MJ TinkerBell
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The Ivory Queen Passes, but never Forgotten..
"Ivory Queen of Soul" Teena Marie, 54, died in her sleep Sunday at her Pasadena, Calif., home. The R&B songstress was discovered by her daughter, Alia Rose. A statement from Pasadena police said the death appeared to be from natural causes.
Nicknamed "Lady T," the "vanilla child" grew up in the predominantly black area of Oakwood on the west side of Los Angeles. Marie began singing at the tender age of 2 and grooved off Motown tunes. It was said that Marie's soulful voice was a God-given gift that she fine tuned as she perfected her craft.
Marie, whose real name was Mary Christine Brockert, started her career as an actress and even had a stint on the famed TV comedy 'The Beverly Hillbillies." With singing as a constant baseline, she even sang at the wedding of rock & roll great Jerry Lee Lewis at age of 10.
In 1976, Marie got her long-awaited career break, when she was introduced to Detroit legendary producer Hal Davis who got her an audition with Motown head honcho Barry Gordy. Marie recorded numerous unreleased songs with various producers but she happened to catch the ear of Rick James who would go on to be her mentor. Marie became the first white act signed on to the Motor City hit-making label.
Marie's debut album, "Wild and Peaceful," was her first top-10 R&B hit, which included a duet with James called "I'm a Sucker for Your Love." Marie's image did not appear on the album cover or anywhere else on the packaging, so folks assumed that she was black. Record execs erroneously thought that black consumers would not want to buy music that was recorded by a white artist. They continued to keep Marie in hiding, so to speak, until she appeared with James on the TV hit dance show "Soul Train" in 1979.
Black audiences came to love and accept Marie and revere her vocal pipes. She went on to record such mega Motown hits as "I Need Your Lovin'," "Behind the Groove," "Ooh La La La" and "Square Biz."
James and Marie continued to work together throughout her Motown years as well. In 1980, the duo produced the killer slow jam of all time "Fire and Desire." The collaboration gave rise to unconfirmed rumors that the two singers were romantically involved. The duo's last appearance together was on the 2004 BET Awards show, and later that year James died suddenly of pulmonary and cardiac failure.
Following differences with Motown, Teena moved to Epic Records in 1983. She later sued Motown for restricting her artistic control, resulting in the passing of The Brockert Initiative or The Teena Marie Law giving artists greater control over their careers.
The year 1994 marked the end of Marie's recording career. She made the decision to devote time to her daughter Alia Rose instead. Ten years later, in 2004, Teena launched her comeback album "La Dona," which went gold, proving Marie was still a musical force to be reckoned with. "Still in Love" from the album earned Marie a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female in 2005.
In 2009, Marie released what would be her final album, "Congo Square," on Stax/Concord Records. The artist described the album as "personal and spiritual" and indicated that it was more jazz-influenced than most of her previous work. "Can't Last a Day", a duet with Faith Evans, leaked to the Internet in March 2009. The album reached the Top 20 on Billboard's Top 200.
Over the last few years, Marie worked the Las Vegas strip as a headliner and made several club/concert appearances. In an interview with the Associated Press last year, Marie admitted to successfully overcoming a battle with prescription drugs.
"Lady T" your silky, soulful vocals will certainly be missed. RIP.
Remembering Teena Marie:
Since her debut in 1979, Teena Marie has earned the love, respect and admiration of a plethora of entertainers. The soul singer's burst on the scene with a breakout duet with Rick James called 'Fire and Desire' and fought for her release from Motown Records, which resulted in the 'Teena Marie Law' mandating a label cannot keep an artist under contract without releasing his or her music.
