One of the world's great soul men, singer
Teddy Pendergrass, died at age 59 on Wednesday after a long battle with colon cancer. The
Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Pendergrass, who was paralyzed after a 1982 car accident, died in a Philly hospital eight months after undergoing colon cancer surgery and suffering through a difficult recovery.
In his prime in the 1970s, Pendergrass was one of the premier R&B singers in America, leading Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes to the top of the charts with indelible soul classics such as "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and "I Miss You."
After leaving the Blue Notes in 1976, Pendergrass recorded a series of solo hits for the legendary Philadelphia International label into the 1980s, including his signature between-the-sheets hit, "Love T.K.O." Unlike some of the other velvety Philly-sound singers such as Al Green, Pendergrass' deep baritone had a gritty, masculine edge that he worked out on seductive slow jams like "Feel the Fire, "Close the Door," "Come Go With Me," "Turn off the Lights" and "It's Time for Love." He created a new template for the modern R&B singer with his aggressive brand of soul and smooth, ladies-man image on songs that were sexually charged but never coarse or vulgar.
The singer's life was forever altered in 1982, when he crashed his Rolls Royce in Philadelphia, leaving the then-31-year-old singer paralyzed from the waist down. After a year of rehabilitation, he returned in 1983 with the album
Love Language and performed from his wheelchair at Live Aid in 1985, but his musical career would never regain its momentum. The powerful, seductive persona that Pendergrass had honed in his peak years had been diminished in the aftermath of the crash, as was the strength of his voice, but Pendergrass was not entirely deterred by his challenge. He continued to record sporadically throughout the 1980s, and in 1998, he formed the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance to benefit victims of spinal cord injuries.
Like many Philly stars, Pendergrass' hits were written and produced by the legendary team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who recounted Pendergrass' solo debut at a Los Angeles nightclub in an interview with Philly radio station WDAS. "That night I saw the coming of a superstar," Huff said. "When Teddy walked out on the stage, he didn't even open his mouth and the place went crazy with screaming females. He was just so dynamic, and when he started singing, he just blew them away."
Gamble and Huff said in a statement on their Web site that they were "deeply saddened" by the death of the man they called their best friend and "one of the greatest."
"He had about 10 platinum albums in a row, so he was a very, very successful recording artist and as a performing artist," Gamble told
The Associated Press. "He had a tremendous career ahead of him, and the accident sort of got in the way of many of those plans. ... He never showed me that he was angry at all about his accident. ... In fact, he was very courageous."
Pendergrass was born in 1950 in North Philadelphia, where he was raised by his mother, Ida Epps. He began singing early, honing his chops at the ripe age of 2 by belting out gospel standards at the Glad Tidings Baptist Church alongside his mother.
Pendergrass got his start as a drummer, working behind the Philly band the Cadillacs and then joining Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in 1970. He was promoted to lead singer of that group the next year after vocalist John Atkins quit. The act was signed to Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1972 and began releasing a string of hit singles that included "Don't Leave Me This Way" and "Bad Luck."
Pendergrass left the Blue Notes at the peak of their success in 1976 to go solo. His first post-crash album in 1984 featured a duet with the then-unknown Whitney Houston on the song "Hold Me." He released his autobiography, "Truly Blessed," in 1998 and retired from music in 2006.
Here's a real and rare treat. I've dug up the Rock and Roll movie Rock Rock Rock with Alan Freed. There's some great performances by Connie Francis (singing for actress Tuesday Weld), Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, The Moonglows, Johnny Burnette Trio, LaVern Baker, and many more. Sit back and turn it up. Enjoy this full length motion picture.
Although occasionally mistaken for a Jamaican, Johnny Nash was born in Houston, Texas on August 19, 1940. His career got underway at an early age when he appeared on local TV from the time he was only 13. He appeared on Arthur Godfrey's TV and radio shows from 1956 to 1963. He was in the movie Take A Giant Step in 1959 at age 19. He even owned his own record label, JoDa, in 1965.
Andy Kim is donating all YouTube royalties for this song to the Red Cross. Love Is is a tribute to all those affected by the horrendous earthquake in Haiti. While I posted it last week, I wanted to play it for you again this week, so I decided Love Is by Andy Kim is our Song of the Week.
Phoebe Snow underwent emergency brain surgery Tuesday (January 19) after suffering a hemmorhage at her home in New Jersey. Her manager said on Thursday she was in serious condition in intensive care at the undisclosed hospital. In a statement, her manager said, ""Phoebe is a very strong person and she is stable now. It is too early to assess any residual motor damage, and we are taking it day-by-day, but doctors are hopeful for a complete recovery."
