There are many artists who consider themselves “Ladies' Men,” but I must inform them that there isn’t, and there might not ever be, another man who does it quite like Teddy Pendergrass did. With his rugged looks, seductive moves, and husky vocals, Theodore Pendergrass enticed copious amounts of women from the moment he took the stage. He was truly ahead of his time.

Teddy’s preparation for his successful music career began where most singers build their foundation—church! Church was very influential in Teddy Pendergrass’s life, as it is rumored he was ordained as a minister at the tender age of 10 years old. His love for music was realized at a very early age and then actualized while singing in the citywide McIntyre Elementary School Choir and the Junior High School Choir. While singing in his school choirs, Teddy Pendergrass taught himself how to play the drums. This would be his ticket to fame.

In the late 1960s, Pendergrass became the drummer for a local group in Philadelphia called The Cadillacs. In 1970, The Cadillacs decided to collaborate with a more established group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, placing Teddy directly in the spotlight. After the Blue Notes' lead singer quit, Melvin noticed the vocal prowess of his drummer and insisted that Teddy Pendergrass become the lead vocalist of the group. Teddy accepted the offer, and in 1972, the group signed to Gamble and Huff, a CBS subsidiary of Philadelphia International Records. The Blue Notes' discography lists hits such as "I Miss You," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody" (their biggest hit to date), "If You Don't Know Me By Now," and many more.

After a strenuous working relationship with Harold Melvin, Teddy Pendergrass ventured out to pursue his solo career. Released in 1977, his debut solo album was self-titled, with hits such as "The More I Get, The More I Want" and "I Don't Love You Anymore." His debut album was followed by Life Is a Song Worth Singing (1978), Live! Coast to Coast and Teddy (1979), TP (1980), and It's Time for Love (1981).

With five Best Male R&B Vocal Performance Grammy nominations over a span of 25 years, Teddy Pendergrass solidified his place within the music industry as a phenomenal male vocalist.

One of the things that made Teddy the ultimate Ladies' Man was his innovative “Ladies-Only” concerts, where the women were handed chocolate teddy bear suckers to satisfy their salivation while TP performed! According to The New York Times, “In later years, [Teddy] Pendergrass would say he was slightly embarrassed by those shows.” Nevertheless, R&B romeo Maxwell was influenced by TP, executing his own version of “Ladies-Only” concerts.

On March 18th, 1982, tragedy struck Teddy Pendergrass as he was driving on the road he made infamous, Lincoln Drive, in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. The brakes failed on his new Rolls-Royce, causing Teddy to lose control of his vehicle, hitting a guard rail, traversing into the opposite lane, and then colliding with two trees, leaving The Ladies' Man we all knew and loved with a spinal cord injury, paralyzing him from the waist down.

I remember the impact the news of the accident carried in my household. It seemed as though my mother and her friends were discussing a familiar acquaintance. "How could the sexiest man alive be confined to a wheelchair?" many pondered. The devastation seemed endless.

Philadelphia International Records released This One's for You while Teddy recovered from the accident. And once he completed physical therapy, the indomitable Teddy Pendergrass got right back to his passion…singing! “Hold Me” was one of the first songs recorded after the accident; the song was a duet with a young unknown singer by the name of Whitney Houston.

Teddy Pendergrass released many more albums as time went by, such as Heaven Only Knows (1983), Love Language (1984), Workin' It Back (1985), Joy (1988), Truly Blessed (1991), A Little More Magic (1993), and You and I (1997). And ten years after the accident, he recorded a version of David Barrett's "One Shining Moment," the theme for March Madness Basketball on CBS. He also published Truly Blessed, an autobiography about his life named after his 1991 album.

Outside of the music scene, Teddy Pendergrass became an advocate for spinal cord injury sufferers, teaching them how to better cope with life. His goal was not to look at his spinal cord injury as a disease that could be cured, but to instead focus on fostering a better quality of life. On Art Fennell Reports, Teddy Pendergrass stated, “...I don’t want to foster cure. I don’t think that’s a real thing to foster. For me, I'd rather foster and emphasize quality of life. I think that's more important...” He also stated, “...I feel obligated to help those with spinal cord injuries realize their life’s ambitions and be able to live life as...independently and productively as possible...”

Throughout the years, Teddy Pendergrass’s music has had a tremendous influence on the world of Hip-Hop. Samples of his work can be found in tracks by the likes of Kanye West, DMX, Ghostface, Cam'ron, Twista, DJ Green Lantern, Little Brother, and 9th Wonder.

Pendergrass, a true fighter who survived the car accident of a lifetime that left him paralyzed from the waist down, lost his battle with colon cancer on January 13th, 2010.

As we celebrate the life and legacy of Teddy Pendergrass, I will leave you with this: If you don't know me by now…You will never never never know me...