The Teena Marie Lyrics and Discology:
- Wild and Peaceful (Released 1979)
Track List:
01. I'm A Sucker For Your Love
02. Turning Me On
03. Don't Look Back
04. De Ja Vu (I've Been Here Before)
05. I'm Gonna Have My Cake (And Eat It Too)
06. I Can't Love Anymore
-Lady T (Release 1980)
Track List:
01. Behind The Groove
02. Now That I Have You
03. Lonely Desire
04. Aladdin's Lamp
05. You're All The Boogie I Need
06. Can It Be Love
07. Young Girl In Love
08. Why Did I Have To Fall In Love With You
09. Too Many Colors
10. Why Can't I Get Next To You
11. Co Pilot To Pilot
-Irons in the Fire (Released 1980)
Track List:
01. I Need Your Lovin'
02. Young Love
03. First Class Love
04. Irons In The Fire
05. Chains
06. You Make Love Like Springtime
07. Tune In Tomorrow
08. You Make Love Like Springtime (Reprise)
-It Must Be Magic (Release 1981)
Track List:
01. It Must Be Magic
02. Revolution
03. Where's California
04. 365
05. Opus Iii (Does Anybody Care)
06. Square Biz
07. Ballad Of Cradle Rob & Me, The
08. Portuguese Love
09. Yes Indeed
10. Square Biz (Instrumental)
11. Someday We'll All Be Free ( Live)
12. Deja Vu (We've Been Here Before) (Live)
- Robbery (Release 1983)
Track List:
01. Robbery
02. Playboy
03. Shadow Boxing
04. Midnight Magnet
05. Fix It
06. Ask Your Momma
07. Dear Lover
08. Stop The World
09. Casanova Brown
10. Playboy (12In Remix)
11. Midnight Magnet (Instrumental)
-Starchild (Released 1984)
Track List:
01. Lovergirl
02. Help Youngblood Get to the Freaky Party
03. Out on a Limb
04. Alibi
05. Jammin'
06. Starchild
07. We've Got to Stop (Meeting Like This)
08. My Dear Mr. Gaye
09. Light
-Emerald City (Released 1986)
Track List:
01. Emerald City
02. Once Is Not Enough
03. Lips to Find You
04. You So Heavy
05. Shangri-La
06. Batucada Suite
07. Love Me Down Easy
08. Sunny Skies
-Naked to the World (Release 1987)
Track List:
01. Trick Bag
02. Call Me (I Got Yo Number)
03. Ooo La La La
04. Crocodile Tears
06. Surrealistic Pillow
08. Work It
09. The Ball
10. Naked To The World
-Ivory (Release 1990)
Track List:
01. Here's Looking At You
02. The Sugar Shack Prelude
03. The Sugar Shack
04. If I Were A Bell
05. Just Us Two
06. Mr. Icecream
07. Ivory (Atone Poem)
08. Snap Your Fingers
09. Cupid Is A Real Straight Shooter
10. How Can You Resist It
11. Since Day One
12. Miracles Need Wings To Fly
13. The Red Zone
-Teena Marie: Greatest Hits (Released 1991)
Track List:
01. Lovergirl
02. Work It
03. Ooo la la La
04. If I Were a Bell
05. Dear Lover
06. Here's Looking at You
07. Call Me (I Got Yo Number)
08. Cassanova Brown
09. My Dear Mr. Gaye
10. Out on a Limb
-Passion Play (Release 1994)
Track List:
01. Warm As Mommas Oven
02. Main Squeeze
03. Wild Horses
04. Smooth Tip
05. Hypnotized Prelude
06. Hypnotized
07. Parking Music
08. Sweet On You
09. Slow Grind
10. Climb The Walls
11. Breakfast In Bed
12. Passion Play
13. Pretty Man
14. The Air I Breathe
-I Need Your Lovin'- The Best of Teena Marie (Released 1994)
Track List:
01. I Need Your Lovin'
02. Behind the Groove
03. Every Little Bit Hurts
04. Irons in the Fire
05. Portuguese Love
06. It Must Be Magic
07. D?j? Vu (I've Been Here Before)
08. Don't Turn Your Back on Me
09. Square Biz
10. Turnin' Me On
11. Now That I Have You
12. I'm a Sucker for Your Love
-Lovergirl- The Teena Marie Story (Released 1997)
Track List:
01. Just Us Two
02. Ooo La La La [12-Inch Version]
03. Sugar Shack [Extended Club Mix]
04. If I Were a Bell
05. Stop the World
06. My Dear Mr. Gaye
07. Shadow Boxing
08. Light
09. Out on a Limb
10. Lovergirl
11. Dear Lover
12. Fix It [12-Inch Version]
13. Cassanova Brown
-Love Songs (Released 2000)