Robert "Squirrel" Lester, second tenor and founding member of the Chi-Lites died of cancer Friday (January 22) at the age of 67. The McComb, Mississippi native started out singing with Clarence Johnson and Eugene Record in his adopted home town of Chicago in a group called the Chanteurs in the late '50s-- even releasing a record on the Renee label. They joined up with Marshall Thompson and Creadel Jones in 1963 as the Hi-Lites. The following year they added the "C" at the beginning to avoid a conflict with another group using that name and to celebrate their Windy City heritage. Recordings for Mercury, Blue Rock, Ja-Wes and Dakar Records showed promise but little chart action until a switch to the Brunswick label (with its producer Carl Davis and songwriter Barbara Acklin-- who later married Eugene) in 1969 changed their fortunes. "Give It Away" reached only #88 on the pop charts, but crashed into the R&B top ten, beginning a string of 23 pop and 43 R&B chart records, including "Oh Girl" (#1 on both charts, 1972), "Have You Seen Her" (#3 pop, #1 R&B, 1971), "Give More Power To The People" (#26 pop, #4 R&B, 1971), Stoned Out Of My Mind" (#30 pop, #2 R&B, 1973) and "A Letter To Myself" (#33 pop, #3 R&B, 1973). Robert continued with the group through its many incarnations, even singing lead on "Oh Girl" in concert in later years. Robert and the Chi-Lites were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005. Said Marshall in a statement, "Today I am mourning the loss of my dear partner and friend, Robert 'Squirrel' Lester. He and I have been performing together for the past 50 years and now I am facing the reality that my friend has left me behind. I pray for peace to his family, friends and to each of you. I also ask that you include me in your prayers as I attempt to accept his passing."
Andy Kim, famed hit-maker and songwriter, has created a video tribute to the people affected by the tragic earthquake in Haiti. He is donating all YouTube royalties from Love Is to the Red Cross.
Canadian folk singer Kate McGarrigle, who enjoyed a long, successful musical partnership with her sister and was the mother of musicians Rufus and MarthaWainwright, has died at the age of 63.
In the early 1960s, Tony Orlando had an impressive career. Born Michael Anthony Cassavitis on April 3, 1944 in Manhattan, New York, Tony Orlando was discovered at the tender age of 16 by producer Don Kirshner. At 17 he scored three hit songs: Halfway To Paradise, Bless You, and Happy Times. In 1967, he took a step back from the spotlight and entered the other side of the music business as manager of April-Blackwood Music publishing company. Two years later, he sang lead vocals for the New York studio group Wind and had one hit with them called Make Believe.
We've got Bobby Vee is in the spotlight this week with a great big hit from 1965: Run To Him, it's our Song of the Week.
One of the world's great soul men, singer Teddy Pendergrass, died at age 59 on Wednesday after a long battle with colon cancer. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Pendergrass, who was paralyzed after a 1982 car accident, died in a Philly hospital eight months after undergoing colon cancer surgery and suffering through a difficult recovery. 
Roy Orbison was born April 23, 1936 in Vernon, Texas and died suddenly of a heart attack at age 52 on December 6, 1988. He first hit the charts back in 1956 with Ooby Dooby, billed on the famous Sun Records label as Roy Orbison and Teen Kings. Overall, he appeared on the Billboard charts thirty-two times and had ten Top Ten hits and a Gold Record for Oh, Pretty Woman.
Ricky Nelson was a teen idol heartthrob who got his start on his Mom and Dad's TV show, The Adventures of Ozzie And Harriet. He was both talented and handsome, a winning combination then and today. Here is Ricky Nelson performing Hello Mary Lou, Top Ten from 1961. It's our Song of the Week.
Willie Mitchell, a towering figure in soul and R&B music passed away at the age of 81. USA Today reports that he died January 5, 2010 at Methodist Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
According to Wikipedia, Joe Dowell was born January 23, 1940 in Bloomington, Indiana, but moved to Bloomington, Illinois, as a child. He first performed at a ninth-grade talent show, and later attended the University of Illinois. At his first recording session (backed by organist Ray Stevens), he sang the tune "Wooden Heart", which had been a hit for Elvis Presley in Europe, but which was never released as a single stateside. "Wooden Heart", the first single released on Smash Records, shot to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961. In the wake of his success, Dowell wanted to become a songwriter in his own right, but due to contractual obligations, he was required to sing music owned by Smash's parent company, Mercury Records. He had two further hits, "The Bridge of Love" (US #50) and "Little Red Rented Rowboat" (US #23), but after struggles with his management he was dropped from the label. Dowell went on to work in radio advertising, and became a spokesman for banks.
In keeping with our New Year Dance Party theme on Treasure Island Oldies for our first show of 2010, here is the all-time dance song master, Chubby Checker with The Fly. It's our Song of the Week.
I'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year.!I hope 2010 brings you good health, good times and great friends and family. Throw in success and you've got it made. I look forward to having you join me for the first Treasure Island Oldies show of 2010 with our Annual New Year's Dance Party, Sunday, January 3rd from 6 to 10 pm Pacific, 9 pm to 1 am Eastern.