Pendergrass credits Melvin with teaching him the ins and outs of show business. However, the relationship was fraught with tension from the start. For years, Melvin insisted on calling the group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Many a confused person thought that Pendergrass, the tall, dark, lead vocalist, a commanding presence, was Melvin. The problems extended beyond Melvin's egoistic effort to promote himself at Pendergrass' expense. According to Truly Blessed, Melvin could be quite abusive and kept royalties for himself instead of distributing the money among the group's members. Though on their way up in the business, the other Blue Notes often did not have even ticket money home.
Pendergrass could not have happened into the eye of the Philadelphia music scene at a better time. Philadelphia International Records, headed by songwriters and producers, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, was poised to unseat Motown as the leading producer of successful soul music. Once Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, featuring Teddy Pendergrass, signed with PRI, the group became major beneficiaries of the PRI machine. The finest production values in the business were theirs and the best songwriters of the time vied to have the group perform their material. Their albums were eagerly embraced, producing such hits as "Wake Up Everybody," "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and "Bad Luck."
The soul groups of the 70s also benefitted from crossover success as white audiences purchased more and more soul recordings and albums succeeded on both the Rhythm and Blues and Pop charts.
Still, practically living with Harold Melvin was a continual stress for the young singer. In 1975, an incident in Los Angeles, when Melvin partied at an expensive hotel, while leaving the others at a low-rent motel, set the stage for the the end of the collaboration. Pendergrass says Melvin peremptorily broke the date, leaving the others stranded without any money. He quit Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and briefly formed a competing Blue Notes.
In 1976, Teddy Pendergrass began the solo career that would make him famous. Still with PIR, he became an even more direct focus of writing and production. It had come to the notice of PRI that the young baritone upstaged the other members of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes with female fans. His solo image was crafted around his sex appeal. Pendergrass says it was his own idea to hold those women only concerts he became famous (or infamous) for. However, he also says he was never completely comfortable with whipping women into an erotic frenzy. By the '80s, he began to tone down the raciness-- which really wasn't all that racy by today's standards. Pendergrass recorded six albums for PIR from 1977 to 1981 — Teddy Pendergrass, Life is a Song Worth Singing, Teddy, Teddy Live! Coast to Coast, TP and It's Time for Love. Five of them produced successive platinum records. He was the first African-American male vocalist to achieve that distinction. His signature song became "Close the Door," a well-wrought come-on that used his smoky tones and adept phrasing quite advantageously.
Article comments
1 - freddie pendergrass
Dear Teddy, the Pendergrass family in Greenville SC want very much to communicate with you. We are having a family reunion 8/31/07 - 9/2/07 in Greenville Sc. for details log onto Pendergrass Family. We are not trying to get anything from you we just want to fellowship and get to know all of the family better. Please contact me back.
[Personal contact info deleted] All Pendergrasses are related.
2 - Connie Morris-Moore
Dear Teddy,
How are you doing? I have not seen you since August 17, 2001; when you did the concerts in New York. I gots tickets for both of your shows; the Thursday nite show at the Beacon Theatre and the Friday nite show at Westbury Music Fair. I wrote you a letter and sent you a rose. I gave it to your daughter. Then I was informed that you said that I could meet you. And, I was granted the wonderful opportunity to meet you. I TOLD YOU THEM AND I AM TELLING YOU NOW, "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! I THINK OF YOU ALL THE TIME; AND I PRAY FOR YOU". I really think if I did not have your music to get me thorough life, I would not be where I am today. You helped me thorough the power of song! I LOVE YOU. Please keep in touch.
3 - Delores Lewis
Hello Teddy:
Just wanted to write you to find out more information about your foundation, and also to see if you could say a few words of encourgement to my brothers. Let me explain; My brother name is freddie and he will be 50 years old this year. He was shot 25 year ago at the age of 25. He has been paralized from the waist down for the last 25 years. He has always had help and it seemed like up until now he has coped with this situation pretty well. My 25 year old brother was his caregiver for the last 2 years and has helped freddie with life in the wheel chair. Well my second brother name is Roy, he is 26 years old now. Last year Roy was shot at age 25 and paralized from the waist down. This set the whole family back so far especially Freddie. What are the chances of having 2 brothers shot and put in a wheel chair after their 25th birthday. It actually killed my mother she died of a heart attack 4 months after Roy came home in the Wheel Chair. She could not take the stress of taking care of the both of them. Living your life is almost impossible without a wheel chair accessible home. I want to know if your foundation or any other organization will help my brothers with a handicapped accessible house. I need some help with getting them in and out of the house. Please write me back . I'm in Chicago looking to relocate to Tennesse.
4 - Deborah
Iwould like for you if possible to send my e-mail address to the lady name Deloris Lewis who sent in a e-mail to you on January 10th 2008 with the mention of her two brother both at the age of 25 get shot and paralized Iwould like to commicate with her if possible thank you Deborah
5 - Michael
Hi Teddy, I live in the Uk and would love to know if you will ever perform on stage again as I would come all the way over from England to see you. I hope you are well and your health is as it can be. I have loved your music from the very early days and I love it still, it is my lifes ambition to see you perform and I hope I am not too late. Kindest regards Michael
6 - Ray Ellis
Considering he's dead, it's doubtful he'll be performing anywhere.
7 - Michael
Where did you get this information from? All the sources i have seen tell me he's very much alive!
8 - CYNTHIA
JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW TEDDY PENTERGLASS DOING IN 2008.
9 - Lily
Hi Teddy, how is it going?
Just wondering if we'd ever see you perform The Power of One live in South Africa, you know the connection...!
10 - Lily
Ray Ellis - you need help as a matter of urgency. What makes you think you'd be the first to know that? Please..., we don't need this.
11 - gloria b fluker
Hello Teddy!
I have been trying to contact you.
It's been a lifetime ago.
Please contact me!
Glory B
12 - Michael Ludford
Please can you tell me if Teddy receives these messages? I've left notes before but i never have any replies! Sorry to be a pain but i would reallllly love to know how Teddy is.
Michael from the UK thank you.
13 - El Bicho
"Please can you tell me if Teddy receives these messages? I've left notes before but i never have any replies!"
You answered your own question.
14 - Michael Ludford
Love your name El Bicho! Seems a waste of a site if that's true what you say?
Any suggestions on how you can mail the man?
15 - El Bicho
Thanks, ML. i would suggest you google him and see if you can learn who his agent or manager is and contact them
16 - leah peadergrass
I love you.you are the one I have in
my life.LOVE YOU.
I didno't know you where
my uncle I LOVE YOU TEDDY
17 - loyal
would love to know how Mr Pendergrass is doing in
2008. Love your songs Sir.