Remembering Teddy Pendergrass.

Yesterday marked the 5^th anniversary of the death of Teddy Pendergrass (1950– 2010). TP, as he was fondly called by his fans, was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter. In the late 1979s to early 1980s, no serious party could ever be complete without the DJ featuring some of Teddy Pendergrass’ songs. He was among the very few authentic R&B singers of our time. These days, almost every charlatan pretends to be an R&B singer even though all they do is make some silly, rambling noises on a manipulated microphone.

Teddy Pendergrass actually started out as a drummer for the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. It was while in session one fateful day with the group that he sang along while on the drums. Startled by the powerful vocal of the then young man, the leader of the group decided right there that TP would henceforth be the lead vocal. And by the late 1970s, he proceeded on a successful solo career. Unfortunately, his career was at the very peak in 1982 when, after a party at his residence, he crashed his Rolls Royce onto a tree in Philadelphia while taking a friend home. The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. Later on in his life, he founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, a foundation that helps those with spinal cord injuries. Pendergrass commemorated 25 years of living as a victim of spinal cord injury with a star-filled event. It was titled, “Teddy 25 - A Celebration of Life” at the Philadelphia's Kimmel Center. On January 13, 2010, he died of respiratory failure at Bryn Mawr Hospital in suburban Philadelphia.

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