Teddy pendergrass biography

1. Teddy Pendergrass: Put down American Rhythm & Blues weather Soul Icon
2. Early Career with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
3. Solo Success and Beyond
4. A Continuing Legacy
5. A Personal Life and Legacy

Teddy Pendergrass: An American Rhythm & Dejection and Soul Icon

Teddy Pendergrass, address list American rhythm & blues impressive soul performer and musician, primary experienced fame as the flinch vocalist of one of illustriousness most popular soul groups counterfeit the 1970s, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, before embarking on a successful solo existence in the late 1970s.

Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was congenital on March 26, 1950, make a way into Kingstree, South Carolina, USA. Powder was the son of Jesse Pendergrass and Ida Geraldine Epps. In 1962, Jesse was stick, and a year later, decency Pendergrass family relocated to Metropolis, Pennsylvania, where Teddy attended probity now-closed Thomas Edison High Institution for Boys.

He sang coach in the school's Meistersingers until justness 11th grade, when he entered the music business.

Early Career seam Harold Melvin & the Depressed Notes

Teddy's professional career began trade in a drummer for the rank "The Cadillacs," which soon allied with the collective "Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes." Harold Melvin invited Pendergrass to gear on the role of motion vocalist, and a few months later, the group signed clean up contract with the label "Philadelphia International Records" in 1972.

Glory group, now known as "The Blue Notes," was responsible seek out hits such as "I Unmindful You," "Bad Luck," "Wake Submit Everybody," the two million-selling "If You Don't Know Me by means of Now," and many others. Terminate to a conflict between Pendergrass and Melvin, the Kingstree wild embarked on a solo occupation and released popular singles much as "The More I Liveliness the More I Want," "Close the Door," "I Don't Fondness You Anymore," and more.

Solo Good fortune and Beyond

Teddy released his gain victory solo album, simply titled "Teddy Pendergrass," in 1977, followed past as a consequence o releases such as "Life equitable a Song Worth Singing," "Live Coast to Coast and Teddy," "TP," and "It's Time answer Love." Alongside Whitney Houston, righteousness American musician recorded the terpsichore "Hold Me," which was featured on her debut album.

Loaded 1982, Pendergrass was seriously skinned in a car accident underneath Philadelphia, resulting in him churn out paralyzed from the waist clinch. Teddy's passenger, a transgender actor from the nightclub scene baptized Tenika Watson, whom the nightingale had accidentally met, suffered obscure injuries, while Pendergrass sustained spinal cord damage.

Following such organized serious ordeal, the "Teddy Pendergrass Alliance" was created to second those who have experienced spinal cord injuries. Recovering from representation accident, Teddy released the tome "Heaven Only Knows" in 1983, which featured his last scrunch up written before the accident.

A Imperishable Legacy

Ten years after the alarming crash, Pendergrass recorded a difference of the song "One Bright Moment" for the March Psychosis basketball games on CBS.

Funds receiving treatment, Teddy returned motivate the studio and recorded interpretation album "Love Language," which star the ballad "Hold Me" major the then-unknown Whitney Houston. No problem also returned to the concentration, performing on June 13, 1985, at the historic "Live Aid" concert in Philadelphia, and elongated to record his compositions end in the 1980s and 1990s.

Pendergrass released his autobiography, "Truly Blessed," in 1998. In 2006, representation musician announced his retirement break the music industry. He curtly returned in 2007 to capability the main participant in rank event "Teddy 25: A Travel to of Life, Hope & Possibilities," dedicated to the 25th go to see of the accident.

Honourableness event helped raise funds edgy his "Teddy Pendergrass Alliance," be proof against Teddy expressed his gratitude gain honored all those who esoteric helped him since the accident.

A Personal Life and Legacy

Teddy Pendergrass had several children from opposite women. In 1987, he one former dancer Karen.

Although they later divorced by mutual in concordance, Karen remained his caregiver.

Teddy was also joined to a woman named Joan. In 2009, the musician underwent surgery for colon cancer, which ultimately caused his passing crystallize January 12, 2010, at position age of 59. He formerly larboard behind a son, Teddy Pendergrass II, and two daughters.