Mary Christine Brockert (March 5, 1956 - December 26, 2010)
What a season to go. I've chronicled this diva's voice here many times, my early days ridiculous dismissal (early days) of her, my epiphany at the gas pump on the Austin Highway, hours spent at the old downtown Starbucks hEARmusic kiosks, filling it up with the endless database that was and is the glorious Lady T. What a treasure has left us, and what a treasure she has left behind. I love all of these, but if I could only take one to the islands, this would probably be the one:
Labels: ivory coast
posted by murat11 at 10:06 AM
12 Comments:
She's not an artist I am familiar with. I don't remember your earlier posts on her. Maybe it was before I started reading your blog regularly. Too bad she died so young.
She goes way back in the archives; I think she's made it onto a a few playlists as well. I love her groove and her operatic range. She runs up and down the scales in a wonderfully funky groovy way. Her passing is a shocker.
There was an obit about her on an LA news blog. They picked a number of the same songs you did and the same picture, but they didn't crop it up as far. She was only 54. She was popular in the 1980's, which is probably why I don't know her otherwise, either. Her big hit was 1985 when I was killing snakes on a mountain in Taiwan.
T: Her color-spanning was quite a Motown feat, though she later moved on to Epic Records, after a lively and ultimately victorious wrangle with Berry Gordy at Motown. She eventually swooped into oblivion in the 90s, but made a very spirited comeback over the past decade; seems there were fans aplenty to justify her back out into the public eye - and plenty of new ones (yours truly included in that belated bunch) ready to swoon at the voice. Praises be that the voice will linger.
Came as a shock to see this news yesterday, especially as she seemed to be enjoying such a comeback, both personally and professionally. Glad to see you keeping her remarkable voice alive around here.
Anno: Given her Motown days, I'd forgotten that she was actually a California girl, before wrestling with the likes of Rick James and Berry Gordy. Seeing her live was on the bucket list; guess I'll have to wait for the big one in the sky. Believe me, I'll wait. Still hope to see Ms Cassandra down here first.
Saw it in the NYTimes. “…appeared to have died of natural causes…” Appeared. Oh those crazy appearances we appear to be but aren’t…or are…few humans know… One thing’s for sure, dat chick had one sweet, sassy voice with a wicked range. Born to it. Got right down to her purpose on earth early and lived it on out like nobody’s bidness. And that’s also somethin’ few humans know. So here’s to Teena Marie and a life that appears to have been ultra-biggie-sized!
Amen to all that, Duchess. You called it all just right. One sweet sassy sister to another.
Paschal, I immediately thought of you when I read about this because I knew how much you enjoyed her music. What a sad story.
Earlier this year it was Lhasa on New Year's Day and now Teena Marie right after Christmas.
I guess all there is left to do is enjoying the music.
Warm holiday wishes going your way!
DM: I still miss Lhasa (has it really only been a year since her passing?); she is always a big part of my road trips and my wife and I both cherish her music (many thanks to you for introducing me to her). I was so looking forward to Teena Marie's prediction that she would be evolving into a jazz diva. It's all in the voice she left us, but still . . .
and today Gerry Rafferty...
Mercy. All these young folks.
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