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“Soulful Singer Teena Marie Dead at 54”

The ReadyWriter

The self-proclaimed “Ivory Queen of Soul,” whose many classic hits included “Lovergirl,” Square Biz” and the scorching duet “Fire and Desire” with mentor Rick James, was found dead in her Pasadena home on Sunday at the age of 54.

Marie was the protegé of the masterful funk wizard Rick James, with whom she had a long, turbulent but musically magical relationship.

James, who also had a romantic relationship with Marie and a long friendship, died in 2004. His death shook her so she said she became addicted to Vicodin, which she had been taking for pain, for about a year.

Teena Marie had just celebrated a birthday on Christmas day. Authorities said her death appeared to be of natural causes.

Teena Marie was found by her daughter (Alia Rose) with whom she’s pictured with above.

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Published by The ReadyWriter

Writer, Published Author, CEO of ReadyWriter Production Company and YouTube podcast Radio Host.

183 thoughts on ““Soulful Singer Teena Marie Dead at 54””

  4. TRULY SAD (Real…)

    I was playing some of HER SONGS the past 3 days just jamming and feeling SO GOOD… “If I Were A Bell” was ONE of the songs that was just STUCK IN MY HEAD for some reason (LUV THAT SONG….)

    R.I.P. to a TRUE LEGEND in the GAME !!!

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  12. The worst part is that she was still very young (only 54!!) and had a lot more living to do. But when HE is ready for you, nothing will stop you from going home. I hope she has a peaceful journey. I hope for strength to her family as well.

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  13. Oh my God damn I just seen her 2, man Rick James and Tina are together now man oh man what is going on here. I love her music man. love her music!

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  16. My two favorite songs of Teena Marie are Casanova Brown, and Portuguese Love. Wow! Teena had a beautiful voice she will be missed.

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    1. You’re right!
      Beywolf couldn’t carry Teena Marie’s water cup so fall back. Don’t compare fine wine to malt (Beywolf) liquor.

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    2. @ADAM,
      PLEASE POST YOUR ADDRESS SO I COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND BEAT YOUR AZZ FOR COMPARING COOTCHIE POPPING BEYAKI TO BAD-ASS TEENA MARIE!!

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    4. Fuck beyonce….Gtfoh with that!! U rite teena was no beyonce…..teena had actual talent a beautiful soulful voice and is a true legend and will be forever missed!! Man teenas voice brought me to tears…….fire n desire man thats my ish!! Rip teena and rick james….

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    5. Beyonce., Her so-called “talent” will never be on the level of Tina’s. Tina had more vocal ability in one eyelash than Beyonce has in her entire body. Tina epitomizes the female, blue-eyed soul artist like no other.

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    6. Adam, Adam,
      KEEP THAT DRIED OUT HEFFA BEYONCE OUT OF THIS PlEASE….OF A LEGEND THAT JUST PASSED AWAY! What was the reason to even bring her up?

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    7. As someone said…..Teena was fine wine and Beyonce is Malt Liquior and Tang rolled into one! So please keep Beyonce Malt Liquior & Tang out of this!

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    9. Do you all remember the Martin episode when him and Gina had a fight and he was home singing Fire and Desire and Gina walked in and sang Tina Part.

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      1. Very sad news. She had such a beautiful voice.
        I do remember that Martin episode too @ starr: it was priceless!

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    12. Adam,
      Fun is fun, but TEENA MARIE was a class act publicly throughout her career unlike many of theses talentless hackin asswipes (Rhianna I’m looking at you) who couldn’t hit a clear note if their lives depended on it.

      Grow the fuck up and pay respect to the talent that has left us if nothing else.

      Monfukkas trying to talk about some goddamn Beyonce as if that bish was even near Teena Maries talent level. GTFWOH

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  21. Lady Tee-Miss u girl.
    You held me down during my breakups as a teen!
    You helped shaped me to the woman I am today thru your song.

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  22. Lady T was treated last month for suffering a (grand mal) seizure.
    I saw her again last year and she dueted with her daughter, the young lady has a voice on her.
    Blessings and prayers to her family.