Track List:
01. Cassanova Brown
02. Cupid Is A Real Straight Shooter
03. Miracles Need Wings To Fly
04. Ooo La La La
05. If I Were A Bell
06. Ivory (A Tone Poem)
07. Dear Lover
08. My Dear Mr. Gaye
09. Opus III (Part 2)
10. Fire And Desire
11. Shadow Boxing
12. We've Got To Stop Meeting Like This
13. Shangri-La
14. Sunny Skies
-Teena Marie: Ultimate Collection (Released 2000)
Track List:
01. Square Biz
02. Behind the Groove
03. If I Were a Bell
04. Portuguese Love
05. Lovergirl
06. Fire and Desire
07. My Dear Mr. Gaye
08. I'm a Sucker for Your Love
09. Irons in the Fire
10. Young Love
11. I Need Your Lovin'
12. Now That I Have You
13. Latin Lullaby
14. It Must Be Magic
15. Work It
-20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection:
The Best of Teena Marie (Released 2001)
Track List:
01. I Need Your Lovin'
02. Behind the Groove
03. Now That I Have You
04. Irons In The Fire
05. Portuguese Love
06. Young Love
07. It Must Be Magic
-La Dona (Released 2004)
Track List:
01. La Dona (Intro)
02. Still In Love
03. Honey Call
04. Baby I'm Your Fiend
05. My Body's Hungry
06. A Rose By Any Other Name
07. Off The Chain
08. Makavelli Never Lied
09. Revelations 38 Introduction
10. Recycle Hate To Love
11. The Mackin' Game
-Sapphire (Released 2006)
Track List:
01. God Has Created
02. Cruise Control
03. Baby Who's Is It
04. Make It Hot
05. Ooh Wee
06. Sleeping With the Enemy
07. A.P.B
08. Love Is a Gangsta
09. Ladies Choice
10. Somebody Just Like You
11. You Blow Me Away
12. Simmer Down
13. Romantica
14. The Way You Love Me
15. Ecstasy
16. Resilient (Sapphire)
-Congo Square (Released 2009)
Track List:
01. The Pressure
02. Can't Last a Day
03. Baby I Love You
04. Ear Candy 101
05. Lover's Lane
06. Marry Me
07. You Baby
08. Milk N' Honey
09. What U Got 4 Me
10. Rovleta's Jass
11. Congo Square
12. Harlem Blues
13. Black Cool
14. Ms. Coretta
15. Soldier Boy
16. The Rose N' Thorn
Some of today's biggest artists and actors went to the World Wide Web to express their love and sadness with the loss of the 'Square Biz' songstress. Here are their thoughts on this influential music figure.
Taraji P. Henson
"OMG!!!! RIP Teena Marie...speechless...shocked."
Questlove
"Educate.Learn.Absorb.Share. She was an amazing work of art. Most believed [Rick] James produced all her records. Truth is she produced these on her own...the mark of a true artist is when their album cuts get more love than the hits. Marie's magic was defined by her album cuts."
Kimora Simmons
"RIP to the legendary Ms Teena Marie. Luv u always! We'll celebrate & sing in your memory!"
Common"R.I.P. Lady T! Your rhyme in Square Biz is and will always be classic material..."
Gamble & Huff (Songwriting Duo)
"We're shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Teena Marie. She was one of the most memorable, soulful and unique R&B vocalists to come out of Motown. We send or condolences to Teena's family, the entire Motown family and of course, our dear friend Berry Gordy."
Hill Harper
"RIP Teena Marie - an amazing songstress and trailblazer with so much soul and that's 'Square Biz.' We love you"
Holly Robinson Peete
"My heart is broken. Teena Marie was an R&B pioneer. She was also a beautiful authentic friend who I'll miss forever. RIP Lady T."
Alicia Keys
"God bless Teena Marie and her family. Sending blessings and prayers I was just saing that 'Fire and Desire' is one of the most beautifully performed songs. Once a beautiful song, always a beautiful song. Certain songs just have that 'thing.' What a sangin lady."
Kim Whitley
"I spoke with her yesterday...Teena has passed. I just found out my friend is gone."
