Upon her untimely death at 54 years old , one simply cannot measure the gargantuan talent of Teena Marie — nee Mary Christine Brockert — by even the greatest of R&B standards. She was utterly unmatched; not even by the vocal dexterity of Mariah Carey, who perhaps had greater technical range, but who has to this day never quite unearthed what Marie did—a soprano-to-alto-and-back-again black soul. Marie, from her Oakland childhood days, was enamored by black spirit (she credited her dear Godmother, a black woman). For a sweet moment in time during the late 70’s through the mid 80’s, she willfully rode the effervescent rollercoaster of the post-black power collective heart without ever hopping off. She was loyal to black soulfulness. She didn’t merely dabble in black music and conveniently weave her way in and out of worlds, playing both sides of the racial fence. She didn’t talk blackness, either. Instead, she showed it… Continue reading at HelloBeautiful.com
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The Life, Legacy And (Yes) Blackness Of Teena Marie