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  24. Aladin’s Lamp…Portuguese Love…so many..timeless

    From one humble musician to a great one..RIP
    With tears in my eyes, I love you and thaank you for ALL the inspiration that you have given me over the years.my absolute favorite.
    God Bless you and everyone that loves you

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  25. RIP in peace lady T you and Gerald Levert jamming together again. Born in Venice Harlem, it don’t get no better. LOVE YOU LADY T

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  26. My favorite TM song is Deja Vu. Listen to the lyrics where she SINGS about life, death and incarnation. One of the deepest songs to come out of R&B.

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  30. I hate to say it but, it is to the point where we may never have actual singers like teena marie again!! Miss Marie should have gotten her Grammy long a ago, she is the only vanilla lady that would send me to tears with her music!!!
    I keep saying this over and over again, people we’ve got to preserve who we got left!! Tina was the best vocalist in the world!! No one like her!! I feel that these young kids 2day need to understand that music has soul, not matter what color you are!!

    Tina is a True Legend in R&B!!

    R.I.P my Vanilla Love child!!!

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  37. Okay now that I have collected my thoughts after the shock.

    I have to say Teena paved the way for many artists that are out today. She sued Motown for not releasing her new music and won.

    Teena was our WHITE CHOCOLATE period! She was very underrated in the business and that is a dam shame.

    Square Biz, Out on a Limb, A Rose By Any Other Name feat. Gerald Levert, Fire & Desire Feat. Rick James, and Lover Girl was some of my favs!

    Man why all of the GOOD SINGERS HAVE TO DIE SO SOON? 😦

    I do not wish death on any man, but it makes me wonder why the good ones go and the bad ones are still here?

    My prayers go out to her family!

    R.I.P. Teena Marie!

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  42. A truly talented woman! She will be missed. My heart goes out to her family, friends and loved ones. May God be with you during this time of transition…..

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  45. Super sad, I wanted this to be another twitter rumor! Her daughter, Alia Rose sings like a bird and sounds just like her mother…

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  49. When I heard about this last night, I thought it was an Internet hoax. Sadly, it wasn’t. I grew up listening to Lady T, and still, thankfully, have all her albums.

    I remember seeing Teena’s story on “Unsung.” I feel so sad for her daughter having lost her mother one day after her 19th birthday. They had such a close relationship. My heart goes out to her daughter and the entire family.

    Thank you, Teena, for leaving us with such a collection of wonderful music and memories, especially “Fire and Desire.”

    RIP Teena!

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  50. Morning Fam…

    This is too sad for words.

    RIP Lady T.

    Ps. thanking you ms. bell for blogging updates while you’re away. 🙂

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    9. Morning people!!!

      I’ve been called Casper, Shorty, Lil’ Bit
      And some they call me Vanilla Child
      But you know that don’t mean my world to me
      ‘Cause baby, names can’t cramp my style
      [I love chick-icke­n] And Buff’s collard greens
      A little hot water corn bread
      I love you too Cat daddy
      But don’t you let that go to your head
      That’s what I’m talking, baby
      Square Biz, Square Biz

      You know I love spirituals and rock
      Sarah Vaughn, Johann Sebastian Bach
      Shakespear­e, Maya Angelou
      And Nikki Giovanni just to name a few
      Well, I’m wild and peaceful Lady Tee
      I got to keep my irons in the fire, you see
      I got the point, the scam, the low, the deal
      What you feel, SAY WHAT!!

      God I love you Teena Marie. Rest in Peace angel.

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    14. When my sister told me about this last night I was really shocked and saddened.

      Teena is one of the the greats and one of my favorites. Her and her incredible voice will truly be missed.

      Morning everyone.

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    15. Morning yall.

      black folks loved some teena marie, always and forever. but the lady was bad as hell, so you had to give her props when she sang, solo or with rick james. beautiful daughter.

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    16. Good morning & back at ya’ll!
      Again, This is sad, sad news. I heard this on another site earlier and was crushed. This was truely unexpected.

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  58. The Ivory Queen of Soul. 😦
    Lover Girl is a staple on my mp3 player.
    So young, and left a teenage daughter. Prayers for all.

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  60. She sang with such emotional conviction­. There will never be another Lady Tee. May her voice live on forever. Another legendary artist is gone..

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  62. There will never be another “Vanilla Child”… My heart is very heavy this morning yall..RIP­..you will truly be missed Lady T..

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  63. I find ‘Square Biz” (extended version) to be the best of all her songs.