The Source:
http://blackamericanmoney.com/blackbloggers/?p=29650
MJ TinkerBell..:wub::agree:
"Ivory Queen of Soul" Teena Marie, 54, died in her sleep Sunday at her Pasadena, Calif., home. The R&B songstress was discovered by her daughter, Alia Rose. A statement from Pasadena police said the death appeared to be from natural causes.
Nicknamed "Lady T," the "vanilla child" grew up in the predominantly black area of Oakwood on the west side of Los Angeles. Marie began singing at the tender age of 2 and grooved off Motown tunes. It was said that Marie's soulful voice was a God-given gift that she fine tuned as she perfected her craft.
Marie, whose real name was Mary Christine Brockert, started her career as an actress and even had a stint on the famed TV comedy 'The Beverly Hillbillies." With singing as a constant baseline, she even sang at the wedding of rock & roll great Jerry Lee Lewis at age of 10.
In 1976, Marie got her long-awaited career break, when she was introduced to Detroit legendary producer Hal Davis who got her an audition with Motown head honcho Barry Gordy. Marie recorded numerous unreleased songs with various producers but she happened to catch the ear of Rick James who would go on to be her mentor. Marie became the first white act signed on to the Motor City hit-making label.
Marie's debut album, "Wild and Peaceful," was her first top-10 R&B hit, which included a duet with James called "I'm a Sucker for Your Love." Marie's image did not appear on the album cover or anywhere else on the packaging, so folks assumed that she was black. Record execs erroneously thought that black consumers would not want to buy music that was recorded by a white artist. They continued to keep Marie in hiding, so to speak, until she appeared with James on the TV hit dance show "Soul Train" in 1979.
Black audiences came to love and accept Marie and revere her vocal pipes. She went on to record such mega Motown hits as "I Need Your Lovin'," "Behind the Groove," "Ooh La La La" and "Square Biz."
James and Marie continued to work together throughout her Motown years as well. In 1980, the duo produced the killer slow jam of all time "Fire and Desire." The collaboration gave rise to unconfirmed rumors that the two singers were romantically involved. The duo's last appearance together was on the 2004 BET Awards show, and later that year James died suddenly of pulmonary and cardiac failure.
Following differences with Motown, Teena moved to Epic Records in 1983. She later sued Motown for restricting her artistic control, resulting in the passing of The Brockert Initiative or The Teena Marie Law giving artists greater control over their careers.
The year 1994 marked the end of Marie's recording career. She made the decision to devote time to her daughter Alia Rose instead. Ten years later, in 2004, Teena launched her comeback album "La Dona," which went gold, proving Marie was still a musical force to be reckoned with. "Still in Love" from the album earned Marie a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female in 2005.
In 2009, Marie released what would be her final album, "Congo Square," on Stax/Concord Records. The artist described the album as "personal and spiritual" and indicated that it was more jazz-influenced than most of her previous work. "Can't Last a Day", a duet with Faith Evans, leaked to the Internet in March 2009. The album reached the Top 20 on Billboard's Top 200.
Over the last few years, Marie worked the Las Vegas strip as a headliner and made several club/concert appearances. In an interview with the Associated Press last year, Marie admitted to successfully overcoming a battle with prescription drugs.
"Lady T" your silky, soulful vocals will certainly be missed. RIP.
Remembering Teena Marie:
Since her debut in 1979, Teena Marie has earned the love, respect and admiration of a plethora of entertainers. The soul singer's burst on the scene with a breakout duet with Rick James called 'Fire and Desire' and fought for her release from Motown Records, which resulted in the 'Teena Marie Law' mandating a label cannot keep an artist under contract without releasing his or her music.
