I had a big crush on Teena Marie coming up in the late 70s amd early 80s, and I wasn’t the only teenage boy of my generation that felt that way.Teena was flat out sexy and could hold her own in the R&B world. She was the white girl with soul that made it possible for other white performers to cross over into the genre and be accepted for the talent they obviously brought to the table.
Teena was the one who blazed the trail for the Justin Tiberlakes and the Eminems.
CNN reports Teena Marie, an award-winning R&B singer-songwriter, was found dead Sunday at her California home, her manager said.
Born Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica, California, the 54-year-old artist famously paired with late funk legend Rick James and was nominated four times for a Grammy Award, according to her official website.
Marie was found dead by her daughter after apparently dying in her sleep, manager Mike Gardner said.
While no cause of death has been released, the singer's publicist Lynn Jeter said that Marie suffered a grand mal seizure -- a neurological event, marked by loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions, according to the Mayo Clinic -- a month ago.
"Luckily, someone was there," Jeter said of that seizure. "The ambulance took her to the hospital, and on the way she had another seizure."
More details here
RIP Teena Marie, you left us way too soon.
