Teddy Pendergrass was born on March 26th, 1950 in Philadelphia, PA. He was raised by his mother, Ida Pendergrass, a God-fearing South Carolina sharecropper’s daughter. It was
Teddy’s mother who realized his voice when he was only 2 1/2 years old when he began singing in church. At age 6 he was chosen for the All-City Elementary School Boys Choir. His love for executing grew when he would accompany his mother to work at a Philadelphia supper club (Sciolla’s) where he would sneak into the dining room and watch performers ranging from Connie Francis to Chubby Checker to Bobby Darin. It was at the supper club that he also realized another side of his musical talent: drumming. From the time he was thirteen, he could sit and play any rhythm, notwithstanding how complicated or rapid. Teddy’s desire for a career in music was firmly fixed the night he attended a Jackie Wilson recital at Philadelphia’s famed Uptown Theater and watched Wilson’s entrance and how he controlled the audience with his performance. In 1968 Teddy was working as a waiter in a club called “Edgehill’s” in Atlantic City when Little Royal came to execute. Little Royal’s drummer, Marvin Jolly, was leaving at the closing of the gig so auditions were held to find a substitution. Teddy auditioned, won the job and instantly started touring with Little Royal. Teddy began working as a drummer everywhere and whenever doable. His fame grew and he eventually landed a job with Harold Melvin, the remaining member of a generalized local 50’s recording do wop group called the Blue Notes. Melvin was seeking for replacements for his group that had lately broken up and Teddy was picked as the drummer in 1969. After the group broke up again in 1970, he moved to the front as a vocalist. The group toured the US, the Caribbean and South America throughout the late 60’s and early 70’s and in 1971 landed a record get involved with the legendary writer/producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff at Philadelphia International archive. Howard Melvin and the Blue Notes released their first single, “I Miss You,” in 1972 then released “If You do not Know Me By Now” as a second single on the first album.
The Blue Notes recorded many albums – this includes Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Black and Blue, To Be True and Wake Up Everybody – and scored such hits as “The Love I Lost,” “Yesterday I Had the Blues,” “Wake Up Everybody,” and the Grammy-nominated “If You do not Know Me By Now.” In October 1975 Teddy, unhappy with Melvin’s totalitarian control of the group and his tendency to keep most of the group’s cash for himself, renounce the Blue Notes. In the Fall of 1976 he embarked on his solo career. Teddy scored huge right from the embark with “I do not Love You Anymore,” ‘You cannot Hide From Yourself,” “Close the Door,” “Love TKO and “Turn Off the Lights.” He became the first black male singer in history to record 5 consecutive multi-platinum albums: Teddy Pendergrass, Life is a Song Worth Singing, Teddy, Teddy Live! and TP. His live show was equally successful as his recording career, offering out arenas across the globe.