The Teena Marie Lyrics and Discology:
- Wild and Peaceful (Released 1979)
Track List:
01. I'm A Sucker For Your Love
02. Turning Me On
03. Don't Look Back
04. De Ja Vu (I've Been Here Before)
05. I'm Gonna Have My Cake (And Eat It Too)
06. I Can't Love Anymore
-Lady T (Release 1980)
Track List:
01. Behind The Groove
02. Now That I Have You
03. Lonely Desire
04. Aladdin's Lamp
05. You're All The Boogie I Need
06. Can It Be Love
07. Young Girl In Love
08. Why Did I Have To Fall In Love With You
09. Too Many Colors
10. Why Can't I Get Next To You
11. Co Pilot To Pilot
-Irons in the Fire (Released 1980)
Track List:
01. I Need Your Lovin'
02. Young Love
03. First Class Love
04. Irons In The Fire
05. Chains
06. You Make Love Like Springtime
07. Tune In Tomorrow
08. You Make Love Like Springtime (Reprise)
-It Must Be Magic (Release 1981)
Track List:
01. It Must Be Magic
02. Revolution
03. Where's California
04. 365
05. Opus Iii (Does Anybody Care)
06. Square Biz
07. Ballad Of Cradle Rob & Me, The
08. Portuguese Love
09. Yes Indeed
10. Square Biz (Instrumental)
11. Someday We'll All Be Free ( Live)
12. Deja Vu (We've Been Here Before) (Live)
- Robbery (Release 1983)
Track List:
01. Robbery
02. Playboy
03. Shadow Boxing
04. Midnight Magnet
05. Fix It
06. Ask Your Momma
07. Dear Lover
08. Stop The World
09. Casanova Brown
10. Playboy (12In Remix)
11. Midnight Magnet (Instrumental)
-Starchild (Released 1984)
Track List:
01. Lovergirl
02. Help Youngblood Get to the Freaky Party
03. Out on a Limb
04. Alibi
05. Jammin'
06. Starchild
07. We've Got to Stop (Meeting Like This)
08. My Dear Mr. Gaye
09. Light
-Emerald City (Released 1986)
Track List:
01. Emerald City
02. Once Is Not Enough
03. Lips to Find You
04. You So Heavy
05. Shangri-La
06. Batucada Suite
07. Love Me Down Easy
08. Sunny Skies
-Naked to the World (Release 1987)
Track List:
01. Trick Bag
02. Call Me (I Got Yo Number)
03. Ooo La La La
04. Crocodile Tears
06. Surrealistic Pillow
08. Work It
09. The Ball
10. Naked To The World
-Ivory (Release 1990)
Track List:
01. Here's Looking At You
02. The Sugar Shack Prelude
03. The Sugar Shack
04. If I Were A Bell
05. Just Us Two
06. Mr. Icecream
07. Ivory (Atone Poem)
08. Snap Your Fingers
09. Cupid Is A Real Straight Shooter
10. How Can You Resist It
11. Since Day One
12. Miracles Need Wings To Fly
13. The Red Zone
-Teena Marie: Greatest Hits (Released 1991)
Track List:
01. Lovergirl
02. Work It
03. Ooo la la La
04. If I Were a Bell
05. Dear Lover
06. Here's Looking at You
07. Call Me (I Got Yo Number)
08. Cassanova Brown
09. My Dear Mr. Gaye
10. Out on a Limb
-Passion Play (Release 1994)
Track List:
01. Warm As Mommas Oven
02. Main Squeeze
03. Wild Horses
04. Smooth Tip
05. Hypnotized Prelude
06. Hypnotized
07. Parking Music
08. Sweet On You
09. Slow Grind
10. Climb The Walls
11. Breakfast In Bed
12. Passion Play
13. Pretty Man
14. The Air I Breathe
-I Need Your Lovin'- The Best of Teena Marie (Released 1994)
Track List:
01. I Need Your Lovin'
02. Behind the Groove
03. Every Little Bit Hurts
04. Irons in the Fire
05. Portuguese Love
06. It Must Be Magic
07. D?j? Vu (I've Been Here Before)
08. Don't Turn Your Back on Me
09. Square Biz
10. Turnin' Me On
11. Now That I Have You
12. I'm a Sucker for Your Love
-Lovergirl- The Teena Marie Story (Released 1997)
Track List:
01. Just Us Two
02. Ooo La La La [12-Inch Version]
03. Sugar Shack [Extended Club Mix]
04. If I Were a Bell
05. Stop the World
06. My Dear Mr. Gaye
07. Shadow Boxing
08. Light
09. Out on a Limb
10. Lovergirl
11. Dear Lover
12. Fix It [12-Inch Version]
13. Cassanova Brown
-Love Songs (Released 2000)
Track List:
01. Cassanova Brown
02. Cupid Is A Real Straight Shooter
