Teena Marie, a celebrated R&B singer-songwriter, was found dead Sunday at her California home, her manager said.
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.
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.”
Probably most know for her hugely successful duet with Rick James, “Fire and Desire“, and her timeless classic “Lovergirl“. I, however, hold a special place in my memory for her song, “Out On A Limb“.
Rest in peace …
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