In Memory 2010: Teddy Pendergrass

We lost Teddy in 2010 at the age of 59 from respiratory failure and colon cancer, he was a big part of  70s, music ,especially with the group Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, and as a solo singer too. He was a drummer before he joined The Blue Notes, and the story goes that one day he ran to the Mic and sang, and that was it, the hits rolled in after they signed to the Philadelphia label.

Hits like “If You Dont Know Me By Now” from 1972, the very first hit for the group written by Gamble and Huff, and although it was Harold Melvin's group Teddy became the front man.

Incidentally Patti Labelle was offered the song, but her group never reordered it, sure she was not too upset as she was to record “Lady Marmalade” a year later.

Other huge hits from Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes that rocked the charts across the world included.

“The Love I Lost” 

“Don't leave me This Way”

In the UK Thelma Houston's version and The Blue Notes version chased each other up and down the charts at the same time.

The last song to be a single hit for Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes that featured Teddy was the inspirational “Wake Up Everybody” from the album of the same name.

Teddy then went solo and had his first singles under his own name in 1977 with “I Don't Love You Anymore”, and the great “The Whole Town Is Laughing At Me”.

And for the naughty UK readers here is “Close The Door” form the next year,number one in USA not even a hit in UK. Shame on UK. 

This was followed by a smaller hit “Only You”.

1979 Teddy had a few singles out, but the only one to really chart in the main charts was “Turn Off The Lights” which was velvet to the ears of lovers across the world, what a sexy voice.

Teddy was paralysed by an accident in the 80s, but still appeared in a wheel chair to a global audience on Live Aid in 1985, and had good hits mainly in the US throughout the 80s and 90s, but it was in 70s music he will be most remembered..

Died January 14^th 2010.