Teddy Pendergrass

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

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.
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