American soul and R&B singer-songwriter Theodore DeReese Pendergrass passed away on January 13, 2010. He was born on March 26, 1950. In South Carolina’s Kingstree, he was born. Pendergrass, who spent the majority of his life in the Philadelphia region, first achieved musical success as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes’ lead singer. Pendergrass launched a lucrative solo career with the Philadelphia International label after leaving the band in 1976, scoring five straight platinum albums (a record at the time for an African-American R&B artist). Following an automobile accident in March 1982 that left Pendergrass paraplegic from the waist down, his career was put on hold. Up until the time he announced his retirement in 2007, Pendergrass had a lucrative solo career. In January 2010, he passed away from respiratory failure.

In 1972, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes released their first single, “I Miss You,” a slow, solemn ballad. The song was originally written for The Dells, but they declined. Kenny Gamble decided to build the song with Pendergrass, who was only 21 at the time of recording, after noticing how similar he sounded to Dells lead singer Marvin Junior. Much of the song is sung by Pendergrass in his trademark raspy baritone voice. The song also featured Blue Notes member Lloyd Parks singing falsetto in the background, as well as Harold Melvin rapping near the end of the song while Pendergrass continued to sing, feigning tears.

The song, written by Gamble and Huff, became a major rhythm and blues hit, putting the Blue Notes on the map. The group’s follow-up single, “If You Don’t Know Who I Am By Now,” launched the group into the mainstream, reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the soul no. 1 singles chart. The song, like “I Miss You,” was originally intended for a different artist, fellow Philadelphian Patti LaBelle, and her group Labelle, but the group was unable to record it due to scheduling conflicts. Pendergrass and LaBelle became close friends, which lasted until Pendergrass’ death.

Who is Teddy Pendergrass’s wife Karen Still?

Pendergrass married Karen Still, a former Philadanco dancer who had also performed in his shows, in June 1987. In 2002, they divorced.

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