shortly before the boy was born. The media was then led to believe this was their biological son until 1998 when Denise admitted she was Gaye’s biological mother. Marvin Gaye III’s biological father remains a secret from the Gordy family.
Parents
Denise Gory was born to parents named GeorgeWeldon Gordy Sr. and Rosemary Gordy. His paternal grandparents, Berry “Pops” Gordy Sr. and Bertha Fuller Gordy were the creators of what would become a famous family of music industry executives. His father was the 5th child in the family and among the least famous. Born on January 7, 1926, Denise Gordy’s father founded several businesses before joining his brother, Berry, the most popular of the Gordys at his burgeoning Motown label. At Motown he was a songwriter, writing songs for artists on the Motown roster.
Denise Gordy’s parents had a total of 8 children including two daughters and 6 sons. Patrice and George Gordy are among his siblings. Rosemary, Gordy’s mother, died a little too early in 1980, as her father died in his sleep on July 27, 2011, aged 85.
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