LOS ANGELES – Sources have confirmed that Teena Marie, the blue-eyed songbird known for her soulful ballads and funky dance tunes during the 1980s and 90s, including, “Lovergirl,” “Behind The Groove” and “I Need Your Lovin’,” was found dead in her Los Angeles home on Sunday by her daughter. Marie was 54.
While TMZ is reporting that Marie had a seizure more than a month ago and the Associated Press reported that she had overcome a lengthy addiction to prescription drugs, the cause of her death is unknown.
Reportedly, the R&B singer spent Christmas day with her brother, and was found by her daughter, Alia Rose, on Dec. 26. Police believe Marie died of natural causes and they don’t suspect foul play. An autopsy has been scheduled.
For nearly 30 years, Marie, known as the “Ivory Queen Of Soul,” has undeniably been a force to be reckoned with within the music industry. A four-time Grammy Award nominee, Marie was born Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica, Ca., on March 5, 1956.
Growing up in Oakwood, a historically black neighborhood in Los Angeles, Marie was raised on the sounds of Motown and was singing Harry Belafonte’s music by the tender age of two.
Reportedly, when she was 8-years old, Marie appeared on an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies, where she was listed in the credits as Tina Marie Brockert. Unconfirmed reports said at the age of 10, she sang at the wedding of comedian Jerry Lewis’ son.
By the time she was 19, Marie had signed with Berry Gordy and her dream label, Motown, but they didn’t release any music while they were figuring out what kind of material to give Marie, who was a white artist, on a primarily black record label.
In 2009, Marie described her first meeting at Motown with Rick James, in Rolling Stone Magazine, where she said James “popped his head in” while she was playing the piano and singing, and “they started a conversation.”
In 1979, Marie’s debut album, Wild and Peaceful – produced by James – garnered a number 8 single with, “I’m A Sucker For Your Love.” One year later, Marie released her second and third albums, Lady T and Irons In The Fire, producing the hit classics, “Behind The Groove” and “I Need Your Lovin’.”
At this point in her career, Marie took creative control of producing, writing and arranging her own material, and in 1981 released her first platinum album, It Must Be Magic, which featured the up-tempo “Square Biz” and the slow jam “Portuguese Love.”
Before Marie left Motown, however, in 1982, she and the legendary label got into a legal battle and Marie won a landmark lawsuit that made it illegal for record labels to keep artists under contract while refusing to release their work. This historical entertainment mandate became known as the “Brockert Initiative,” after Marie’s real name.
“It wasn’t something I set out to do,” Marie told the Los Angeles Times in 2004, “I just wanted to get away from Motown and have a good life. But it helped a lot of people, like Luther Vandross and the Mary Jane Girls and a lot of other different artists to be able to get out of their contracts.”
The Brockert Initiative places strict limitations on the length of artist/company contracts and states that no recording company can contractually bind an artist while refusing to release his or her product.
After winning the lawsuit, Marie signed to Epic Records in 1983, and went on to record five more albums throughout the late 80s and early 90s, including Starchild and the hit single “Lovergirl” and Naked to the World which featured the smash hit “Ooo La La La.”
Marie independently released Passion Play on her own Sarai Records in 1994, but it would be 10 years before she would resurface to share her voice and what she described as her “God-given” talent with the world.
As the sole artist signed to Cash Money Classics, the subsidiary of New Orleans rap entity Cash Money Records, Marie released La Doña in 2004, which yielded the Grammy-nominated number one hit “Still In Love.”
Marie also collaborated with her daughter, Alia Rose, who was 14 at the time, on several musical projects including the single, “Resiliant.” Alia Rose, whose father Marie described as a black “postman,” is now 18.
Marie was honored by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 2008, and received their Pioneer Award. Other honorees were Chaka Khan, Bill Withers, Kool & The Gang and Donny Hathaway.
In 2009, Marie released her last album, Congo Square, which featured a duet with Faith Evans, “Can’t Last A Day.” Marie also headlined the Eighth Annual Grand Gala in Louisville, Kentucky at the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby.
Marie continued to record over the years and performed at numerous venues around the world.
Being the first R&B artist to rap and sing on her own records, Marie contributed much to the world of hip-hop and, in turn positive hip-hop, she said, “in it’s purest form influenced her.”
On Dec. 25, in what may have been her final posts on Facebook and Twitter, Marie sent a number of messages to her fans thanking them for their support over the years and wishing them a happy holiday season.
To her Facebook friends, she simply wrote, “We’ll see you next year with more news, updates, and amazing music. Thanks for being a fan!!”
Be the first to comment