Yesterday the music world lost another great. Teddy Pendergrass, 59, died in Philadelphia after a long struggle with colon cancer. I never really got into Teddy's music until after the 1982 car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down, and he didn't influence my formative years the way his fellow soul balladeers Luther Vandross and Jeffrey Osbourne did. But Teddy is the one who really taught me about the joy of sex with his appropriately titled 1988 No. 1 R&B hit, "Joy." His voice post-car crash may not have been the force of nature that it was during his late-'70s/early '80s heyday, but that didn't stop him from creating what, for me, will be his most enduring hit.
Interesting trivia: "Hold Me," Teddy's 1984 duet single with Whitney Houston, was the reason Whitney was deemed ineligible for the Best New Artist Grammy the following year when her debut album was released. As a result, Sade took the prize. Head scratchingly, former Shalamar member Jody Watley would be named Best New Artist just two years later. There's no method to the Grammy madness!
Here are my Top 5 favorite other Teddy jams.
- "Close The Door"
- "Love T.K.O."
- "Choose Me (You're My Choice Tonight)"
- "I Don't Love You Anymore"
- "Believe In Love" (Phat Phili Mix)
"Joy"
2 comments:
I, too, was very saddened by Teddy's demise. May he rest in peace.
As for my favorite TP cuts, I would have to say there is one that I have not been able to locate for purchase or download: "Believe in Love (Phat Phili Mix)." What's up with that?
Today is your lucky day! I bought the cassette single way back in the day, but more recently, I couldn't find it anywhere either. But it's now on YouTube for the world to enjoy.
Post a Comment