Teena Marie, known as ‘Lady T,’ died suddenly in her sleep last night at her Pasadena, CA home. Teena’s daughter, Alia Rose, found her body. Ms. Marie was 54.
The body was transported to the L.A. County Coroner’s office where an autopsy will be performed today to determine the cause of death.
Hours before she died, Teena Marie tweeted this on her Twitter page: Sarah Vaughan “May You never grow old, and may I never die”…
According to TMZ, Teena had a seizure earlier this month, and friends say she had been in and out of the hospital recently.
Marie was nominated for a Grammy four times. Her first top ten hit was “I’m Just a Sucker for Your Love.” She was best known for her classic hits “Lovergirl” and “De Ja Vu (I’ve Been Here Before)” – a song about reincarnation.
According to the Atlanta Journal: “The R&B legend revered and fully immersed herself in black culture — and in turn was respected and adored by black audiences.”
“Overall my race hasn’t been a problem. I’m a Black artist with White skin. At the end of the day you have to sing what’s in your own soul,” she told Essence.com in an interview last year while promoting “Congo Square.” That album would turn out to be her last.
Tributes from Around the Web
Teena Marie, known as ‘Ivory Queen of Soul,’ dies – AJC
Singer Teena Marie dead at 54 – CNN
R&B Star and ‘Lovergirl’ Singer Teena Marie Dead at 54 – PopEater
R.I.P. Teena Marie: Celebs Remember The Legendary Singer On Twitter – VIBE
‘Lovergirl’ Singer Teena Marie Dies Huffington Post
Remembering Teena Marie: A few choice jams from the ’80s funk – LATimes Blog
Pitchfork: Teena Marie R.I.P. – Pitchfork
Farewell To Teena Marie, The ‘Ivory Queen Of Soul’? – NPR
‘Lovergirl’ Singer Teena Marie Dead at 54 – TMZ
R.I.P. Teena Marie – Rap Radar
Soul Singer Teena Marie Dies at 54 – Rap-Up.com
Blue-Eyed Soul Singer Teena Marie Dies – The Root
R&B Superstar Teena Marie Dead at 54 – BlackAmericaWeb
Songs That Sample Teena Marie – The Urban Daily
Singer Teena Marie Dead At 54 – Hello Beautiful
Teena Marie & Rick James “Fire And Desire” LIVE – The Life Files
