Happy Holidays Guys & Dolls,

I am pretty sure, you all have heard the sad news about the sudden passing away of musical icon, Teena Marie.

My good friend and R&B artist, Elijah Connor apprised me of Ms. Teena Marie‘s passing yesterday late afternoon. A quick check on the web revealed that the music legend’s passing had not been picked up by the news outlets. So at first, I brushed it off because there were no official reports confirming her demise…

And as I was doing some research on the “Ivory Queen of Soul”, I ran across this BlackTree TV interview with Teena Marie that was shot in October of this year….

Roland Martin, CNN & TV One Analyst confirmed the news over Twitter.

By Roland S. Martin:

Teena Marie, who dazzled R&B audiences for years with her soulful voice and powerful, high-energy stage performances, died Sunday at her home in California.

Mike Gardner, Marie’s manager, told me that Marie died after her 18-year-old daughter, Alia Rose Brockert was unable to wake her in her bed (Marie was born Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica, California).

No cause of death for the 54-year-old four-time Grammy Award nominee has been released pending an autopsy by the coroner’s office, Gardner said.

Lynn Jeter, Marie’s publicist, said a month ago, the singer suffered a grand mal seizure.

“Her and her little girl were watching a movie,” Jeter said. “(Alia Rose) was in the bed with her. Luckily someone was there. They called 9-1-1. The ambulance took her to the hospital. On the way, she had another seizure.”

Jeter said Marie couldn’t get an appointment with a neurologist for nearly three weeks, and she was provided medication to handle the seizure. But Jeter said that the medicine prescribed “made her suicidal,” so Marie “reduced the meds herself.”

Neither Jeter nor Marie’s family would reveal to me what specific medication Marie was administered for the seizures.

Jeter said she and Marie talked at least once a week, and sine the seizure, twice a week.

Jeter said they had a “great” conversation yesterday, and Marie was excited about heading to Atlanta to perform this week, her first concert since suffering the seizure.

“She evidently died in her sleep and her daughter found her,” Jeter said.

Here is an A/P report on her:

Rest in peace Ms. Teena Marie

Our condolences and prayers go out to her family & friends.

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What is your favorite song, memory of TEENA MARIE?!

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Speak on it! We love to hear from you guys!

Wishing you and your loved ones a spectacular New Year!

Photo: Getty Images

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You know deep down, I was like please say it ain’t so…well it is so official & Zimbabwe truly mourns the sudden loss of Sam Mtukudzi. Tuku Music released a statement regarding the passing of Sam Mtukudzi this morning.

Monday, 15 March 2010 12:19

Musician Sam Mtukudzi (22) son of Oliver Mtukudzi died on the spot in Harare early this morning when his car veered off the road and crashed into a bridge near Kuwadzana Extension on the Harare-Bulawayo Road. Also killed in the accident was Sam’s friend and sound engineer Owen Chimhare (24).

Both were travelling from Harare to Norton where they lived.

Oliver Mtukudzi and his wife Daisy, who were on private business in South Africa, have received the tragic news with shock and were rushing back to Harare.

The bodies have since been taken to a private funeral parlour in Harare. Burial arrangements will be announced in due course.

Mourners are gathered at the Mtukudzi family home at Number 4276 Mtukudzi Way, Knowe, Norton.

For most of last week Sam and Owen were in South Africa mixing Sam’s second album. On Saturday 13th April both returned home and Sam staged what was to be his last show at Sports Diner in Harare. The crowd was small but Sam gave one of his most powerful performances in recent times – as if to say goodbye to his fans.

And just last week Sam had performed at one of the Perekedza Mwana concept shows at Extra Mile Leisure Spot in Harare where he attracted what all of us at Tuku Music Company thought was unprecedented attendance for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Four hundred fans (400) attended the show that was to be Sam’s last joint show with his father. They had both traveled together from another joint show in Rusape the previous day.

The Perekedza Mwana concept was conceived by Sam himself where his father was to accompany him to the old venues mainly in the ghettos were Mtukudzi senior played in the 1970s and 1980s. Already they had launched the shows at Mushandirapamwe Hotel in Highfield, Harare.

Just last month Sam had performed with his father at the Nzou neMhuru muDanga concert at the 7 Arts Theatre in Avondale, Harare.

Nzou neMhuru muDanga was a theatrical production that pollinated across genres and forms – there was a full mbira cast, contemporary dancers, Tuku and Sam as a duet and with their full separate bands, The Black Spirits and Ay Band respectively. They performed in a makeshift enclosure representing a kraal and nursing pen for the elephant and its baby hence the theme Nzou neMhuru muDanga loosely translated to mean an elephant and its baby in the kraal. Tuku is of the elephant totem.

Now, when all of us at Tuku Music Company and Pakare Paye Arts Centre look at the few recent events and the rare concepts that Tuku and Sam were involved in together, so closely of late, we are not wrong to say Tuku was simply passing the legacy of music to his son. But as fate would have it, that was not to be. When we look at the events in retrospect we see that in a way Sam was bidding his father farewell through a string of their recent collaborations. What can we say?

