R&B Singer Teena Marie Dies at Age 54
Marie was scheduled to perform at the Nokia Theatre on February 12.
 Teena Marie |
LOS ANGELES ( KTLA) A source close to the family of Teena Marie says the Grammy-nominated R&B singer, song-writer and producer has died. She was 54 years old.
Details of her passing are not readily available however sources close to the family tell KTLA that the singer died in her sleep and was discovered by her daughter, Alia Rose who sings under the name Rose Le Beau.
While no cause of death has been released, the singer's publicist Lynn Jeter said that Marie suffered a grand mal seizure marked by loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions a month ago.
Marie was best known for her work with the late funk legend Rick James. Marie was signed to Motown in 1976 and was one of the most successful white artists to record for the label.
Born Marie Christine Brockert, Teena Marie rose to prominence in the late 70s and 80s.
She released 13 studio albums, six of which went platinum on the US R&B chart. Two of her albums went platinum, and six altogether were gold.
Marie's biggest hit came in 1984 with her single 'Lovergirl,' which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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Singer-songwriter Teena Marie dies at 54
December 26, 2010 9:59 p.m. EST
Teena Marie sang under various record labels, including Motown, Epic and Cash Money Classics.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: "She was one of the greatest vocalists of our time," says the founder of Radio One
- Teena Marie, born Mary Brockert, was found dead Sunday in her home, her manager says
- She had a three-decade career in music, and was nominated four times for a Grammy
- She had worked with late funk legend Rick James, Smokey Robinson and others
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 and Cash Money Classics, since bursting on the scene as a 19-year-old, according to her website. Her most recent album, Sapphire, features collaborations with Smokey Robinson, Kurupt and Gerald Albright.
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.''
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Teena Marie, who made history as Motown's first white act but developed a lasting legacy with her silky soul pipes and with hits like "Lovergirl," ''Square Biz," and "Fire and Desire" with mentor Rick James, has died. She was 54.
The confirmation came from a publicist, Jasmine Vega, who worked with Teena Marie on her last album. Her manager, Mike Gardner, also confirmed her death to CNN.
Teena Marie, known as the "Ivory Queen of Soul," was certainly not the first white act to sing soul music, but she was arguably among the most gifted and respected, and was thoroughly embraced by the black audience.
She was first signed to the legendary Motown label back in 1979 at age 19, working with James, with whom she would have long, turbulent but musically magical relationship.
The cover of her album, "Wild and Peaceful," did not feature her image, with Motown apparently fearing backlash by audiences if they found out the songstress with the dynamic voice was white.
But Marie notched her first hit, "I'm A Sucker for Your Love," and was on her way to becoming one of R&B's most revered queens. During her tenure with Motown, the singer-songwriter and musician produced passionate love songs and funk jam songs like "Need Your Lovin'," ''Behind the Groove" and "Ooh La La La."
Marie had a daughter and had toured in recent years after overcoming an addiction to prescription drugs.
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Teena Marie, ‘Ivory Queen of Soul,’ Dies at 54
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 26, 2010
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The confirmation came from a publicist, Jasmine Vega, who worked with Teena Marie on her last album. Her manager, Mike Gardner, also confirmed her death to CNN.
Teena Marie, known as the "Ivory Queen of Soul," was certainly not the first white act to sing soul music, but she was arguably among the most gifted and respected, and was thoroughly embraced by the black audience.
She was first signed to the legendary Motown label back in 1979 at age 19, working with James, with whom she would have long, turbulent but musically magical relationship.
The cover of her album, "Wild and Peaceful," did not feature her image, with Motown apparently fearing backlash by audiences if they found out the songstress with the dynamic voice was white.
But Marie notched her first hit, "I'm A Sucker for Your Love," and was on her way to becoming one of R&B's most revered queens. During her tenure with Motown, the singer-songwriter and musician produced passionate love songs and funk jam songs like "Need Your Lovin'," ''Behind the Groove" and "Ooh La La La."
Marie had a daughter and had toured in recent years after overcoming an addiction to prescription drugs.
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