    It’s so sad that some girls have all the luck (e.g. Mariah Carey) and those who also are more gifted are always struggling to stay on top.

    R.I.P., Teena!

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  67. Tracy, I read that her daughter just had her 19th birthday on Christmas…not Teena… thats got to be tough..Be strong Alia Rose!

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  68. Ms.Teena Marie was the “Ivory Queen of Soul” for sure! She had true talent, no auto tune, no gimmicks, just a true artist vocally and she was a great instrumentalist as well.

    RIP…

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  69. Also, I must give Roland Martin credit, he reached out to her publicist and manager to get an official confirmation before speculating…I think he was the first newsperson to “confirm” the story.
    Before that it was just twitter “rumors”

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  70. Teena we loved you girl. I never had the pleasure of seeing her perform live, my sister did. When I called my sister to give her the news she cried her eyes out! Teena was really loved and embraced by our community. You will be missed girl….

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  72. Aww man… My mother was devastated. Teena was on constant rotation in our household.. RIP Lady T.. you will be greatly missed

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  74. “If I were a bell, baby I would ring, tell the whole world that you are my everything”. You are loved always. Thanks for giving me the gift of your music.

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  76. Lord give the family strength and comfort…

    wow LIFE is so undetermine…I have to say I thought she was black all these years, (her voice & skin)!

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  79. There will NEVER be another Teena Marie. RIP Lady T. Your music is in the FABRIC OF OUR LIVES. Gone but NEVER forgotten. End of an era

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  81. My favorite will always be Fire & Desire… oh man her and Rick tore that up… gonna download all her music today…. she’s with “I’m Rick James BITCH” right now…!!!

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  82. teena marie was WHITE?!
    RIP Lady Tee…
    “M-O-N-E-Y never did a thing for L-O-V-I-N
    I’ll never understand what peoples heads are in, oh
    Ask me what I need
    I need your lovin’
    And that’s the bottom line…”
    (bobbin my head with a tear in the corner of my eye)

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  85. A true soul sista for real – RIP Teena Marie – you will be truly missed *sniffles*

    My mom passed in the same fashion as TM, so I’m sending out (((HUGS))) and a prayer of healing and strength for her daughter to help her through this unexpected tragedy.

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  87. I never was a FAN of Teena’s just couldn’t get into a white girl trying to be black…but I know she will be missed by many….RIP….

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    1. @Bamma

      Teena wasn’t “trying to be black”. She was just her soulful self.

      Was Bobby Caldwell trying to be black? What about Christina Aguilera? Black folks don’t have a monopoly on being soulful the last I checked.

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      1. Hello All. RIP Teena Marie, RIP. She was a white, soulful singer who was accepted by us, unconditionally, cause that white gal could sang! When it comes to white folks, generally, we are an accepting race. Why? Cause we got soulllllllllllllllllllllllllll! Peace.

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  90. RIP Teena “Lovergirl” Marie.

    I thought she had a son and daughter. I saw her Unsung when it came on awhile back. I’ll be sure to watch tonight. I wasn’t aware that Teena helped Lenny get started.

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  91. R.I.P. Mrs. Teena Marie “I can’t love anymore” My prayers goes out to her family, friends and fans, especially her daughter!!!

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  92. When I seen this yesterday on FB I did not believe it! I was hoping it was just a rumor.
    R.I.P. Teena
    You are singing with the angels now.

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  95. Lenny Kravitz comments on Video about losing Teena Marie

    “…I Just want to say Teena that, I will always love and respect you. Thank you for being my friend.”

    Currently in Paris, Lenny Kravitz recorded this heartfelt personal message a few hours ago in memory of Teena Maria who tragically passed away yesterday.

    “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Teena. She took me in when I was around 16. I was just a musician on the streets, I was living from pillar to post. She took me in, she gave me a bedroom, she fed me, she cooked for me, she took care of me. She gave me instruments to play, she took me to all her recording sessions. She took me to concerts, she nurtured me and helped me to become who I am.”

    ANOTHER GREAT WILL BE MISSED!

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  98. I saw Teena perform a few months ago in Atlantic City, NJ. She embarrassed The Whispers and Ronald Isley by outperforming both of them…

    Teena Marie was a very gracious and kind person. She used to come to my restaurant in New York, “Amy Ruth’s” She said that my Chicken n Waffles were better than “Roscoe’s in Los Angeles. What a true voice angel! I’ll also love you SUSTA!

