R I P Teddy Pendergrass His Legacy Will Live On

At the tender age of 59, legendary R&B crooner Teddy Pendergrass passed away in Philadelphia Wednesday night.  He has been ill for some time, as well as confined to a wheelchair as a quadriplegic after a horrific car accident in 1982.  Karu Daniels at Black Voices reports:

A close family friend confirmed to the BV Newswire that the ailing crooner died tonight.

The cause of death is unknown and details are pending.
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.”