The entire world is now aware that celebrated singer Teddy Pendergrass died last week following a long battle with colon cancer. He was 59.
He rose to prominence in the 1970s with his distinct style of singing that was technically flawless, powerful and intensely emotional. He was loved by his thousands of followers in the St. Louis area.
Also known by the nicknames Teddy Bear, TP or Teddy P, he first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, although he began his career as a drummer and eventually lead singer for the doo wop group The Cadillacs. Most people aren’t aware that as a youngster Teddy was ordained a minister and sang gospel music churches in his hometown of Philadelphia.
There are many accounts of Teddy’s life circulating since his death. You will read about his 1982 auto accident when the brakes failed on his car and he hit a tree. He suffered a spinal cord injury leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
You will be reminded that in August 1982, Philadelphia International Records released This One’s for You while he was recovering from the automobile accident. In 1983, the album Heaven Only Knows was released. This was his last album containing his recordings before his accident.
You might learn that after completing physical therapy, he returned to the studio to record the album Love Language, featuring the 1984 ballad “Hold Me,” a duet with Whitney Houston, before she was known.
But we here at The American want to remember Teddy as the suave sophisticate who loved St. Louis and Kansas City. We want to remember TP as one of a kind, truly a class act, an inspiration and a role model who will be remembered and loved always. We want to remember Teddy when he performed at the Ambassador Theater, or at the Kool Jazz Festival, or visited his admirers at Regal Sports. He will be remembered visiting radio stations KATZ, KWK and KKSS.
To St. Louis fans, his unique vocal style was immediately recognizable for its sweetness of tone and smoothness. We want to present a vivid portrait of the singers’ inspirations, influences, life experiences, weaknesses and an understandable portrayal of his achievements. The American acknowledges he was a man who overcame extraordinary obstacles to become a vocalist of his caliber.
Singing is one of the most difficult arts to master, but Teddy was widely considered the embodiment of the perfect singer and a major source of inspiration to other singers and musicians. He was regarded as a national treasure by both musicians and music lovers, and St. Louis audiences loved the beauty of his refined and intensely personal approach.
He studied with the great soul groups, composers, writers and learned the vocal styles of soul singers from previous generations and he embraced the music’s rich and earliest heritage as well as its deeply spiritual and thoughtful qualities. Teddy made it his own because he had links to the glorious musical heritage of producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and their approach to music.
Gamble and Huff provided him with the framework with which he then built his own musical abilities. Some of the hits they produced were “I Miss You,” “Bad Luck,” “Wake Up Everybody” and too many more to name. Some of the other classics he gave us are “The More I Get the More I Want,” “Close The Door,” “I Don’t Love You Anymore” and “Turn Off the Lights.”
In 1996, he toured with Stephanie Mills in the touring production of the gospel musical Your Arms are Too Short to Box with God. In 1998, Teddy released his autobiography, Truly Blessed.
In 2006, Pendergrass announced his retirement from the music business but the following year he briefly returned to performing to participate in “Teddy 25: A Celebration of Life, Hope & Possibilities,” a 25th anniversary awards ceremony that marked the date of his automobile accident. It also raised money for his charity, The Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, and honored those who helped Pendergrass since his accident.
More recently, he had co-written songs for the biographical musical production I Am Who I Am: the Story of Teddy Pendergrass.
Teddy Pendergrass is being mourned around the world by millions of fans. Unlike other tributes that focus narrowly on his music, The American wanted to explore the personal history of Teddy DeReese Pendergrass, and the social framework surrounding his music.
Thank You Teddy!
