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== Early life == == Early life ==
Deborah Rae Nelson was born on January 6, 1955,<ref name="NYT Death">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/03/arts/debbie-nelson-eminem-mother-dead.html|title=Debbie Nelson, Eminem's Mother, Dies at 69|last=Smith|first=John|date=2024-12-03|website=]|access-date=2024-12-03}}</ref> on a military base in ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/who-is-debbie-nelson-eminem-mom-8405426|title=Who Is Debbie Nelson? All About Eminem's Mom|website=]|date=2024-12-03|access-date=2024-12-03}}</ref> She grew up in a "large dysfunctional family".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/music/eminems-terminally-ill-mother-debbie-nelson-dies-at-69-after-lung-cancer-battle-101733247100445.html|title=Eminem’s terminally ill mother Debbie Nelson dies at 69 after lung cancer battle|website=Hindustan Times|date=2024-12-03|access-date=2024-12-04}}</ref> Her father was in the ], and her mother worked as a bartender. After her parents divorced in 1964, Nelson faced challenges with an abusive stepfather and eventually left home, and married Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. on September 20, 1970, when she was 15.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/who-is-debbie-nelson-eminem-mom-8405426|title=Who Is Debbie Nelson, Eminem’s Mom?|website=People|date=2024-12-03|access-date=2024-12-04}}</ref> They were in a band called Daddy Warbucks, playing in ] along ]{{ndash}}] border.<ref name="Fox News2" /> Their son, ], was born on October 17, 1972, in ];<ref name="Fox News2"/><ref name="MySonMarshall">{{cite book|last=Nelson|first=Debbie|title=My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem|year=2008|publisher=]|location=Beverly Hills, CA|isbn=978-1-59777-596-0|title-link=My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem}}</ref>{{rp|17}} Nelson nearly died during her 73-hour labor with him.<ref name="SL00">{{cite journal|last=Elrick|first=M.L.|date=July 25, 2000|title=Eminem's dirty secrets|journal=]|url=http://www.salon.com/2000/07/25/eminem_secrets/|access-date=July 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000815054850/http://www.salon.com/ent/music/feature/2000/07/25/eminem_secrets/index.html|archive-date=August 15, 2000|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{rp|1}} Marshall Jr. abandoned his family when the young Mathers was a year and a half old; he was raised only by his mother in poverty.<ref name="Fox News2">{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/eminems-biography|title=Eminem's Biography|access-date=April 23, 2008|publisher=Fox News Channel|archive-date=March 22, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080322014733/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,194705,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Nelson and Marshall Jr. divorced in 1973.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}} She continued using the name Debbie Mathers but eventually went by her ] after her son became famous.<ref name="NYT Death"/> Deborah Rae Nelson was born on January 6, 1955,<ref name="NYT Death">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/03/arts/debbie-nelson-eminem-mother-dead.html|title=Debbie Nelson, Eminem's Mother, Dies at 69|last=Smith|first=John|date=2024-12-03|website=]|access-date=2024-12-03}}</ref> on a military base in ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/who-is-debbie-nelson-eminem-mom-8405426|title=Who Is Debbie Nelson? All About Eminem's Mom|website=]|date=2024-12-03|access-date=2024-12-03}}</ref> She grew up in a "large dysfunctional family".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/music/eminems-terminally-ill-mother-debbie-nelson-dies-at-69-after-lung-cancer-battle-101733247100445.html|title=Eminem’s terminally ill mother Debbie Nelson dies at 69 after lung cancer battle|website=Hindustan Times|date=2024-12-03|access-date=2024-12-04}}</ref> Her father was in the ], and her mother worked as a bartender. After her parents divorced in 1964, Nelson faced challenges with an abusive stepfather and eventually left home, and married Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. on September 20, 1970, when she was 15.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/who-is-debbie-nelson-eminem-mom-8405426|title=Who Is Debbie Nelson, Eminem’s Mom?|website=People|date=2024-12-03|access-date=2024-12-04}}</ref> They were in a band called Daddy Warbucks, playing in ] along ]{{ndash}}] border.<ref name="Fox News2" /> Their son, ], was born on October 17, 1972, in ];<ref name="Fox News2"/><ref name="MySonMarshall">{{cite book|last=Nelson|first=Debbie|title=My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem|year=2008|publisher=]|location=Beverly Hills, CA|isbn=978-1-59777-596-0|title-link=My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem}}</ref>{{rp|17}} Nelson nearly died during her 73-hour labor with him.<ref name="SL00">{{cite journal|last=Elrick|first=M.L.|date=July 25, 2000|title=Eminem's dirty secrets|journal=]|url=http://www.salon.com/2000/07/25/eminem_secrets/|access-date=July 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000815054850/http://www.salon.com/ent/music/feature/2000/07/25/eminem_secrets/index.html|archive-date=August 15, 2000|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{rp|1}} Marshall Jr. abandoned his family when the young Mathers was a year and a half old; he was raised only by his mother in poverty.<ref name="Fox News2">{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/eminems-biography|title=Eminem's Biography|access-date=April 23, 2008|publisher=Fox News Channel|archive-date=March 22, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080322014733/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,194705,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Nelson and Marshall Jr. divorced in 1973.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Todisco |first=Eric |date=2024-12-04 |title=Eminem's brother Nate posts about 'hatred' after mom Debbie's death |url=https://nypost.com/2024/12/04/entertainment/eminems-brother-nate-posts-about-hatred-after-mom-debbies-death/?utm_campaign=nypost&utm_medium=referral |access-date=2024-12-04 |language=en-US}}</ref> She continued using the name Debbie Mathers but eventually went by her ] after her son became famous.<ref name="NYT Death"/>


