Teddy Pendergrass

Teddy Pendergrass, lovingly referred to as "Teddy Bear" by fans, is a soul singer, songwriter and composer who had a string of hit albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Fast Facts

1. Genre: Soul, R&B;
2. Name: Theodore DeReese Pendergrass
3. Born: March 26, 1950
4. Origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Years Active: 1960 - 2006
6. Albums: 21
7. Singles: 34
8. Labels: Philadelphia International Records, Asylum Records, Elektra Records Surefire Records
9. First African-American singer to have 5 platinum selling albums in a row
10. Awards: Nominated for 5 Grammy Awards
11. Associated with: Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, The O'Jays, Whitney Houston
12. Retired in 2006 but still preforms occasionally

Career

Pendergrass started his musical career as a drummer for the band The Cadillacs. The Cadillacs merged with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and Melvin asked Pendergrass to become their lead singer.

After Pendergrass left the Blue Notes due to a personality conflict with Melvin, he launched a solo career. Pendergrass released many hit singles and his first solo album titled Teddy Pendergrass in 1977.

The Crash

On March 18, 1982, Pendergrass was involved in a car accident in which the brakes failed and his car hit a tree. The accident left him paralyzed from the waist down with a spinal cord injury. Pendergrass spent six months in rehabilitation but finally returned to the studio to record the album Love Language in 1984 featuring a duet with Whitney Houston.

Notable Recordings

• 1977: Teddy Pendergrass
• 1984: Love Language
• 1988: Joy
• 1998: The Best of Teddy Pendergrass
• 2002: From Teddy With Love
• 2004: Love Songs Collection

Quote

"It's very important that first of all we take what could have been a tragedy in our lives and turn it into a steppingstone for medical progress," Moore said backstage. "Because of Teddy's injuries and because of his great stature, he has the opportunity to be a magnet for all kinds of medical discoveries and hopefully, in the very near future, people may recovery totally." — USA Today

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