03. Miracles Need Wings To Fly
04. Ooo La La La
05. If I Were A Bell
06. Ivory (A Tone Poem)
07. Dear Lover
08. My Dear Mr. Gaye
09. Opus III (Part 2)
10. Fire And Desire
11. Shadow Boxing
12. We've Got To Stop Meeting Like This
13. Shangri-La
14. Sunny Skies
-Teena Marie: Ultimate Collection (Released 2000)
Track List:
01. Square Biz
02. Behind the Groove
03. If I Were a Bell
04. Portuguese Love
05. Lovergirl
06. Fire and Desire
07. My Dear Mr. Gaye
08. I'm a Sucker for Your Love
09. Irons in the Fire
10. Young Love
11. I Need Your Lovin'
12. Now That I Have You
13. Latin Lullaby
14. It Must Be Magic
15. Work It
-20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection:
The Best of Teena Marie (Released 2001)
Track List:
01. I Need Your Lovin'
02. Behind the Groove
03. Now That I Have You
04. Irons In The Fire
05. Portuguese Love
06. Young Love
07. It Must Be Magic
-La Dona (Released 2004)
Track List:
01. La Dona (Intro)
02. Still In Love
03. Honey Call
04. Baby I'm Your Fiend
05. My Body's Hungry
06. A Rose By Any Other Name
07. Off The Chain
08. Makavelli Never Lied
09. Revelations 38 Introduction
10. Recycle Hate To Love
11. The Mackin' Game
-Sapphire (Released 2006)
Track List:
01. God Has Created
02. Cruise Control
03. Baby Who's Is It
04. Make It Hot
05. Ooh Wee
06. Sleeping With the Enemy
07. A.P.B
08. Love Is a Gangsta
09. Ladies Choice
10. Somebody Just Like You
11. You Blow Me Away
12. Simmer Down
13. Romantica
14. The Way You Love Me
15. Ecstasy
16. Resilient (Sapphire)
-Congo Square (Released 2009)
Track List:
01. The Pressure
02. Can't Last a Day
03. Baby I Love You
04. Ear Candy 101
05. Lover's Lane
06. Marry Me
07. You Baby
08. Milk N' Honey
09. What U Got 4 Me
10. Rovleta's Jass
11. Congo Square
12. Harlem Blues
13. Black Cool
14. Ms. Coretta
15. Soldier Boy
16. The Rose N' Thorn
Some of today's biggest artists and actors went to the World Wide Web to express their love and sadness with the loss of the 'Square Biz' songstress. Here are their thoughts on this influential music figure.
Taraji P. Henson
"OMG!!!! RIP Teena Marie...speechless...shocked."
Questlove
"Educate.Learn.Absorb.Share. She was an amazing work of art. Most believed [Rick] James produced all her records. Truth is she produced these on her own...the mark of a true artist is when their album cuts get more love than the hits. Marie's magic was defined by her album cuts."
Kimora Simmons
"RIP to the legendary Ms Teena Marie. Luv u always! We'll celebrate & sing in your memory!"
Common"R.I.P. Lady T! Your rhyme in Square Biz is and will always be classic material..."
Gamble & Huff (Songwriting Duo)
"We're shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Teena Marie. She was one of the most memorable, soulful and unique R&B vocalists to come out of Motown. We send or condolences to Teena's family, the entire Motown family and of course, our dear friend Berry Gordy."
Hill Harper
"RIP Teena Marie - an amazing songstress and trailblazer with so much soul and that's 'Square Biz.' We love you"
Holly Robinson Peete
"My heart is broken. Teena Marie was an R&B pioneer. She was also a beautiful authentic friend who I'll miss forever. RIP Lady T."
Alicia Keys
"God bless Teena Marie and her family. Sending blessings and prayers I was just saing that 'Fire and Desire' is one of the most beautifully performed songs. Once a beautiful song, always a beautiful song. Certain songs just have that 'thing.' What a sangin lady."
Kim Whitley
"I spoke with her yesterday...Teena has passed. I just found out my friend is gone."
The Source:
http://blackamericanmoney.com/blackbloggers/?p=29650
MJ TinkerBell..:wub::agree:
R.I.P