Legendary R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass will receive a posthumous honor of having a street renamed after him in Philadelphia.
According to NBC 10 Philadelphia, the 400 block of Broad Street will become “Teddy Pendergrass Way” on Saturday, July 26, just south of Patti LaBelle Way and Gamble and Huff Walk.
Taking place at noon, the ceremony features appearances from Philadelphia civic leaders, music historians, and community members.
Joan Pendergrass, the late singer’s widow, spoke with Philly Voice about the significance of the honor.
“Philly is his heart,” Joan said. “He lived in Philly. He never moved from Philly, even when he had the opportunity to do so….. He just wanted to stay in his hometown, because it’s rich with culture, with peace, love, and harmony. And he just felt so comfortable there.”
“I think they latched onto that sexy stallion with the million-dollar smile,” Joan continued. “… I didn’t know him back when he was the stallion. I told him, I think if I met you during that time, I would’ve fired you, based on what I heard about you.”
Beginning his career as the lead singer for Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes on Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s Philadelphia International Records, Pendergrass’ powerful baritone stood out on classic songs such as “If You Don’t Know By Now,” “Bad Luck,” “Wake Up Everybody,”, and “The Love I Lost.”
After he left the group in 1976, Pendergrass launched a successful solo career, releasing five consecutive platinum albums, a record at the time for a Black artist. He would go on to release classics including “The More I Get, The More I Want,t” “Only You,” “Close the Door,” “Turn Off the Lights,” and “Love TKO.”
At the height of his career, on March 18, 1982, Pendergrass was involved in a car crash while driving his new Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit. The collision caused a spinal cord injury, leaving him a tetraplegic, paralyzed from the chest down.
Reviving his career after his accident, Pendergrass scored his first R&B number-one hit in nearly a decade with the song “Joy”, from his album of the same name, in 1988.
Pendergrass died at the age of 59 on January 13, 2010, after battling colon cancer.