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In Memoriam: Teena Marie

Anyone who regularly uses a computer should now know that Teena Marie a.k.a Lady T passed away on Sunday, the day after Christmas and if the facts are correct, her daughter's birthday. She sent out an ominous Tweet the day before. But for her maybe it wasn't so ominous. Maybe she felt it coming considering she had had a pretty severe grand mal seizure about a month earlier. Only she, God and Rick James know now.

I don't have anything profound to state about my first memories of her music. Like MJ, her music was always there at some relative's party, along with Rick James and Millie Jackson (wasn't allowed to listen to her though). I do recall being in love with her Teena for a little while (I think it was before I set eyes on Apollonia). But I also recall NOT making it a point that she wasn't African American (other than to argue to the death with other kids that she wasn't). My single one time thought on the matter was, That white girl can sang! And that was the end of it.

As a wanna-be DJ running around behind real DJs while in high school the joint below is the one that did it for me and sealed her music in my heart forever --- more than Square Biz or Portuguese Love or that other one that EVERYONE knows and loves. When the beat drops on this song (intro not available in the version below), my heart explodes every single time as if I'm hearing it for the first time.



And then of course there is the Gold Standard for duets (and temperamental love):



And if you should happen to have no idea who I'm talking about and/or have the time to sink your teeth into some good old R&B history the following video is for you:



Another great has been removed from the equation creating a lot more space for I don't know what.

Rest In Peace Teena Marie.

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