'Lady T'
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Teena Marie
luvtzone — 15 years ago(January 01, 2011 10:35 AM)
God blessed us with the life and legacy of Miss Teena Marie and He called her home to be a part of his heavenly choir. When I heard she had passed, I thought it was a rumor, but when it was confirmed, a piece of my heart broke.
Like so many other children of the late 70's and 80s, I grew up on her music. It became an integral part of my life's soundtrack. Songs like "Sucker for Your Love" and "Square Biz" were get-out-your-seat-and-hit-the-floor smashes. The woman could rap and she did not play when it came to putting it down "on the one". "Fire and Desire" is still one of the most powerful ballads ever made. You could hear the intense chemistry between Rick and Teena from the first note they sing. Talk about chills. They were singin the hell outta that song. Art imitating life, for sure. Not many could go toe to toe with the "Superfreak", but Lady T was his true soulmate on so many levels. The music they made together stands the test of time.
There are so many wonderful songs Lady T put out over the years. "Deja Vu" showed her deeply poetic and philosophical nature, then again all her music reflected that. "Portugese Love" and "Casanova Brown" were other fiery tracks that talked of that magnetic love she had for her man. "Ooh La La La" and "If I Were a Bell" are more timeless classics. What a library she has.
My all time favorite song by Teena Marie is "Out on a Limb". That, to me, is her tour de force. The emotion she pours into her delivery is amazing. I was listening to it a few days ago and the tears just came at the line when she says, "this one thing is trueI would die for you" No words can describe hearing those words and knowing she is now with the angels.
You could see the strength and pure love of her craft just pour out of her in any performance she did. All that power came from the 5'1" diva.
Her color never came into play in my mind. From the moment I heard her back in '79 at the ripe age of 10, I loved her. WE loved her. True lovers of soul totally embraced Teena and she gave that love back to us for over 30 years.
Teena Marie eminated SOUL and alot of the so-called "singers" today need to sit down with her music and listen, because CLASS IS IN SESSION when a Teena Marie song is playing. May she rest in peace and continue to watch over her precious daughter now and always. Alia Rose, you will always carry your mother with you. Keep moving forward in this journey.
"You unlock this door with the key of imagination" -
Cheridan — 15 years ago(January 01, 2011 12:36 PM)
Yes, she showed what SINGING was all about, unlike current "divas" who need all the dancing, glitz, and gimmicks to make them stand out. It was nice to discover that she was inspired by the great ladies of jazz. For Teena Marie, it is all about the SINGING. I even respect her more than Madonna, who really can "perform" onstage to overcome her weak singing voice.
My middle name is Marie and I can't help but think of Teena from time to time, and envisioning her in her iconic "LoverGirl" spin on stage with her guitar on the back. So, I was shocked to hear of her passing.
I recall the first time I saw her was on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" back in the early 80's lip-synching to "I Need Your Lovin'". I saw the clip on You-Tube and noticed that she was waving her mike around, making it look so obvious. It seemd that this LADY was more comfortable singing live, but probably had to follow the powers that be of AB to just move her lips. Despite her bad lip-synching and awkward performance, it is obvious that she can SING with lots of soul. I was even impressed with her performance on The View last year. She has not aged well, but she still can GROOVE!
I have downloaded some MP3 tunes from Amazon to reminisce and her songs stand the test of time. I have not yet owned any recordings from Britney, Beyonce, and Christina. No need to look or hear further for some "real" music and "real" singing.
Respects to Lady T!