<p> </p><p>By shelz.</p><p>Teddy Pendergrass’ rough, rugged and raw voice was forged in the fires his trying childhood, youthful life in the church, the mean Philadelphia streets, and years of struggle. Teddy had such a gravely, coarse delivery, and when he let it loose, it roared over all the backing instrumentation. It demanded attention from everyone in earshot and it made women lose every bit of that ladylike behavior it took their mothers decades to instill. His career ending car accident removed him from the stage but never from the pantheon of soul crooners who could move you to unexpected emotions with the flip of a musical phrase. Pendergrass’ spot in that clique can never be challenged, not even in his departure from this plane of existence.</p><p>On January 13, 2010, music lost Pendergrass to complications that arose from a recent surgery for colon cancer. Yes, it has been years since Pendergrass released anything new, but station surfing only to uncover a classic Teddy gem, releasing the scan button and settling into his gruff voiced demands is something we’ve all done.</p><p>Teddy Pendergrass was the uncommon full package. Tall, dark, and handsome, he probably would have caught a soft spot in the ladies hearts even if he didn’t have that voice. But he did. He had that powerful voice that when mixed with bedroom bully aggression could turn the ultimate feminist into a purring yes woman. Hotel room keys, phone numbers and under garments littered the stage after a TP concert. He would toss that signature smile at the crowd, step over the heaps of belongings and keep it moving. It was just another day at the office.</p>
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