| Robert Carey | |
|---|---|
| Born: | Roberto Núñez 1905 Venezuela |
| Death: |
Mid - 1990's New York City, New York, U.S.A. |
| Wife: | Addie Carey (m. 1928) |
| Son: | Alfred Carey (b. 1929 - d. 2002) |
Robert Carey (born: Roberto Núñez; 1905 - Mid 90's) was Mariah's paternal grandfather.
His specific birth place is unknown. Different census reports state that Robert Carey was born in Cuba. This statement has been disproven by Mariah herself who noted during an interview in the early 2000's that he was born in Venezuela, not Cuba.
According to Mariah he used to tell her stories of his time back in Venezuela. However, his recollection of events proved to be hazy as her grandfather migrated to the United States when he was a young boy. His parents were never married. His mother was called Margarita Núñez and was from Zulia State, Venezuela. Her racial background is unknown. His father's first name is unknown but apparently his surname was 'Carey'. Robert decided to adopt this surname as a young man in his early 20's. His father was allegedly fair skinned with freckles and red hair. His nationality and racial background are unknown. However, it appears he wasn't of Venezuelan heritage as the surname 'Carey' is of English/Irish origin, not Spanish. Venezuela and Guyana are neighbouring countries. However, Guyana was colonised by the British, not the Spanish. There is therefore a possibility that Robert's father may have been of Guyanese origin, given the British/Irish roots of the 'Carey' surname and the geographic proximity of Venezuela to Guyana. Mariah has been quoted in recent years as stating that she is only 'slightly' Venezuelan as it was her father's paternal grandmother who was Venezuelan.
In 16 August 1928 he married Mariah's paternal grandmother, Addie Cole in Manhattan, New York City. In 1929 their son, Mariah's father Alfred Roy Carey was born.
Robert and Addie got a divorce sometime afterwards during Alfred's early years. According to Mariah, Alfred was subsequently raised by his mother Addie. Robert ended up remarrying a woman called Ruby. They had 2 - 3 daughters together.
Robert reconnected with his son when Mariah was roughly around 6 years old. It is unknown what sort of relationship father and son had. Nonetheless, Mariah has stated in a 2007 interview that she loved her grandfather dearly and enjoyed all the times she got to visit his house for Thanksgiving where she spent time with her Aunts, Uncles and Cousins.
Robert was in attendance at Mariah's 1994 wedding to Tommy Mattolla in New York. He got to hear her sing. He allegedly passed away a couple of years afterwards.
Sometimes in 1999 during a promotional tour for her Rainbow album, Mariah visited Venezuela to find possible extended relatives of her paternal grandfather Robert. They managed to find some individuals in Zulia state who might be related to Margarita, Robert's mother and Mariah's great grandmother.