An AABoomer Tribute

TEDDY PENDERGRASS
“The Teddy Bear”
March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010
By: Lois Ann Clark - Publisher

When the phone rings early in the morning, it is usually the harbinger of bad news. So, when my phone rang at a little after 5 a.m. on Thursday morning, January 14th...

I knew it was not a good sign.. In response to my groggily uttered “Hello”, was a friend’s voice in a reassuring tone, “Hey girl, I ‘m sorry to hear about your boy.” “How you doing?”

My response was a very incoherent, “Huh?” It was, after all, very early in the morning and I was still half asleep. “So”, she said, “You haven’t heard?” OK. Now you know my next response was, “Heard what?”

“Girl” she said, “Turn on your T.V.,” Teddy died”

Stunned, and now fully awake, I replied, “Oh, girl, no.”  “Not Teddy”

In the hours and days that followed, I received calls from family and friends all saying pretty much the same thing, “I know he was your boy”   There is no shame in my game, to paraphrase Toni Braxton, “I loved me some him.”

I am not typically a fan. Although I admire artists talent and appreciate their dedication to their craft, that is usually the extent of it. They do what they do, and I do what I do. I had seen film footage of bobby soxers screaming over Frank Sinatra, and squealing over Elvis and thought it rather odd. I mean, what was up with THAT? And then along came Teddy Pendergrass and I joined the ranks of the fan. Tall, dark, and handsome, in the parlance of the day, I guess you could say he was my “flava’ and, that voice!

In the late 1970’s at the pinnacle of his career, I met Teddy, at one of his concerts, here in Atlanta, as the guest of Jean Carne (AABoomers.com, Oct.2009) The show was fantastic, he was a consummate performer. He was hospitable, solicitous, and the perfect gentleman. .What I was not prepared for was how breathtakingly handsome he was. Tall, full of swagger, and machismo, with a dazzling smile. He was, as one of the people who have commented on him on-line has said. “a gorgeous specimen of masculinity.” Seeing him on stage in no way compared to being in his presence. He was mesmerizing.

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In the time since he passed, I have read many articles written about him, listened to his music, and watched video clips. Steve Young, a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, posted on the Huffington Post, that “there isn’t an honest man alive who wouldn’t want for one night to feel the hypnotic sway Teddy had on women.”. Never was this effect more evident then during a video of his concert at the Sahara in Lake Tahoe.  During the performance of “Close the Door”, he began to assure the object of his desire that he possessed the requisite skill to perform the task at hand, “I know what to do with it “., were his words. The camera panned to a sister who was talking back to him, shaking her finger and nodding her head yes, as if she were testifying, letting him know that she had no doubt that he could. , handle his business. . It was amusing, and indicative of his sheer animal magnetism. One writer commenting on the concert stated that the women in the audience, “never knew what hit them.” Kenny Gamble, of Philadelphia International Records, said “females loved him” and the response of the women at the concert was certainly a testament to that. When Stephanie Mills sang, “Teddy, Teddy, Teddy” in” Feel the Fire”, we all knew what she was talking about.

Teddy perfected supplication (begging) to an art form. No woman was safe when Teddy put his beg on. Who would want to be? Who could resist his pleading in” I Miss You,” or “Come On And Go With Me” Was there ever any doubt how that was going to turn out? I mean, really.

The passing of Teddy Pendergrass marks the end of the era of the Love Men: Luther, Barry, and Teddy, the triumvirate of love. As many have said over the last few weeks;: what a concert going on in heaven. These brothers promoted romance, not the blatant sexual lyrics sung by contemporary crooners.

Yes Teddy,” it “(your music) “is still good to us, and we will” Miss You, Miss You, Miss You”

Theodore means a gift from God, and we thank God for sharing the gift of Teddy Pendergrass with us. “Just t for a little while”

AABoomers.com offers its condolences to the Pendergrass family.

Those interested in sharing their condolences with the family may contact them at Teddy’s official website, www.tedddypendergrass.com

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