In arguably the saddest news to hit music this year, R&B legend Teena Marie was found dead on Sunday. She was 54.
Full story below…
Via CNN:
(CNN) — Teena Marie, a celebrated R&B singer-songwriter, was found dead Sunday at her California home, her manager said.
Born Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica, California, the 54-year-old artist famously paired with late funk legend Rick James and was nominated four times for a Grammy Award, according to her official website.
Marie was found dead by her daughter after apparently dying in her sleep, manager Mike Gardner said.
“Teena was a black voice trapped in a white body,” said Cathy Hughes, founder of Radio One, a broadcasting company that targets African-American and urban listeners. “I would always tell her that she was one of the greatest vocalists of our time.”
Among her songs were “Lovergirl,” “Portuguese Love,” “Ooo La La La,” and “I’m a Sucker for Your Love.”
While no cause of death has been released, the singer’s publicist Lynn Jeter said that Marie suffered a grand mal seizure — a neurological event, marked by loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions, according to the Mayo Clinic — a month ago.
“Luckily, someone was there,” Jeter said of that seizure. “The ambulance took her to the hospital, and on the way she had another seizure.”The publicist said that she had a “great” conversation on Saturday with Marie, who told her that she was excited about heading to Atlanta to perform this week — in what would have been her first performance since the seizure.
Marie sang under various record labels, including Motown, Epic, Stax Records and Cash Money Classics, since bursting on the scene as a 19-year-old, according to her website. Her last studio album, Congo Square, featured several collaborations.
“The enduring influence of Teena’s inspirational, trailblazing career, could only have been made possible through her brilliant song-writing, showmanship and high energy passion which laid the ground work for the future generations of R&B, hip-hop, and soul,” said Gene Rumsey, chief label officer with Concord Music Group. “We feel extremely fortunate to have worked with a visionary who changed music in indelible ways.”
Eddie Levert, founder of the vocal group The O’Jays, praised Marie as both a singer and mother.
“There are a lot of black people who swore by her and believed in her, as far as her music was concerned,” he said. “She was a good mom, and to me, that is saying a lot.”
Undeniably a great loss to R&B, our thoughts and prayers are especially with Marie’s family during this difficult time; 54 is just too young. Sad.
Teena Marie we salute you.
![JoJo Drops Full Version of Her Teena Marie 'Square Biz' Cover [Video]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/thatgrapejuice-square-biz-2022-jojo-teena-marie-464x260.jpg "JoJo Drops Full Version of Her Teena Marie 'Square Biz' Cover [Video].")
![After Saying She'd Be "Open To" Starring In Teena Marie's Biopic, JoJo Soars with 'Square Biz' Cover [Snippet]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/jojo-teena-marie-biopic-thatgrapejuice-464x260.jpg "After Saying She'd Be \"Open To\" Starring In Teena Marie's Biopic, JoJo Soars with 'Square Biz' Cover [Snippet].")
LADY T,REST IN PEACE…we’ll miss you,but your soul in music will live on…
ooooh lalala she is talking square biz in Heaven She was fire and Ice
Wow, this is such a tragedy. RIP TEENA!
rip
wow I liked her, we all gotta leave this place, life is short but death is forever
Im so sad, she was too young. I WILL FOREVER MISS YOU LADY T!!
My eldest sister exposed me to her music and I definitely was a fan. She gave wonderful live performances. If you never heard of her before, please search for her music such as Dear Lover, Casanova Brown, Irons in the Fire, Fire & Desire ft. Rick James. If you love Faith Evans, MJB, Patti Labelle, you will love Teena Marie.
Thank you Sam & Trent for honoring Lady T with this post.
I remember listening to Teena back in the day……Very soulful voice and she gave you the impression she was a very happy person. Motown found her, Black America embraced her…She will be missed by all…………..God Bless her…………She should be awarded a lifetime acheivement award even though she’s gone.
R.I.P. our Ivory Queen of Soul. My condolences to her daughter, family and friends. As a life-long fan, I am heartsick but know that her music will live on forever. Teena Marie was one of those once in a lifetime voices & talents – a singer/songwriter, musician, arranger & producer before it became the norm for young females to control their own sound.
It’s so sad that she was not honored more while living but hopefully her legacy will be revered in some way by the music community.
TEENA MARIE WILL BE MISSED SO MUCH ME AND MY SISTER GROW UP LISTENING TO HER FOR YEARS. LISTENING TO TEENA MARIE WAS LIKE LISTENING TO ANGELS SING.WHITE IVORY /BLACK IVORY HER VOICE WAS SOULFUL AND SHE WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF THE MOST SOULFUL VOICES OF ALL TIMES
r.i.p tina .
R.I.P. My condolences goes out to her daughter and family and i know that she had a strong spiritual essence about her self and music . May god bless you in your time and need . May your mother be up wiht the angels, because that it what she sound like when she sang. R.I.P. Teena and may your music live on
I was watching Good Morning America, and when they said Teena Marie dead at 54, my face hit the floor, my mom came in the room and said did u see a ghost or something, i said no and told her that Tenna Marie died and her face dropped to the floor also….It’s sad to hear about a soul singer’s death and we not even in the new year yet….U never know when your time will come so we have to live our lives to the fullest…R.I.P Tenna Marie, you will be missed and we love u always.
So sad to see talent die young, RIP
Listen and learn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfQ_y6ThAMo
R.I.P. Ivory Queen of Soul
I am sooo sad! her AND rick are gone.
I’m sure she would want us to be happy though. I should go watch her and rick’s performance on BET that year.. that should cheer me up! *smiles through tears*
I was first exposed to her at about the age of 5 or 6. Since then, she’s been my favorite female vocalist of all time.
