I find myself wanting to understand about Teena Marie. To ponder the implications of her life and oeuvre for race relations in America.
But first, a question: Without looking her up, how many of you know who Teena Marie was?
Of those, how many are white?
She was a white R&B/funk singer, and her audience was black. She was the first white woman on Soul Train. She was invited back to appear on Soul Train way more times than any other white artist. She was the only white person in the house those times. Check this out: TEENA MARIE ft RICK JAMES clips - YouTube
You’ve heard the term “blue-eyed soul”—often a somewhat dismissive label. Even if you’re not black, you’re probably aware of many black folks’ sentiments about white artists throughout history taking black-invented musical styles and cashing in on them. Well, nobody ever said that about Teena. They loved her!
She had ferocious natural talent, a truly great set of pipes. Her genuine appreciation for the music shone through. Her first record was released without her picture on it, on the supposition that the black audiences it was aimed at would not be interested in another white artist copying their music. Her voice and her spirit blew away all such suppositions. As soon as she appeared on Soul Train, she was an instant star. The love her audience gave her was wholehearted with no reservations.
She was deemed “the blackest white artist that’s ever been.” Smokey Robinson said: “It’s in her blood, it’s in her heart. It’s in her soul, it’s what she does.”
She said her destiny “was to bring people together.” Whatever it was she had, I wish we could bottle it and prescribe it as medicine for America’s intractable race problems. We desperately need more people like her.
Today is the cusp of Black History Month and Women’s History Month.
The one thing I remember about Teena Marie is that a book that came out a few years later stated that at the height of her fame, her record company was paying her $100 A WEEK.
I’m white and I know who she is in general terms. I remember the song Lovergirl. I remember what she looked like. That’s about it. It wasn’t then and isn’t now my style of music.
I’m a big ol’ loaf of Wonder bread, and I know who Teena Marie was. But upon looking up her discography, I had no idea that her career started several years before I was aware of who she was.
I’m a stale loaf of Wonder Bread (twice the age of a passel o’ ya rapscallions). And I remember when Teena Marie burst on the soul scene. Watched her on Soul Train (a lot of white kids watched it; how do you think we learned to dance?). For a year or so, she seemed to be on at least half the shows.
I’m ashamed to say that it took me a long time to realize that she wasn’t black. Can we chalk that up to my egalitarian color-blindness when it comes to race? Or my general obliviousness as a kid? :o
Another white guy here… in the late '90s there was a CD that was sold on TV called The Party Zone which as you can see had Teena Marie featured in the ad. Her song was the only one in that ad that I didn’t recognize from back in the day.
Years later when I was getting into older funk artists like Prince, I bought a copy of Rick James’ Street Songs album which she appears on and I was like, “oh yeah, her.”
I’m a 40 year-old white guy. I knew who she was and that she was white mostly because I read Billboard and other music industry publications and primarily listened to rap in the '90s. Someone mentioned “Square Biz.” Well the rap supergroup The Firm (which was considered a huge flop) released “Firm Biz” as their first/primary single and that obviously sampled and was based around “Square Biz.” Also, the Fugees “Fugee La” was a pretty big hit, sampling her “Ooh la la La.” I remember her comeback was covered by a lot of music industry publications and sites/blogs, especially since it was released on the Cash Money (pretty much only known for Cash Money affiliated/New Orleans rap artists at the time) label.
This is almost me exactly, except I wasn’t thinking bubblegum per se because I placed her in the late 70’s, past bubblegum’s prime, but I was definitely thinking pop due to the cutesy name.
Well, I’m a very pale German born in 1968, but I’ve considered myself well versed in soul music of the 60s and 70s, because I’m a great fan, but I had never heard of her before this thread. I’m even familiar with Soul Train, but I thought that Elton John had been the first white act (of all people) to appear on the show.