Teddy Pendergrass Dead at 59

egendary R&B singer and songwriter Teddy Pendergrass, popular for his classic R&B hits “Turn Off the Lights” and “Love T.K.O,” died Jan. 13 at the Bryn Mawr Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa., according to The Associated Press. He was 59.

His son, Teddy Pendergrass II, told the Philadelphia Inquirer his father underwent colon surgery eight months ago and was going through a "difficult recovery," but that his father would "live on through his music."

Born March 26,1950, in Philadelphia, Pendergrass’ climb to superstardom began with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. In 1977, he launched a self-titled solo album, and went on to earn numerous platinum albums and a Grammy nomination.

Pendergrass ushered in a new, electric era of R&B that blended passion, raw sexuality and romance into an eclectic sub-genre of R&B music. Donning skin-tight, multicolored pants; chest-baring blazers and a bevy of gold chains, Pendergrass laid the blueprint for today’s urban music sex symbols.

But tragedy struck the crooner in 1982 after an automobile accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. Despite the devastating turn of events, Pendergrass continued to record music and returned to the stage in 1985 for a Live Aid concert in Philadelphia. In 1998, Pendergrass founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, a national organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with spinal cord injuries.

His investment in community service and other civic issues transformed Pendergrass’ image from a magnetic ladies man to a philanthropic activist celebrated for his aplomb in the face of adversity.

 

Teddy Pendergrass’ music lives
on through sampling

The music of Teddy Pendergrass was reintroduced to a new generation of listeners through Hip-Hop & R&B music in the 90s.Artists like Jay-Z, Mobb Deep, D’angelo, Ghostface Killah, and more mined through Teddy P’s music to produce songs of their own that would become classics in their own right. See if you can spot the samples of Teddy Pendergrass’ music in these songs.

Ahmad “Back In The Day”
Perhaps the most popular song that ever sampled Teddy Pendergrass, Ahmad’s early 90’s lamentation on childhood was built around a loop of “Love TKO.”

Jay-Z feat. Beanie Sigel & Scarface “This Can’t Be Life”
One of the first times Jay-Z rocked over a Kanye West beat was on this song from The Dynasty: Roc La Familia in 2000. The song uses a sample of Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes “I Miss You.”

D’angelo “Devil’s Pie”
The DJ Premier produced banger from D’angelo’s Voodoo album was constructed using the first couple of seconds of Teddy Pendergrass’ “And If I Had.” Mobb Deep also sampled “And If I Had” on their song “Cradle To The Grave.”

Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon & Cappadonna “Camay”
The RZA freaked a sample of Teddy’s voice in “Can’t We Try” for this track off of Ghostface’s debut album, Ironman

Jaheim feat. Tha Rayne “Fabulous”
Jaheim’s vocal style is obviously influenced by Teddy Pendergrass. His single “Fabulous” also samples Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes’ “Wake Up Everybody.”

The B.U.M.S. “Elevation (Free My Mind)”
The B.U.M.S. had a minor hit in 1995 with the “Close The Door” sampling “Elevation (Free My Mind).”

Shade 45’s DJ Wonder put together this excellent mix of classic Teddy Pendergrass songs and songs that sampled Teddy’s music. Hear these songs and more over at TeamYee.tv.