R.I.P. Teena Marie

[Headphones Dude]

Dang, what a loss....She was Rick James's musical yin to his yang, but she also was an anomaly in the 70's/80's soul/r&b world being a white woman who could sing like she was black. If she died in her sleep, then it was her time to go, but if it would have been painful to die of a grand mal seizure...But we've lost a great talent...

Goodbye Teena, and say hi to Rick James....

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/26/teena.marie.dead/index.html?hpt=T1

[Andromeda.]

whoa! that's crazy. too bad, she wasn't very old.



as an aside, the types of grand mals that kill you are the ones you aren't awake for. the ones you are awake for are incredibly painful though. if she died in her sleep she probably did not suffer through the seizure, or at least only suffered for a split second before the lights went out.

[HexRei]

stimulants, they cause a hell of a seizure

[St. Earl]

i was going to say.

she did not age well.
at all.

[Izlude]

This will make a great link to show my friend who's name is TinaMarie.

[Nukegrrrl]

I was just funking out to "Square Biz" the other day and was thinking about how I'd love to catch her the next time she toured the casino/floundering 80's artists circuit.

RIP!

[SkyElectric]

Another 70s icon RIP

[Nukegrrrl]

I was talking with the Roddidogg last night about how Teena Marie's passing may not be so tragic but the general public's lack of knowledge about her and her music is.

Teena Marie, aka Lady T, grew up in Venice, CA, which was mostly populated by black people back then. As a little toddler she would belt out Motown songs with the soul of a wizened diva. Everyone loved it so much that her family entered her into showbiz. After a few acting bits in sitcoms and having sung at celebrity weddings, Teena met a Motown producer who landed her an audition in front of Barry Gordy. Gordy appreciated her talent and got Teena to record and produce a lot of Motown songs that weren't released under her name. Maybe he was worried about this little white girl becoming the star of the blackest record label around. While Teena was hanging out at Motown, Rick James became smitten with her, and took her under his wing. He produced Teena's first hits, which never featured any photos of her on the album art or promo materials. When she finally appeared on Soul Train to sing one of her hits with Rick James in '79, it blew everyone's minds to see this girl that they'd assumed was black was actually as white as could be (I have that episode on tape - the shocked looks on people's faces are priceless!).

Then the hits practically started cranking themselves out. Most of you know them, even if not in their original entirety but as samples in hip hop tunes: "Square Biz," "Fire and Desire," that one song in Goonies, that other song in Top Gun, "Lovergirl," and "Ooh La La La" (sampled in that Fugee's song about being a fugee). Teena Marie found time in between to be the godmother of Maya Rudolph and to sue Motown for not releasing her from a record contract where they refused to release her music, just so they could cockblock other labels that would want to release any of her songs/hits. Her successful suit set a precedent that changed the music industry.

I've gotta get to work now, but she raised a daughter who is also a singing prodigy, played herself on some sitcoms and guest judged American Idol, and that's about all I've got.

Google some of her songs, funk out, and have a snazzy day!

[Headphones Dude]

Mariah Carey may have taken Teena's place in the late 80's, but I still think Teena had more talent, and didn't need to sleep with every record producer just to have a hit single. (I've never liked Mariah ever). But if there were no Teena, then Mariah might not be the star she is now. Or not as bright.

Thanx for the info Jennny.....I didn't even know some of Teena's story...