59-year-old Pendergrass Dead

The son of Philadelphia singer Teddy Pendergrass yesterday announced that his father died at Bryn Mawr Hospital at the age of 59. He said that the R&B's legendary vocalist had undergone a colon cancer surgery eight months ago. According to the Pendergrass II, his father was not able to recover after the accident in which he crashed his Rolls-Royce on Lincoln Drive in the Germantown section of Philadelphia in 1982 although he had spent 6 months in a hospital. Because of this accident, Teddy was paralyzed from the waist down.

Despite the sequel of the accident, Teddy Pendergrass still came back to make his recording in 1983 with the album "Love Language". The desire and love for music continued to bring him back to the stage. In 1985, he returned on his wheelchair at Live Aid concert.

Teddy was born on March 26, 1950. He started his singing career at an early age. His singing talent and eventual success initiated from churches when he was young.

In the 1970s and ‘80s, Teddy Pendergrass became a sex symbol with his passionate ballads as well as his inspirational figure after car accident. He was known by the nicknames Teddy P, TP, or Teddy Bear. Pendergrass became famous when he was the lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before embarking on a successful solo career at the end of the decade.

When mentioning about Teddy Pendergrass, what makes music listeners in United States generally and in Philadelphia particularly show deep gratitude to him is his great credit in the formation of the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance. In 1998, Teddy founded this organization with the aim of encouraging and helping people with spinal cord injuries achieve their maximum potential in education, employment, housing, productivity and independence.

In June 2007 - 25 years after his accident - the "Teddy 25: A Celebration of Life, Hope and Possibilities" tribute was held at the Kimmer Center in June 2007 to mark his 25 years of singing. In that special tribute, artists Patti LaBelle and Stephanie Mills also joined.

Daniel Curtis is a musical expert in the United States. He often cares and is fond of writing about music news. He especially feels sad and regrettable for the death of singer Teddy Pendergrass.