Teddy Pendergrass dead at 59

[Jozanny]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/abraham/detail??blogid=95&entry_id=55254

I met Pendergrass once when I was a proofreader in center city, after he had become disabled. Paratransit was late picking me up, and I was furious, and I drove over to his power chair, and asked him if he used Septa special services, and he said no, that he had a van and a driver.

"Boy are you lucky!" I was ranting because Para was really late, but while I was grinding on, I thought "Christ he looks like Teddy Pendergrass, should I say something, but how stupid would that be?" So I said nothing and he left for his ride.

Then the guard sauntered over. "Yo Jo, you know who you were talking to? That was Teddy Pendergrass, and you probably bummed him out not recognizing him!"

I have felt guilty ever since.:blush:

[billl]

Neat story!

Like a lot of people, I was too young to know of him before he was using a wheelchair. Not to exaggerate myself into being a fan with all of his albums or anything, but I was always impressed by him, and to a certain extent by his fans and the music business, at how he remained quite popular with the ladies (and other fans of R&B crooners) on account of his voice, soul, and good looks.

[Jozanny]

I knew who he was--my mother. After her divorce, she was into everything except homoerotic exploration, and she liked black music, and I subsequently swoon for Roberta Flack, but Pendergrass suited my mother's fancy more than mine.

I do genuinely regret that I was afraid of bad manners to ask him if he was him. I am not famous, and I am not suggesting I ever will be, but I have fans, and know something about the shock of recognition--it would have given him a boost, probably, if I had done the awk and gawk. RIP Teddy!

[neilgee]

Teddy Pendergrass was in the first charts I ever wrote down [a habit I kept faithful to for about 3 years in my early teens] though it was under the name of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, with If you don't know me by now. Seems strange to realise he was only a decade older than me.

"Harold Melvin" had several more hits in the UK but he never really broke through under his own name. I think the nearest he got to a hit as TP was with The Whole town's Laughing which reached about No 30. Ah, great memories of great songs. So if you're from the UK and TP's name doesn't ring a bell, think Harold Melvin.

RIP Teddy.