Kenny Gamble And Leon Huff Pay Tribute to Teddy Pendergrass

The force of his masculine vocal prowess and sex appeal of his passionate love ballads forever linked Pendergrass to Philadelphia International Records like Marvin Gaye to Motown, Otis Redding to Stax/Volt and Sam Cooke to RCA.

Starting in 1972, Pendergrass propelled a string of hits with the Blue Notes such as "I Miss You," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody," and the two million seller "If You Don't Know Me By Now." In 1977, Pendergrass launched a solo career and continued the arsenal of hit singles that took him around the world with "Close the Door," "Turn Off the Lights," "I Don't Love You Anymore" "Love T.K.O.," and many more, earning five Grammy nominations for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Together, his voice led a string of consecutive platinum records.

Pendergrass later became an inspirational figure to millions in the 28 years since he was left quadriplegic from a horrific 1982 car accident. He established the charitable Teddy Pendergrass Alliance (TPA) in 1987, and in 2007, formed a partnership with the National Spinal Cord Injury Association to help people with injuries during the early stages of recovery, which led to his recognition that year as one of the most influential SCI activists with his induction into the Spinal Cord Injury Association Hall of Fame.

Born in Kingstree, SC, and raised in Philadelphia, Theodore DeReese Pendergrass, Jr. dropped out of Overbrook High School in his junior year to pursue his musical dreams. In the late-'60s, he landed a gig as drummer with the great doo-wop group the Cadillacs. Around 1970, some of the members joined Harold Melvin in the Blue Notes. Teddy came along, but his strong vocal style � heavily influenced by Otis Redding and Marvin Junior of the Dells � soon got him promoted to lead singer. When Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes were signed to Philadelphia International in 1972, it was the beginning of a four-year string of hits, all showcasing Teddy's dynamic vocals. They made their chart debut with, "I Miss You," then their first #1 hit, "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and "The Love I Lost," also #1, and their final #1, "Wake Up Everybody." More Pendergrass-driven Blues Notes classics include "Bad Luck" (#4 R&B; #1 Dance) and "Don't Leave Me This Way" and "Bad Luck."

By 1976, Pendergrass' star had risen into the stratosphere. He was a dominating, commanding figure for black America, and referred to at the time by Mr. Gamble as "the Black Elvis." In fact, at the time of his accident, like Elvis, Pendergrass was readying to launch a Hollywood movie career, with Sidney Poitier set to mentor.

Pendergrass' solo career began in spring 1977, with the solid R&B/pop crossover hit, "I Don't Love You Anymore," from his self-titled debut LP (also the source of his next crossover, "The Whole Town's Laugh�ing At Me"), instantly sending his sex symbol status into the stratosphere. Women from around the world, of all racial backgrounds, would attend his concerts and literally throw themselves and their clothes on stage, just to get Pendergrass' attention, or attract a kiss while he sang to them. He drove women so wild on stage, that he became the first artist to establish "for women only" concerts.

His second album, 1978's Life Is A Song Worth Singing, brought his Philadelphia International Records a #1 hit, "Close The Door," and the follow-up, "Only You" (plus such memorable tracks as "When Somebody Loves You Back," "Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose," and the title tune). The next album, 1979's Teddy, kicked off with the #2 smash, "Turn Off The Lights," followed on the charts by "Come Go With Me," and also including "I'll Never See Heaven Again." After a double-LP live album that Christmas, Pendergrass came back in the summer 1980 with TP, containing his signature #2 hit "Love T.K.O." and a duet with Stephanie Mills, "Feel The Fire." The hit streak continued in late-'81 with the album It's Time For Love, and another signature tune, the #4 hit "You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration," along with the title tune and "Nine Times Out Of Ten."

After recording his next album, Pendergrass suffered a life-altering automobile accident on March 18, 1982, that left him partially paralyzed from the waist down with a spinal cord injury. A prophetic single was issued in May, "This Gift of Life," from the new album that followed in August, This One's For You. A lengthy rehabilitation followed, culmi�nat�ing in the release of his final (eighth) album for PIR in 1984, Heaven Only Knows (with his final PIR chart single, "I Want My Baby Back"). Later that year, Teddy moved to Asylum Records and rallied back onto the charts with Love Language, and his first crossover hit in three years, "Hold Me," a duet with Whitney Houston.

Pendergrass' comeback was celebrated with his heroic performance at the Live Aid concert in his native Philadelphia on July 13, 1985. He went on to release four more albums through the '90s on Asylum and its sister label Elektra, among them Joy (1988) and Truly Blessed (1991, which spun off the #1 R&B hit, "It Should've Been You"). Pendergrass continued on occasion to perform, most recently at the June 2007 Philadelphia concert, "Teddy 25 � A Celebration of Life, Hope and Possibilities," and lead various philanthropic ventures.

At "Teddy 25," at which he announced "instead of being saddened by this milestone," he was "deeply overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude to all the people who have helped me overcome the many fears and difficulties I would ultimately encounter as a disabled person." To celebrate his milestone, Philadelphia International Records released THE ESSENTIAL TEDDY PENDERGRASS. The double-disc set marked two anni�versaries � 35 years since his first recordings as lead singer with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (starting in 1972, with "I Miss You" and the #1 "If You Don't Know Me By Now"), and 30 years since Pendergrass' emergence as a solo artist in 1977 ("I Don't Love You Anymore," from his self-titled debut album that year).

Pendergarss' songs have been sampled by numerous soul and R&B artists, and have used in a number of TV commercials and films around the world, including the "Nutty Professor, Old Navy and Chevrolet.


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