Respect and Reflect: Recording Artist Teddy Pendergrass

Photo: Teddy Pendergrass

Teddy Pendergrass died Wednesday, January 13, 2010 in Pennsylvania. Trying to type this with less tears and more pride, I would like to respect and reflect his indirect and recently direct influence on my life musically. Without knowing, I have listened to his music redesigned repeatedly. By the likes of KanYe West for “This Can’t Be Life,” hearing T-Pain calling himself “Mr. Teddy Pin-her-ass-down, Usher singing “Somebody Loves You Back”, Jaheim, who was pretty much our modern day doppelganger of Mr. Pendergrass, and all of the others like his song says, “[I] Miss you, miss you, miss you,”

He empowered a voice that coated my pains, and confusion as an adolescent and a teenager. Channeling his music and trying to share his legacy with my viewers via my show, I played his music every Wednesday before I broadcasted — with my family.

As I grow old, I will have those memories to reflect on and another artist to respect and pass on to my children and the youth. Some might say how can a 24-year-old woman that is not related to the man be so passionate about him… Teddy Pendergrass, thank you very much for your music.

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