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Soul legend Teena Marie dies at home aged 54
Source: Agencies |
December 28, 2010, Tuesday
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TEENA Marie, the "Ivory Queen of Soul" who developed a lasting legacy with her soul pipes and with hits like "Lovergirl," "Square Biz," and "Fire and Desire" with mentor Rick James, died in the United States on Sunday. She was 54.
A statement from Pasadena police said the death appeared to be from natural causes. Emergency services were called to her home after family members found her unresponsive.
In an interview last year, Marie said she had successfully battled an -addiction to prescription drugs - she went on tour last year to support her last album, "Congo Square."
Marie certainly wasn't the first white act to sing soul music, but she was arguably among the most gifted and respected, and was thoroughly embraced by the black audience.
Even before she started her musical career, she had a strong bond with the black community, which she credited to her godmother. She gravitated to soul music and in her youth decided to make it her career.
Marie made her debut on the legendary Motown label back in 1979, becoming one of the very few white acts to break the race barrier of the groundbreaking black-owned record label that had been a haven for black artists like Stevie Wonder, the Jackson Five, the Supremes and Marvin Gaye.
She went to Epic in the 1980s and had hits like "Lovergirl" and "Ooo La La La," but her lasting musical legacy would be her Motown years.
In 2004 and 2006 she put out two albums on the rap label Cash Money Records, "La Dona" and "Sapphire."
In 2008, she talked of her excitement of being honored by the R&B Foundation.
"All in all, it's been a wonderful, wonderful ride," she said at the time. "I don't plan on stopping anytime soon."
A statement from Pasadena police said the death appeared to be from natural causes. Emergency services were called to her home after family members found her unresponsive.
In an interview last year, Marie said she had successfully battled an -addiction to prescription drugs - she went on tour last year to support her last album, "Congo Square."
Marie certainly wasn't the first white act to sing soul music, but she was arguably among the most gifted and respected, and was thoroughly embraced by the black audience.
Even before she started her musical career, she had a strong bond with the black community, which she credited to her godmother. She gravitated to soul music and in her youth decided to make it her career.
Marie made her debut on the legendary Motown label back in 1979, becoming one of the very few white acts to break the race barrier of the groundbreaking black-owned record label that had been a haven for black artists like Stevie Wonder, the Jackson Five, the Supremes and Marvin Gaye.
She went to Epic in the 1980s and had hits like "Lovergirl" and "Ooo La La La," but her lasting musical legacy would be her Motown years.
In 2004 and 2006 she put out two albums on the rap label Cash Money Records, "La Dona" and "Sapphire."
In 2008, she talked of her excitement of being honored by the R&B Foundation.
"All in all, it's been a wonderful, wonderful ride," she said at the time. "I don't plan on stopping anytime soon."
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