Born on 1st April 1988, Sam first showed his musical nature at the age of four when he started strumming on his father’s guitar. The family was then located in the City of Kwekwe. At the age of 10 his father saw him perform at a school concert and was so impressed by the performance that he bought him his first guitar.

When he started high school at Prince Edward in Harare, Sam found before him an institution that had great facilities for him to pursue music seriously and to learn a number of instruments. He immersed himself into it, learning mbira, drums, marimbas, saxophone and mastering his guitar skills.

As soon as he was done with school Sam started performing professionally, backing his father on many occasions, but also performing on his own. He went on to form his own ensemble, the Ay Band.

Sam released his first album, Rume Rimwe in 2007.

He performed all over the world including in countries such as Canada, United States of America, Lesotho, Swaziland, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Nigeria, Ireland and United Kingdom.

His talent has illuminated festivals such as the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA), Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Winter Jazz Festival, Victoria Falls International Jazz Festival and, Johannesburg International Jazz Festival among others.

We are all saddened, we are in shock and disbelief that a life so young can go so soon. Sam was on the new board of Pakare Paye Arts Centre that Oliver Mtukudzi announced in January this year. At only 22 Sam was the youngest board member but his contributions were invaluable as we embarked on the rigorous journey of developing the arts academy founded by Tuku in 2003.

– Issued by Shepherd Mutamba, Director Information – Tuku Music Company and Pakare Paye Arts Centre on behalf of Oliver Mtukudzi, his wife Daisy and family.

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Father & Son on tour in the U.K – Oliver Mtukudzi & Sam Mtukudzi (via NewZimbabwe)

This is so sad, sudden and totally unexpected. Sam Mtukudzi was so young, turning 22 years old on April 1st. He was a talented upcoming musician under the watchful eye of his father, Oliver Mtukudzi, legendary and prolific musician from Zimbabwe. Sam was one of the new generation musicians who connected with fans through FaceBook, so he became like fam.

According to the NewZimbabwe folks, Sam, died in a car crash in the early hours of Monday, his family confirmed:

Saxophonist Sam was the only passenger when a Tata truck driven by his sound engineer Owen Chimhare struck the rails of a bridge just before the Kuwadzana Extension off-ramp along the Harare-Norton road.

Police were called to the scene just after 1.20AM, but the two men were already dead.

The national Traffic Police spokesman Inspector Tigere Chigome told New Zimbabwe.com: “The accident happened at 1:20AM. The driver of the Tata pick-up Owen Chimhare and the passenger Sam Mtukudzi died on the spot after sustaining serious head injuries.

“What happened is that the vehicle veered off the road and rammed into the right side of the bridge’s rails. The vehicle did not fall off the bridge.

“We don’t know where they were coming from, or what caused the vehicle to veer-off the road. We are still investigating.”

Oliver Mtukudzi’s nephew, Tapiwa Mtukudzi, said from the UK: “It’s sadly true, we lost him.”

Sam, widely tipped for greatness, has recorded two solo albums and has his own band, the Ay Band.

The band, which has a heavy influence of jazz, performed mainly at corporate events in Zimbabwe. He regularly joins his father on foreign tours.

Sam’s death will come as a tragic blow to his father who has been nurturing his undisputed talent – convinced that his legacy is secure.

Mtukudzi, who was in South Africa when he heard the news, was said to be “totally destroyed” and travelling back to Zimbabwe on Monday.

Our thoughts & prayers go to Oliver Mtukudzi, Amai Mtukudzi and the entire Mtukudzi, Tuku Music families. Also our thoughts and prayers are with Owen Chimhare’s family.  

Rest in Peace Sam!  Rest in Peace Owen!

Hi guys,

I am still shaken by the tragic events in Haiti…please continue to offer whatever help you can!

This is so sad but BlackVoices confirmed that soulful singer, Teddy Pendergrass passed away last night…

“A close family friend confirmed to the BV Newswire that the ailing crooner died tonight. He was 59.
Last summer, buzz started brewing that the ‘Love T.K.O.’ singer was on his deathbed.

At the time, the Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter was hospitalized at Philadelphia’s Bryn Mawr Hospital for about a month, and the nature of his illness was not publicly known. He and his new wife, Joan, addressed the rumors and expressed gratitude to his loyal legion of fans for their support.

“I wish to thank my fans for their prayers, concerns and love,” Pendergrass disclosed in a statement. “While I have faced recent health challenges, I am in the care of my wonderful doctors, wife Joan and family.”

“We ask at this time that you respect our privacy,” the statement continued. “Do know that I’m looking forward to continuing my work at the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance to help people with spinal cord injuries.”

Additionally, BV reported that the cause of death is unknown and details are pending at press time.

Here is one of my favorite Teddy songs, Love T.K.O. in celebrating his legacy…

Thoughts & prayers go out to his wife & family…

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