Teena Marie [1956-2010]

Artist: Teena Marie

LP: Lady T

Song: "You're All the Boogie I Need"

[ listen ]

Yesterday I clicked on a Yahoo link claiming that reports of Aretha Franklin's death were false—she's recovering from surgery and is doing fine. The article went on to say that there may have been some confusion due to the fact that soul/R&B singer Teena Marie had died in her sleep in Pasadena, CA the day after Christmas! She was just 54 years old. Born with the name Christina Marie Brockert in Santa Monica, CA, Teena Marie appeared in an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies when she was just 8 years old. She was raised in Oakwood, CA and grew up listening to Motown music. She signed to the label in 1976 and became their most popular white recording artist. (Her first LP features no pictures of Marie—the label was evidently hoping people would focus on her music, not on the fact that she wasn't actually black, as many people assumed when they heard the record.) I first became aware of Teena Marie when her "Lovergirl" single climbed the charts in 1984. I still think it's one of the most danceable hits of the 1980s. A few years ago I started picking up all of her earlier Motown records, including "Lady T," released in 1980. The record was produced by Richard Rudolph, husband to singer Minnie Ripperton, who had died the year before. In the "Lady T" liner notes, Marie dedicates this record to Ripperton. You can read more about the life and career of the talented and lovely Teena Marie on Wikipedia here and find her New York Times obituary here.

Teena Marie

[March 5, 1956 — December 26, 2010]

We will miss you, Teena.