TEDDY PENDERGRASS: REMEMBERING PHILLY'S R&B KING
Teddy Pendergrass would have been 6 7 today. Anyone who saw him onstage during those legendary Ladies Only concerts will tell you that TP was one of the best who ever did it. But for those who missed out, how do you explain the legacy of a singer whose greatest success came before urban music’s tanning of America? Back in the mid to late seventies, Philly had the game on lock. Gamble and Huff jump started the R&B joint venture game with a partnership with CBS Records establishing Philadelphia International Records. PIR urged listeners to "understand while you dance" with message oriented music that spoke directly to the community. The content extended beyond the subject matter radius common in today's music. Before hip hop's infatuation with secret societies, songs like Rich Get Richer unveiled class warfare instigated by America's oldest and wealthiest families. A hal...