    Lets pray for her soul and her memory! Lets also not forget the memory of the great Bernie Wilson of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes fame, who also passed on yesterday……..

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  99. I saw Teena perform a few months ago in Atlantic City, NJ. She embarrassed The Whispers and Ronald Isley by outperforming both of them…

    Teena Marie was a very gracious and kind person. She used to come to my restaurant in New York, “Amy Ruth’s” She said that my Chicken n Waffles were better than “Roscoe’s in Los Angeles. What a true voice angel! I’ll also love you SUSTA!

    Lets pray for her soul and her memory! Lets also not forget the memory of the great Bernie Wilson of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes fame, who also passed on yesterday……..

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    1. Teena Marie was the best. She was a true and talented artist, and if you ever had the pleasure of going to one her concerts…you were REALLY entertained.

      R.I.P. TEENA

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    2. “She used to come to my restaurant in New York, “Amy Ruth’s” She said that my Chicken n Waffles were better than “Roscoe’s in Los Angeles.”

      @Harlemsoul, you use to own AmyRuth’s? Small world. wow. Did Trace aka Blog Queen ever EAT @your establishment?

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    3. @harlemsoul, are you connected to Trace somehow? Reading your comment and you sound like you been here b4? Sumting sound familiar wit you nicca.

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      2. @Felicia, it don’t LOOK like him. Trace posted a story on aka cole remember? The nicca in dat (harlemsoul) gravi look like a fake azz cartoon character from the boondocks. That ain’t the same dude.

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      3. im emailing tracy offline….i need her to tell me if harlemsoul IS cole…i gotta know and she’ll tell me.

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      7. @Felicia, Tracy WILL NOT and I REPEAT, WILL NOT answer any questions concerning 1, her personal life and 2, anything that will be addressed in future stories of hers. Get over it.

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      2. DUDE IS DEAD TO TRACE AND I CAN’T WAIT TILL SHE CONFIRM DAT SHIT. I’M THE NEW MAIN CHARCTER DAT’S GONNA RIDE OUTTA TRACE’S NEW STORY WATCH!!!!!! FUCK A COLE!

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    9. wow!
      one comment from one person fueled all of this? can’t put nothing past ya’ll ceo blog readers, yall can snuff a “Tracy-Nicca” out in a heart b-beat. Lmao!!!

      on behalf of harlemsoul, i plead the ‘5th’

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    1. Usually I don’t take the bait but today Im going to…Teena Marie was one of the best musicians of the 20/21st centuries…She embodied soul and what it means to be soulful…Her music was lush and rich with melodies and harmonies that nothing in todays music can compare…She was what makes music great all in one tiny little package and new music by her will be missed…but she made her impact and it will be felt for many years to come…

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    3. @Angel-hair,
      You are so stupid! And you make uneducated comments. You are also tone deaf. This artist sang better than most women today who are called 3-5 range singers. You are nothing and mean nothing in the world of music. Teena Marie was the best artist of soul/funk ever.

      So please STFU!

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    5. The majority of readers/posters on this website probably won’t even be able to comprehend Teena Marie’s contributions to music @Slick: Simply because they were not around when she was a “new” artist. LOL.
      She was a stellar writer, vocalist , arranger and composer. It has become easy to overlook these qualities in the age of digital music, and subpar, below average artists with despicable voices and nonsense material. I feel more sorry that you cannot understand what she did vocally than offended at your comment. Even the trash on the radio today has origins in good music and , honestly there would be no place for a Mariah Carey and/or Alicia Keys without the basis of Teena Marie. Their voices are probably the closest to her range. She also was a songwriter and musician. Rick James did not “make” her -she was around before –they actually collaborated on music together and they obviously made a beutiful daughter.

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    6. Angel-hair,
      Know your limits here. Just say RIp and keep it moving. We don’t need your extra comments right now, that was just rude and disrespectful.

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    8. Angel-hair

      Actually, Rick James only produced her first album. Teena Marie went on and co-produced her 2nd album with Richard Rudolph (Minnie Ripperton’s husband) and then solely produced and wrote all of her subsequent albums + produced other artist suchas The Temptations…Trust, artistic-wise, Lady T eclipsed Rick James years ago.

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