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ROCK CHICKS LEGEND SPOTLIGHT: Teena Marie (March 5th, 1956-December 26th, 2010) is an American Grammy Award-nominated singer–songwriter–producer. Marie, nicknamed Lady T, is a protegée of late funk legend Rick James. She sings R&B with strong, robust vocals and plays rhythm guitar, keyboards and congas. She also has written, produced, sung and arranged virtually all of her songs since her 1980 release Irons in the Fire. She has quoted this as being her favorite album. She has a daughter named Alia Rose who, as of 2009, sings under the name Rose Le Beau. Early Life: Marie was born in Santa Monica, California. She is of Belgian, Portuguese, Irish, Italian, and Native American ancestry. Marie grew up in Oakwood, a neighborhood in West Los Angeles. As a child, she had an acting role on The Beverly Hillbillies, credited as Tina Marie Brockert. She also sang at the wedding of actor Jerry Lewis’s son when she was 10 years old. Marie worked briefly at Pup ‘n’ Taco in the mid 1970s while attending Venice High School, where she joined the Summer Dance Production, and also had a role in the school’s production of The Music Man. 1979–1981: Motown Era: Marie signed with Motown Records in 1976, having gained an introduction to staff producer Hal Davis (best known for his work with the Jackson 5) and then auditioned, with her then band, for label boss Berry Gordy. She recorded unreleased material with a number of different producers, including Kerner and Wise, but was then spotted by Rick James, who effectively became her mentor. (Some of the earlier unreleased material has since been made available on compilation albums.) Her debut album release, Wild and Peaceful, was originally conceived as a project to be produced by James for Diana Ross, but James
preferred to work with Marie. The album was at one point due to be credited to “Tina Tryson”, but ultimately was put out under Marie’s now-established stage name. It scored Marie her first top-ten R&B hit, “I’m Just a Sucker for Your Love” (#8 Black Singles Chart), which was a duet with James. In 1980, Marie’s second album, Lady T, is noted for having production from Richard Rudolph (husband of R&B singer Minnie Riperton who passed a year earlier). Marie had asked Berry Gordy to contact Rudolph and secure his input as Rick James was unavailable and she did not feel quite ready yet to be sole producer of her own material. Rudolph intended for the song he penned, “Now That I Have You”, to be sung by his wife, but was later given to Marie.. Rudolph also co-composed the single “Behind The Groove”, which reached number 21 on the black singles chart.. The song was also included on the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the Fever 105 station. . Another notable track, “Too Many Colors,” featured Rudolph and Riperton’s then 7-year-old daughter, Maya Rudolph, who became Teena Marie’s god-daughter. Also in 1980, Marie released her third LP, Irons in The Fire, in which she handled all writing and production herself, including the horn and rhythm arrangements of her band and all backing vocals . The single “I Need Your Lovin’” (#37 Pop, #9 Black Singles) brought Teena her first top 40 hit. That same year, Teena Marie appeared on James’ hugely successful album Street Songs with the steamy duet “Fire and Desire.” The two would perform the single at the 2004 BET Awards, which would be the two’s last TV appearance with one another as Rick James passed later that year. Marie continued her success with Motown in 1981 with the release of It Must Be Magic (#2 Black Albums Chart), her first gold record, which included her then biggest hit on R&B, “Square Biz” (#3 Black Singles). Other notable tracks include “Portuguese Love” (featuring a brief, uncredited cameo by James, #54 Black Singles), the title track “It Must be Magic” (#30 Black Singles), and album only track “Yes Indeed” which Marie cites as a personal favorite. In 1982, Marie got into a heated legal battle with Motown records over her contract and disagreements on releasing her new material. The shuffle resulted in “The Brockert Initiative”, which makes it illegal for a rec ord company to keep an artist under contract without releasing new material for that artist. The artist would then be able to sign and release with another label instead of being held back by an unsupportive one. Teena Marie commented on the law in an LA Times article, saying, “It wasn’t something I set out to do. I just wanted to get away from Motown and have a good life. But it helped a lot of people, like Luther Vandross and the Mary Jane Girls and a lot of different artists, to be able to get out of their contracts”. 1983-1991: Epic Records: After leaving Motown in 1982, Marie signed with Epic Records in 1983 and released the concept album Robbery, which featured the hit “Fix It” (#21 R&B), as well as “Shadow Boxing” and “Casanova Brown.” The latter was one of a number of tracks
