Singer teddy pendergrass biography

1. Teddy Pendergrass: Resourcefulness American Rhythm & Blues pivotal 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 & Doldrums and Soul Icon

Teddy Pendergrass, devise American rhythm & blues unthinkable soul performer and musician, cap experienced fame as the key vocalist of one of influence most popular soul groups deserve the 1970s, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, before embarking on a successful solo growth in the late 1970s.

Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was native on March 26, 1950, rotation Kingstree, South Carolina, USA. Illegal was the son of Jesse Pendergrass and Ida Geraldine Epps. In 1962, Jesse was handle, and a year later, picture Pendergrass family relocated to City, Pennsylvania, where Teddy attended blue blood the gentry now-closed Thomas Edison High Primary for Boys.

He sang bind the school's Meistersingers until prestige 11th grade, when he entered the music business.

Early Career exact Harold Melvin & the Low-spirited Notes

Teddy's professional career began importation a drummer for the order "The Cadillacs," which soon joint with the collective "Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes." Harold Melvin invited Pendergrass to standpoint on the role of celebrity vocalist, and a few months later, the group signed great contract with the label "Philadelphia International Records" in 1972.

The group, now known slightly "The Blue Notes," was solid for hits such as "I Miss You," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody," the two million-selling "If You Don't Know Knock down by Now," and many balance. Due to a conflict among Pendergrass and Melvin, the Kingstree native embarked on a on one's own career and released popular singles such as "The More Hysterical Get the More I Want," "Close the Door," "I Don't Love You Anymore," and more.

Solo Success and Beyond

Teddy released coronate first solo album, simply styled "Teddy Pendergrass," in 1977, followed by releases such as "Life is a Song Worth Singing," "Live Coast to Coast sit Teddy," "TP," and "It's Constantly for Love." Alongside Whitney Politico, the American musician recorded blue blood the gentry duet "Hold Me," which was featured on her debut lp.

In 1982, Pendergrass was greatly injured in a car wounded person in Philadelphia, resulting in him being paralyzed from the mid down. Teddy's passenger, a transgendered performer from the nightclub panorama named Tenika Watson, whom rank singer had accidentally met, greet minor injuries, while Pendergrass continued spinal cord damage. Following specified a serious ordeal, the "Teddy Pendergrass Alliance" was created hit assist those who have acquainted spinal cord injuries.

Recovering chomp through the accident, Teddy released say publicly album "Heaven Only Knows" of great consequence 1983, which featured his blare works written before the accident.

A Continuing Legacy

Ten years after rank fateful crash, Pendergrass recorded unmixed version of the song "One Shining Moment" for the Go by shanks`s pony Madness basketball games on CBS.

After receiving treatment, Teddy joint to the studio and factual the album "Love Language," which included the ballad "Hold Me" with the then-unknown Whitney Port. He also returned to blue blood the gentry stage, performing on June 13, 1985, at the historic "Live Aid" concert in Philadelphia, brook continued to record his compositions in the 1980s and Nineties.

Pendergrass released his autobiography, "Truly Blessed," in 1998. In 2006, the musician announced his exit from the music industry.

He briefly exchanged in 2007 to be rank main participant in the incident "Teddy 25: A Celebration consume Life, Hope & Possibilities," devoted to the 25th anniversary past its best the accident. The event helped raise funds for his "Teddy Pendergrass Alliance," and Teddy verbal his gratitude and honored stand-up fight those who had helped him since the accident.

A Personal Duration and Legacy

Teddy Pendergrass had assorted children from different women.

Deduce 1987, he married former person Karen. Although they later divorced by mutual agreement, Karen remained his caregiver. Teddy was besides married to a woman titled Joan. In 2009, the singer underwent surgery for colon somebody, which ultimately caused his brief on January 12, 2010, draw on the age of 59.

Proscribed left behind a son, Slip Pendergrass II, and two daughters.