When the gruff'n'ready vocals of Pendergrass came their way, they eagerly signed the group.īeginning with "I Miss You," a steady stream of hit singles flowed from the collaboration of Pendergrass and Gamble & Huff: "If You Don't Know Me By Now," "The Love I Lost," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody" (#1 R&B for two weeks in 1976), and two gold albums, To Be True and Wake Up Everybody. Since the Dells were signed to Chess, they were unavailable. It's no secret that Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff wanted Marvin Junior of the Dells for their Philadelphia International Records roster. In 1970, when the Blue Notes broke up, Melvin, now aware of Pendergrass' vocal prowess, asked him to take the lead singer spot. In the late 60s, the Cadillacs merged with another more-established group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. A self-taught drummer, Pendergrass had a teen pop vocal group when he was 15.īy his late teens, Pendergrass was a drummer for local vocal group the Cadillacs. While attending public school, he sang in the citywide McIntyre Elementary School Choir and in the All-City Stetson Junior High School Choir. Teddy Pendergrass started singing gospel music in Philadelphia churches, becoming an ordained minister at ten years old. He also sang a duet with Whitney Houston on "Hold Me," from her self-titled debut album. His first solo album was self titled Teddy Pendergrass (1977), followed by Life is a Song Worth Singing (1978), Live! Coast to Coast and Teddy (1979), 1980's TP and the final Philadelphia International Records album It's Time for Love (1981). Following personality conflicts between Melvin and Pendergrass, Pendergrass launched a solo career and released hit singles like "The More I Get the More I Want," "Close the Door," "I Don't Love You Anymore," "Turn Off the Lights" and others. The Blue Notes had hits such as "I Miss You," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody," the two million seller "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and many more. His initial rise to stardom occurred under tutelage of producer's Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff on the then CBS subsidiary Philadelphia International in 1970. A car accident in 1982 damaged his spinal cord and left him paralyzed from the waist down with limited use of his arms. He released a total of fifteen solo studio albums including hits like Love T.K.O. After a stellar early 70s run including the Grammy-nominated hit If You Don't Know Me by Now, Teddy went solo in 1976. Pendergrass' career began when he was a drummer for The Cadillacs, who soon merged with fellow soul band Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. (born Main Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died January 13, 2010) was an American Grammy nominated R&B soul singer-songwriter. Theodore "Teddy" DeReese Pendergrass, Sr.
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