Marie would write over the years about her real-life romance with one-time mentor Rick James. The relationship had ended by that point, but the two would continue a sometimes tempestuous friendship until James’s death. In 1984, Marie released her biggest-selling album,Starchild. It yielded the singles “Lovergirl” and “Out on a Limb,” the former of which became Marie’s highest-peaking single to date on the US pop charts, peaking at #4, while peaking at #9 on the R&B charts. “Out on a Limb” was not as successful as “Lovergirl” on the R&B Charts, however, peaking only at #56. Also in 1985, “14k” (R&B #87) was featured on the soundtrack of the film Goonies. In 1986, Marie released a rock-music-influenced concept album titled Emerald City. It was controversial with her established fan base and not as successful as its predecessors. She also recorded another rock-influenced track, “Lead Me On”, co-produced by Georgio Moroder, for the soundtrack of the box office hit film Top Gun that year. In 1988, however, she returned to her R&B and funk roots releasing the critically-acclaimed album Naked to the World. That album contained the hit “Ooo La La La,” which reached the top of Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and remains her only #1 single on that chart to date.Marie released Ivory in the fall of 1990. Despite the success of the first two singles, “Here’s Looking at You” (#11 R&B) and “If I Were a Bell” (#8 R&B), Epic Records was not totally pleased with sales of the album, so Marie and her label mutually agreed to go their separate ways. (Teena Marie’s Bio, courtesy of http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/teena+marie/biography.html)
preferred to work with Marie. The album was at one point due to be credited to “Tina Tryson”, but ultimately was put out under Marie’s now-established stage name. It scored Marie her first top-ten R&B hit, “I’m Just a Sucker for Your Love” (#8 Black Singles Chart), which was a duet with James. In 1980, Marie’s second album, Lady T, is noted for having production from Richard Rudolph (husband of R&B singer Minnie Riperton who passed a year earlier). Marie had asked Berry Gordy to contact Rudolph and secure his input as Rick James was unavailable and she did not feel quite ready yet to be sole producer of her own material. Rudolph intended for the song he penned, “Now That I Have You”, to be sung by his wife, but was later given to Marie.. Rudolph also co-composed the single “Behind The Groove”, which reached number 21 on the black singles chart.. The song was also included on the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the Fever 105 station. . Another notable track, “Too Many Colors,” featured Rudolph and Riperton’s then 7-year-old daughter, Maya Rudolph, who became Teena Marie’s god-daughter. Also in 1980, Marie released her third LP, Irons in The Fire, in which she handled all writing and production herself, including the horn and rhythm arrangements of her band and all backing vocals . The single “I Need Your Lovin’” (#37 Pop, #9 Black Singles) brought Teena her first top 40 hit. That same year, Teena Marie appeared on James’ hugely successful album Street Songs with the steamy duet “Fire and Desire.” The two would perform the single at the 2004 BET Awards, which would be the two’s last TV appearance with one another as Rick James passed later that year. Marie continued her success with Motown in 1981 with the release of It Must Be Magic (#2 Black Albums Chart), her first gold record, which included her then biggest hit on R&B, “Square Biz” (#3 Black Singles). Other notable tracks include “Portuguese Love” (featuring a brief, uncredited cameo by James, #54 Black Singles), the title track “It Must be Magic” (#30 Black Singles), and album only track “Yes Indeed” which Marie cites as a personal favorite. In 1982, Marie got into a heated legal battle with Motown records over her contract and disagreements on releasing her new material. The shuffle resulted in “The Brockert Initiative”, which makes it illegal for a rec ord company to keep an artist under contract without releasing new material for that artist. The artist would then be able to sign and release with another label instead of being held back by an unsupportive one. Teena Marie commented on the law in an LA Times article, saying, “It wasn’t something I set out to do. I just wanted to get away from Motown and have a good life. But it helped a lot of people, like Luther Vandross and the Mary Jane Girls and a lot of different artists, to be able to get out of their contracts”. 1983-1991: Epic Records: After leaving Motown in 1982, Marie signed with Epic Records in 1983 and released the concept album Robbery, which featured the hit “Fix It” (#21 R&B), as well as “Shadow Boxing” and “Casanova Brown.” The latter was one of a number of tracks Marie would write over the years about her real-life romance with one-time mentor Rick James. The relationship had ended by that point, but the two would continue a sometimes tempestuous friendship until James’s death. In 1984, Marie released her biggest-selling album,Starchild. It yielded the singles “Lovergirl” and “Out on a Limb,” the former of which became Marie’s highest-peaking single to date on the US pop charts, peaking at #4, while peaking at #9 on the R&B charts. “Out on a Limb” was not as successful as “Lovergirl” on the R&B Charts, however, peaking only at #56. Also in 1985, “14k” (R&B #87) was featured on the soundtrack of the film Goonies. In 1986, Marie released a rock-music-influenced concept album titled Emerald City. It was controversial with her established fan base and not as successful as its predecessors. She also recorded another rock-influenced track, “Lead Me On”, co-produced by Georgio Moroder, for the soundtrack of the box office hit film Top Gun that year. In 1988, however, she returned to her R&B and funk roots releasing the critically-acclaimed album Naked to the World. That album contained the hit “Ooo La La La,” which reached the top of Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and remains her only #1 single on that chart to date.Marie released Ivory in the fall of 1990. Despite the success of the first two singles, “Here’s Looking at You” (#11 R&B) and “If I Were a Bell” (#8 R&B), Epic Records was not totally pleased with sales of the album, so Marie and her label mutually agreed to go their separate ways. (Teena Marie’s Bio, courtesy of http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/teena+marie/biography.html)
