Who is Marvin Sapp? Gospel singer opens up on history with drugs and alcohol

American songwriter Marvin Sapp has opened up about his experience with drugs and alcohol in the past.

In an exclusive interview with Page Six, the 55-year-old revealed that he turned to intoxication while going through some "major struggles" as a teenager. He said:

“After my mother and father got divorced, I started smoking marijuana daily at the age of twelve. I started drinking and popping pills at the age of sixteen, and at eighteen I snorted my first line of cocaine.”

He also talked about his friends, with whom he drank and did drugs with, stating that they are either in jail or struggling with substance abuse. Sapp added:

“One of my friends is an alcoholic now, one of my friends is still strung out on crack. One of my friends is in prison for twenty-seven years for second-degree murder and another one of my friends died about fifteen years, because he had a kilo [of drugs on him when he was arrested].”

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All you need to know about Marvin Sapp

Born on January 28, 1967, Marvin Sapp is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan and started singing at church at the age of four. He grew to fame as a member of the gospel group, Commissioned, but began a solo journey as a musician in the mid 90s.

Sapp, who is also a pastor, is known for fusing R&B music with smooth jazz to deliver his messages of faith. In his illustrious career as a musician so far, Marvin has released several hit albums like Be Exalted (2005), Thirsty (2007), Close (2017), and Substance (2022).

His superhit crossover song, Never Would Have Made It, topped the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart for 46 weeks. Additionally, it was certified platinum by The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Over the years, he has bagged several BET and Dove Awards, along with 11 Grammy Award nominations for his unique approach to music. The singer has also reunited with his former band Commissioned at several events along with his friend Fred Hammond.

Marvin is currently a radio show host, author and senior pastor of Dallas' The Chosen Vessel Cathedral. He is also the pastor of the church he co-founded with his wife, Lighthouse Full Life Center, Grand Rapids.

During a recent interview, Sapp said that he was never really into church but sang gospel music because of his mother. He said:

“I’ve always sung gospel music but [that was] because my mother made us go to church. But just because we went to church did not mean the church was in us.”

Marvin also talked about his biopic - Never Would Have Made It: The Marvin Sapp Biopic. The biopic will showcase his journey through all the troubles to being one of the most prominent musicians in the gospel music industry.

Speaking about his expectations from the film, he said:

“[I want them] to show… that just because somebody goes to church does not make them perfect. We are all flawed in some shape, form or fashion. People need to see that because for some strange reason when they think of Marvin Sapp, people think I walk around with a halo but they don’t know my story.”

On a personal front, in 1992, he tied the knot with his childhood friend and manager, MaLinda Prince Sapp. They shared three kids together, Mikaila Sapp, Marvin II Sapp, and Madisson Sapp. However, MaLinda passed away in 2010 after she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.

In the interview, Marvin Sapp said that he wants to get married again, since all his kids are with their partners.

"I’m a better man married than when I was a single man."

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Never Would Have Made It: The Marvin Sapp Story will be released on Monday, August 21 on TV One.