![]() For the first of those two albums, Teena sought Richard Rudolph, husband and musical partner of one of her inspirations, Minnie Riperton, who had recently died of cancer. These perceptions - and any notion that Teena was merely a fledgling protégé - were changed with the makeup, presentation, reception of the 1980 releases Lady T and Irons in the Fire. Motown's vision of Teena's developing fanbase wasn't exactly prescient, evidenced by a promotional tour booked in support of Shaun Cassidy. Going by her voice and lack of accompanying portraits in the packaging of Wild and Peaceful, listeners assumed that Teena Marie was Black. Teena picked up another Motown songwriting credit in 1979 with "Happiness," cut by Apollo, a one-album Gordy act in familial membership and label of release. "I'm a Sucker for Your Love" was intended for Diana Ross, but when Motown rejected James' idea to produce a whole album for the former Supreme, he took it back. Moreover, some of the material was second hand. Teena co-wrote only "I'm Gonna Have My Cake (And Eat It Too)," the one song on which she played an instrument (piano). For the most part, it was a showcase for her vocals and James' writing and production. Successful as it was - topping out at number 18 on the soul chart - the album merely hinted at Teena's potential. ![]() Wild and Peaceful, as with most of Teena's subsequent LPs, proved to have staying power, remaining on the charts for six months. Released on Motown subsidiary Gordy, like James' output, Wild and Peaceful entered Billboard's Soul Albums chart in early May 1979, and a couple weeks later, lead single "I'm a Sucker for Your Love" was on the Hot Soul Singles chart, on its way to a number eight peak. The two made an instant connection, and with backing from James' Stone City Band, they put together Teena's debut album. Through manager Winnie Jones, a staffer at Motown publishing company Jobete, Teena was then paired with ascending funk wiz Rick James. None of it was deemed fit for release, though Teena during this phase placed a ballad she co-wrote, "Just as Long as There Is You," on Tata Vega's 1976 album Full Speed Ahead, produced by Monseque. ![]() Over the next few years, Teena recorded material with Ronnie McNeir, Winston Monseque, the duo of Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise, and Gordy himself as producers. The project was scrapped, though Teena was on the Motown roster by the end of 1975. Accomplished writer/producer Davis had the band audition for Motown's Berry Gordy, who selected them to be in a film entitled The Innkeeper. It was in a subsequent band with best friend Mickey Hearn and brother Tony Brockert that Teena was discovered by Hal Davis. She taught herself to play several instruments, starting with guitar, bass, and congas, and before graduating high school was leading her first group. At the age of eight, in 1964, she tap danced in an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies, and in high school was active in musical theater, but she was drawn first to a broad range of music. Teena was on another creative upswing with the Top Five R&B/hip-hop albums La Doña (2004), Sapphire (2006), and Congo Square (2009) when, in 2010, her life was cut short.Ī Southern California native, Teena Marie was born Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica, and was raised in the Mission Hills and Venice neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Although "I Need Your Lovin," off the third LP, and "Lovergirl," taken from Starchild (1984), account for her small number of certifiable pop hits, Teena was and remains a staple of Black radio with R&B hits such as "Behind the Groove," "Square Biz," and "Ooh La La La," along with numerous deep cuts in her vast catalog of everlasting material. Following that artistic boost she received from partnering with Rick James, she truly came into her own with her second, third, and fourth albums, namely Lady T, Irons in the Fire, and the Grammy-nominated It Must Be Magic (1980 to 1981), by which point she had become self-reliant as a producer and writer, if still a keen collaborator. Teena made waves with her debut single, "I'm a Sucker for Your Love" (1979), after several unfruitful years of development with Motown. She's worthy of celebration for that and every additional talent she displayed throughout her three-decade career as a singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. ![]() Teena Marie is known most for her unmistakable voice, an elastic and vibrant soprano that exemplifies soul, funk, rock, and any other style that lifted her spirit and sparked her creativity.
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