By the age of twelve, Nelson and her son shuttled between states, rarely staying in one house for more than a year or two and mostly living with family members, moved several times and lived in St. Joseph, ], ], ] and ]<ref name=roadoutofpoverty>{{cite web|last1=Frammolini|first1=Ralph|last2=Boucher|first2=Geoff|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-feb-21-mn-28235-story.html|title=Rap Was Eminem's Roots and Road Out of Poverty|website=]|date=February 21, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010307073725/http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Music-0!ArticleDetail-22275,00.html|archive-date=March 7, 2001|access-date=July 19, 2024|url-access=limited|url-status=live}}</ref> before settling in ].<ref name=sideofherstory>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27578186|title=Eminem's mom gives her side of the story|date=November 6, 2008|publisher=Associated Press|via=MSNBC|access-date=July 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411193511/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/27578186|archive-date=April 11, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> For much of Marshall's youth, they lived in a working-class, primarily black, Detroit neighborhood; they were one of three white households on their block, and Marshall was beaten several times by black youths.<ref name="RS99">{{cite magazine|last=Bozza|first=Anthony|author-link = Anthony Bozza|date=April 29, 1999|title=Eminem Blows Up |magazine=Rolling Stone|issue=811|location=New York City|issn=0035-791X|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/eminem-blows-up-20091105|access-date=March 9, 2013}}</ref> Nelson later had a son named Nathan "Nate" Kane Mathers ({{ne|Samara}}; b. 1986) with her then boyfriend Fred Samara.<ref name="MySonMarshall"/><ref name="NYT Death"/> For several years, she ran a taxi company in ], with her husband John Briggs.<ref name="NYT Death"/> By the age of twelve, Nelson and her son shuttled between states, rarely staying in one house for more than a year or two and mostly living with family members, moved several times and lived in St. Joseph, ], ], ] and ]<ref name=roadoutofpoverty>{{cite web|last1=Frammolini|first1=Ralph|last2=Boucher|first2=Geoff|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-feb-21-mn-28235-story.html|title=Rap Was Eminem's Roots and Road Out of Poverty|website=]|date=February 21, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010307073725/http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Music-0!ArticleDetail-22275,00.html|archive-date=March 7, 2001|access-date=July 19, 2024|url-access=limited|url-status=live}}</ref> before settling in ].<ref name=sideofherstory>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27578186|title=Eminem's mom gives her side of the story|date=November 6, 2008|publisher=Associated Press|via=MSNBC|access-date=July 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411193511/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/27578186|archive-date=April 11, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> For much of Marshall's youth, they lived in a working-class, primarily black, Detroit neighborhood; they were one of three white households on their block, and Marshall was beaten several times by black youths.<ref name="RS99">{{cite magazine|last=Bozza|first=Anthony|author-link = Anthony Bozza|date=April 29, 1999|title=Eminem Blows Up |magazine=Rolling Stone|issue=811|location=New York City|issn=0035-791X|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/eminem-blows-up-20091105|access-date=March 9, 2013}}</ref> Nelson later had a son named Nathan "Nate" Kane Mathers ({{ne|Samara}}; b. 1986) with her then boyfriend Fred Samara.<ref name="MySonMarshall"/><ref name="NYT Death"/> For several years, she ran a taxi company in ], with her husband John Briggs.<ref name="NYT Death"/>

Revision as of 20:16, 4 December 2024

American author and mother of Eminem (1955–2024)

Debbie Mathers
Mathers in 2005
BornDeborah Rae Nelson
(1955-01-06)January 6, 1955
Kansas, U.S.
DiedDecember 2, 2024(2024-12-02) (aged 69)
St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
Spouse Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. ​ ​(m. 1970; div. 1973)​ John Briggs ​(divorced)​
Children2, including Marshall

Deborah Rae Nelson (January 6, 1955 – December 2, 2024), also known as Debbie Mathers, was an American author. She was the mother of rapper Marshall Mathers III, professionally known as Eminem. Mathers was known for her troubled relationship with Marshall, and also gained recognition for her autobiography My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, in which she shared her experiences and perspective on their family.