I loved lady T form the time I first heard her muusic,she will truly be missed but never forgotten.RIP
May she rest in peace!
She was one of my mom’s favorite singers… May she rest in peace & keep my mom company while she’s up there in heaven.
R.I.P Teena Marie
How sad, she was a beautiful person with a dynamic voice, RIP sweetie!
Good Morning:
Tina will greatly be miss from everyone . Her music need I say more. My pray are with the family. Let make a day with just her music on. If you can
R&B Legend,Teena Marie was fierce. RIP baby.
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The woman with the soulful voice R.I.P. Teena
RIP Lady T! a true soulful voice, still can’t believe it and the day after christmas. I grew up listening to ‘fir and desire’, ‘square biz’ and ‘out on a limb’. Rest in peace.
The Lady of Fire & Desire…
Heart, Soul, Passion!!!!
Salute to the Ivory Queen Of Soul!!!
54 y.o well young.
R.I.P
(Hopes she rests in a good place and has Rick James with her)
I love you Teena! R.I.P, love….
R.I.P Teena Marie!! You will be missed and your voice and music will forever live on!!
Sit your fake ass down Mariah…Teena was THE TRUTH!
she will be missed life not about how many breaths you take but how many moments take them away .
Teena was one of the most powerful singers out. R.I.P
WOW! I remember seeing someone tweet about this last night before I had found out, and I remember thinking you idiot, she’s not dead! SMH. I am so glad I decided to check before I responded to them! I just saw her Unsung on TV One too. Her story was so touching! She was only 54, that is so young! And her daughter found her. So sad. I am praying for her daughter and the rest of her family.
RIP Ivory Queen of Soul! You will truly be missed!
Honestly never heard of her until yesterday… RIP.
RIP to Teena Marie! I know about her music because my mother is a BIG fan and so is Pop! I feel she was a poet as well as a singer and while I know her older stuff because of mom such as “Young Love,Out on a Limb,Casanova Brown and others,I also love ‘Can’t Last A Day and Still in Love!She seem like she was cool spirit!
What?! This is so sudden. Such a talented vocalist, she truly lived up to her name: “Blue Eyed Soul”. May she rest in peace.
Gutted! Teena Marie was and always will be a Legend. She did it before anyone else and was soooooo damn cool with it. I had the luxury of seeing her live and meeting her at the O2 this year and I have to say she was so incredible that I told everyone I know to go see her this month as she was coming back to perform again. Such a loss to the industry but more importantly a lost to her family who she had grown accustomed to taking on tour with her. One of the highlights of that night was watching Teena perform part of the set with her nephew and both her beautiful mixed race daughters; it was a beautiful moment that taught me that if a star has integrity they can have it all. Teena Marie might not have been hugely known but she was loved by her audience and recognised by the Music Industry as a known and proven talent. RIP Teena and thank you for being so cool when I finally got a chance to meet you in person, your Greatness will always be remembered xxxx
Man I’m sooooooooo sad by this, this is truly a sad day in music!!
To the Family of Tena Marie,( the Ivory Queen of Soul)
May time and cherished memories bring you comfort at this time of sorrow….
And may the care and understanding of others help you to face each new tomorrow.
Thinking of you With Sympathy.
*Rip Ivory Queen of Soul*
damn rest in peace teena
This was a shock, still can’t believe it. Teena is definitely among the top five of my all-time favorite artists and I listen to her music like it came out yesterday. I love the tone of her voice more than any other vocalist, it’s sad, but her music will live on forever.
In my opinion, Teena Marie was one of the greatest singers of her time. And her death is a great loss to her fans and the music industry.
I was a big fan of Teena Marie. I bought every one of her albums. And I enjoyed the passion and intensity of her songs.
I love you Teena, and thanks for the great songs. You will be greatly missed.
OMG I am devastated by this news. She was an amazing singer and a legend in my eyes.
One more comment, just wanted to share a list of some of my favorite Teena songs: “Young Love,” “Allandin’s Lamp,” “Behind The Groove,” “Dear Lover” and of course I love the Rick James duets like “Fire & Desire,” “Happy,” and “Once & Future Dream.” If any of you are unaware of any of these you should check them out. She was truly blessed with a gift.
Damn, another music legend gone too soon. R.I.P. Teena. 🙁
I’m speechless right now. Who’s replacing the O.Gs in the soul, funk, reggae genres? Now Miss T has flown on too? R.I.P, Miss T. Fly on, fly on.
Can’t believe I will never download another new Lady T album again. 🙁
She was such a part of the soundtrack of our lives and sooooooo talented. No one could hold a note like she could. She will be sorely, sorely missed. RIP.
I hadn’t heard any of her music until annother blog i visited posted about her sudden death and posted a few of her songs and i was blown away. How hadn’t i listened to her before?!
She had such a beautiful voice one of the best i’ve ever heard and she sings with such feeling. Thanks you so much for opening doors for some of my favourite singers like Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, Adele and Jojo Tina i’ll say a prayer for you, your family and friends and i will definately continue discovering more of your amazing music, i hope she gets a posthumous lifetime achievement Grammy.
RIP Tina, gone too soon x
I feel in love with Teena Marie in the early 80s. Another talented, beautiful taken too early. Rest in peach, Teena…everyones LOVER GIRL…..you rocked our World
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She was an exceptional artist who is up there with the greats. i heard her when I was young and loved her music but I did not realise how great she was until after she died. It is very diffulcult to overate her ability and talent, she was that good. What is truely baffling is how white people never recognised what a great singer she was. I am afraid it is really their lost and our gain. Love and Light to you.