Teddy Pendergrass Is No More

Soul Music singer Teddy Pendergrass, lovingly known as just 'Teddy', and well-known for popular love ballads Turn Off the Lights and Love TKO, passed away on Wednesday evening at the age of 59. Former publicist Lisa Barbaris confirmed his death, and said, "His family did not reveal details about his illness, but said it was related to complications from a 1982 car accident. His beloved family surrounded him. The world has lost one of its greatest voices and performers. His family is devastated. He has three children and, even though it was expected, it still hurts."

Teddy started his music career in the 1960s with the band called The Cadillacs. He had started off as a drummer but went on to become their lead singer. During his long career, he was nominated for many Grammy Awards, Billboard Awards, and American Music Awards. Teddy was involved in a bad car accident in 1982, when the brakes of his Rolls-Royce failed and he crashed into a tree. This left him paralyzed waist down. But his strong willpower got him back to the recording studios in a wheelchair within just 2 years, and a year later, he was amazingly back to public performances.

Teddy Pendergrass was running a charity called 'The Teddy Pendergrass Alliance'. Teddy had announced his retirement from the music business in 2006, but was presently working on a musical which was documenting his life. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was last year admitted to the Bryn Mawr Hospital to be treated for a rare illness that was related to his paralysis.

He breathed his last on January 13, 2009. RIP Teddy Pendergrass.