Singer Teena Marie, best known for her work with “superfreak” Rick James and solo hits such as Lovergirl and Out on a Limb, died Sunday. She was 54. Her death was confirmed by her manager, Mike Gardner, on CNN.
According to The Baltimore Sun, the Grammy-nominated singer and musician died in her sleep; she was discovered unconscious in her Calif. home by her daughter, Alia Rose.
Born Marie Christine Brockert on March 5, 1956, Teena Marie rose to prominence in the late 70s and 80s. Marie signed with Motown when she was 19. The record company decided not to feature Marie’s picture on her first album, Wild and Peaceful, because Motown was unsure how black audiences would receive a white woman singing R&B. But, audiences embraced the soulful singer. Her face graced the cover of her second album, Lady T. During her time with Motown, she recorded three albums, and wrote and produced hits such as I Need Your Lovin’ and Square Biz. She also collaborated with funkster Rick James on Fire and Desire.
After her controversial exit from Motown, Marie signed with Epic Records in 1983. Marie recorded four albums with Epic, including Starchild that featured Lovergirl, Naked to the World that featured Ooh La La La and Ivory which featured If I Were a Bell.
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