Birth & Death:

Born: Theodore "Teddy" Pendergrass, March 26, 1950 in Kingstree, South Carolina.
Died: Jan. 13, 2010 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Early Life:

Teddy Pendergrass was born in South Carolina and was raised there until his father's murder in 1962. At that point, the family moved to Philadelphia, where Teddy eventually began performing in school and at church. He dropped out of high school in the 11th grade in order to pursue a career in the music business as a performer.

Although he sang, his first break in the business was as a drummer for the band the Cadillacs.

Early Career:

In the late '60s Teddy was the drummer for the Cadillacs and in 1970 when he became the drummer for the Philadelphia soul band Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Later that same year he became the group's lead singer when John Atkins quit the group. Teddy's rise to fame began truly began in 1972, the year the Blue Notes were signed to the Philadelphia International label. The group went on to have several hits throughout the early 1970s, including the signature tracks "I Miss You" and "If You Don't Know Me By Now."

Solo Career:

In 1976, Teddy left the Blue Notes for a solo career. One of the reasons was his unhappiness with the group's name, which prominantly featured founder and former lead singer Harold Melvin. Teddy, being the lead singer and a big part of the band's success, thought the group's name should be modified to "Teddy Pendergrass & the Blue Notes." When Melvin refused, Teddy left the group.

Teddy released his self-titled first solo album in 1977, but it wasn't until his second album, 1978's Life is a Song Worth Singing, that his career really took off.

Car Accident:

Life is a Song Worth Singing featured Teddy's first hit as a solo artist, the romantic "Close the Door." He later went on to have a string of more hits, including "Turn Off the Lights" (1978), "Love TKO" (1980), and "Hold Me," a 1984 duet with a young Whitney Houston. But on March 18, 1982, while at the peak of his career, Teddy was involved in a devastatting car accident. While driving in Philadelphia, the brakes failed on his Rolls Royce. The car hit a guard rail and two trees before coming to a stop. Teddy and his passenger were both rescued from the wreckage, but Teddy's spinal cord was injured.

Later Life ... and Death:

The spinal cord injury resulted in Teddy being paralyzed from the waist down. He continued to record music however, and released several post-accident albums throughout the 1980s and '90s. During this time, he also founded a charity, the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, which helps people with spinal cord injuries. In 2006, he announced his official retirement from the music business. In 2009, he had colon cancer surgery and struggled to recover from it. He eventually died from complications associated with the disease on Jan. 13, 2010 at the age of 59.

Solo Discography:

2008: Essential Teddy Pendergrass (compilation)
2004: Satisfaction Guaranteed: The Very Best of Teddy Pendergrass (compilation)
2002: From Teddy, With Love (live)
1998: This Christmas (I'd Rather Have Love) (compilation
1998: The Best of Teddy Pendergrass (compilation)
1997: You and I
1993: A Little More Magic
1991: Truly Blessed
1988: Joy
1985: Workin' It Back
1984: Love Language
1983: Heaven Only Knows
1982: This One's for You
1981: It's Time for Love
1980: TP
1979: Live! Coast to Coast
1979: Teddy
1978: Life Is a Song Worth Singing
1977: Teddy Pendergrass