Early life

Deborah Rae Nelson was born on January 6, 1955, on a military base in Kansas. She grew up in a "large dysfunctional family". Her father was in the Air Force, and her mother worked as a bartender. After her parents divorced in 1964, Nelson faced challenges with an abusive stepfather and eventually left home, and married Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. on September 20, 1970, when she was 15. They were in a band called Daddy Warbucks, playing in Ramada Inns along the Dakotas–Montana border. Their son, Marshall Bruce Mathers III, was born on October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri; Nelson nearly died during her 73-hour labor with him. Marshall Jr. abandoned his family when the young Mathers was a year and a half old; he was raised only by his mother in poverty. Nelson and Marshall Jr. divorced in 1973. She continued using the name Debbie Mathers but eventually went by her maiden name after her son became famous.

By the age of twelve, Nelson and her son shuttled between states, rarely staying in one house for more than a year or two and mostly living with family members, moved several times and lived in St. Joseph, Savannah, Missouri, Kansas City, Warren, Michigan and Roseville, Michigan before settling in Detroit. For much of Marshall's youth, they lived in a working-class, primarily black, Detroit neighborhood; they were one of three white households on their block, and Marshall was beaten several times by black youths. Nelson later had a son named Nathan "Nate" Kane Mathers (né Samara; b. 1986) with her then boyfriend Fred Samara. For several years, she ran a taxi company in St. Joseph, Missouri, with her husband John Briggs.

Relationship with Eminem

Nelson frequently fought with her son; a social worker described her as having a "very suspicious, almost paranoid personality". Marshall III later became a famous rapper known as Eminem. Nelson's relationship with her son gained public attention after Eminem's songs like "Cleanin' Out My Closet" referenced their bad connection, criticizing her parenting. In 2002, she filed an $11 million defamation lawsuit against the rapper, citing emotional distress caused by his lyrics.

Despite their history, Eminem publicly resolved with his mother in his 2013 song "Headlights," apologizing for issues faced in the past.

Illness and death

In September of 2024, it was first made public that Nelson was diagnosed with lung cancer. Eminem provided financial support during her illness, and there had been reported signs the two had reconciled their relationship. She died from complications of lung cancer in St. Joseph, Missouri, on December 2, 2024, at the age of 69.

Works

References

  1. "Debbie Nelson, Eminem's Mother, Dies at 69". Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  2. ^ Smith, John (December 3, 2024). "Debbie Nelson, Eminem's Mother, Dies at 69". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  3. "Who Is Debbie Nelson? All About Eminem's Mom". People. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  4. "Eminem's terminally ill mother Debbie Nelson dies at 69 after lung cancer battle". Hindustan Times. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  5. "Who Is Debbie Nelson, Eminem's Mom?". People. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  6. ^ "Eminem's Biography". Fox News Channel. Archived from the original on March 22, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
  7. ^ Nelson, Debbie (2008). My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem. Beverly Hills, CA: Phoenix Books. ISBN 978-1-59777-596-0.
  8. ^ Elrick, M.L. (July 25, 2000). "Eminem's dirty secrets". Salon. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  9. Todisco, Eric (December 4, 2024). "Eminem's brother Nate posts about 'hatred' after mom Debbie's death". Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  10. Frammolini, Ralph; Boucher, Geoff (February 21, 2001). "Rap Was Eminem's Roots and Road Out of Poverty". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2001. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  11. "Eminem's mom gives her side of the story". Associated Press. November 6, 2008. Archived from the original on April 11, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2024 – via MSNBC.
  12. Bozza, Anthony (April 29, 1999). "Eminem Blows Up". Rolling Stone. No. 811. New York City. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  13. "Eminem's Songs About His Mother Debbie Nelson". Billboard. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  14. "Eminem Sued by His Mother". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  15. "Eminem Apologizes to Mom on 'Headlights'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  16. Debbie Mathers-Briggs – Dear Marshall (An Open Letter to EMINEM), retrieved December 4, 2024
  17. "Eminem's mother, Debbie Nelson, dies at 69". NBC News. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
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