Look up teddy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Teddy is a common informal variation of the given names Edward and Theodore and, more rarely, their female equivalents, Edwina and Theodora. Teddy may refer to:

Given name[link]

• Teddy Atlas (born 1956), boxing trainer and fight commentator
• Teddy Dunn (born 1981), American actor
• Teddy Edwards (1924-2003), American jazz saxphonist
• Teddy Geiger (born 1988), American singer and songwriter
• Teddy Higuera (born 1957), former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Teddy Hoad (1896-1986), West Indian cricketer
• Ted Kennedy (1932-2009), long-serving American Senator from Massachusetts
• Teddy Kollek (1911-2007), six time mayor of Jerusalem
• Theodore Long (born 1947), general manager for World Wrestling Entertainment
• Teddy Morgan (1880-1949), Welsh international rugby union player
• Teddy Park (born 1978), South Korean rapper and record producer
• Teddy Pendergrass (1950-2010), American singer and songwriter
• Teddy Riley (producer) (born 1967), American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer
• Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States
• Teddy Sheean (1923-1942), Royal Australian Navy sailor posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia
• Teddy Sheringham (born 1966), English retired footballer
• Teddy Tamgho (born 1989), French triple jumper
• Teddy Taylor (born 1937), British conservative politician
• Teddy Wang (1933-?), Chinese businessman kidnapped in 1990 and declared legally dead
• Teddy Wilson (1912-1986), American jazz pianist
• Teddy Yarosz (1910-1974), world middleweight boxing champion (1934-1935)
• Teddy Yip (1907-2003), Formula One racing team owner
• Tivadar Farkasházy (born 1945), Hungarian humorist, author, mathematician, economist and journalist

Arts and entertainment[link]

• "Teddy" (story), in J. D. Salinger's Nine Stories
• Teddy (album), an album by Teddy Pendergrass
• Teddy Award, an international film award for films with LGBT topics
• Teddy, a fictional character in the Korean film Saraba Kamen Rider Den-O: Final Countdown

Animals[link]

• Teddy (horse), a famous racehorse and sire
• Teddy, Mack Sennett's dog in his silent movies
• Teddy, a Guinea pig breed

Other uses[link]

• Teddy (garment), a form of bodysuit-style garment
• Teddy Air, a defunct Norwegian regional airline
• Teddy Award, an award issued by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation for the worst in high taxes and government waste
• Teddy, Kentucky, a small town in the United States
• Teddy Stadium, a football stadium in Jerusalem named after Teddy Kollek

Acronyms[link]

• The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young study
• Terminology for the Description of Dynamics, an ontology for dynamics in systems biology

See also[link]

• Ted (disambiguation)
• Teddy bear, a type of toy bear
• Teddy Ruxpin, an animatronic talking bear
• Teddy Boy, a phenomenon in youth culture since the 1950s

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Mark Wahlberg
Wahlberg at the 2011 Time 100 gala
Born	Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (1971-06-05) June 5, 1971 (age 41) Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Other names	Marky Mark Monk D
Occupation	Actor Producer Rapper (former)
Years active	1989–present
Spouse	Rhea Durham (m. 2009–present; 4 children)
Relatives	Donnie Wahlberg, Robert Wahlberg (brothers)

Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971) is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1989 debut as frontman with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of the 90's. Wahlberg is well known for his roles in films such as Boogie Nights (1997), Three Kings (1999), The Perfect Storm (2000), Planet of the Apes (2001), Rock Star (2001), The Italian Job (2003), I Heart Huckabees (2004), Four Brothers (2005), The Departed (2006), Invincible (2006), Shooter (2007), and The Fighter (2010), Date Night (2010). He has also served as the executive producer of the TV series Entourage, Boardwalk Empire and How to Make It in America.

Early life[link]

Wahlberg was born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, the youngest of nine children,^[1] with siblings Arthur, Jim, Paul, Robert, Tracey, Michelle, Debbie (died in 2003 at age 44), and Donnie. His father was of half Swedish and half Irish ancestry, and his mother is of Irish, English, and French Canadian descent.^[2] Maternally, Wahlberg is distantly related to author Nathaniel Hawthorne.^[3] Wahlberg's mother, Alma Elaine (née Donnelly), was a bank clerk and nurse's aide, and Wahlberg's father, Donald Edward Wahlberg, was a Teamster who worked as a delivery driver. His parents divorced in 1982.^[4] Wahlberg had a Roman Catholic^[5][6] upbringing and attended Copley Square High School (but never graduated) on Newbury Street in Boston.

Racist assaults and attempted murder charges[link]

Wahlberg claims to have been in trouble 20–25 times with the Boston Police Department as a youth. By the age of 13, Wahlberg had developed an addiction to cocaine and other substances.^[7][8] At 15, he harassed a group of black school children on a field trip by throwing rocks and shouting racial epithets.^[9] When he was 16, while high on PCP, Wahlberg approached a middle-aged Vietnamese man on the street and, using a large wooden stick, knocked him unconscious (while calling him "Vietnam fucking shit"). He also attacked another Vietnamese man, leaving him permanently blind in one eye, and attacked a security guard (using foul language).^[10][11]

For these crimes, Wahlberg was charged with attempted murder. He pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to two years in jail at Boston's Deer Island House of Correction, of which he served 45 days.^[10][12] In another incident, the 21-year-old Wahlberg fractured the jaw of a neighbor in an unprovoked attack.^[13] "I did a lot of things that I regretted and I certainly paid for my mistakes," Wahlberg says. "You have to go and ask for forgiveness and it wasn't until I really started doing good and doing right, by other people as well as myself, that I really started to feel that guilt go away. So I don't have a problem going to sleep at night. I feel good when I wake up in the morning."^[14]

^[15]

Career[link]

Music[link]

Wahlberg first came to fame as the younger brother of Donnie Wahlberg of the successful 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. Mark, at age thirteen, had been one of the group's original members, along with Donnie, Danny Wood, Jordan Knight, and Jonathan Knight. However, he soon quit. It was his departure that eventually allowed Joe McIntyre to take his place as the fifth member of the group.

Wahlberg began recording as Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, earning a hit with "Good Vibrations" from the album Music for the People. The record was produced by brother Donnie and later hit No.1 on The Billboard Hot 100, later becoming certified as a Platinum single. The second single, "Wildside," peaked at No.5 on Billboards Hot Singles Sales chart and at No.10 on The Billboard Hot 100.^[16] It was certified as a Gold Single. Marky Mark opened for the New Kids on the Block during their last tour. The second Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch LP, You Gotta Believe, was not as successful as the prior, yielding only a minor hit single in the title track. Wahlberg later collaborated with the late reggae / ragga singer Prince Ital Joe on the album Life in the Streets. The project combined rap and ragga vocals with strong eurodance music (as in the singles Happy People, German No.1 hit United, Life in the Streets, and Babylon) courtesy of Frank Peterson and Alex Christensen as producers.

He was also featured in the Black Label Society music video for "Counterfeit God", as a stand-in for the band's bassist.^[17]

Advertising[link]

Wahlberg first displayed his physique in the Good Vibrations music video and most prominently in a series of underwear ads for Calvin Klein shot by Herb Ritts, following it with Calvin Klein television advertisements.^[18] Magazine and television promotions would sometimes feature Mark exclusively or accompanied by model Kate Moss. Annie Leibovitz also shot a famous session of Mark Wahlberg in underwear for Vanity Fair's annual Hall of Fame issue.^[19] He also made a workout video titled The Marky Mark Workout: Form... Focus... Fitness (ISBN 1-55510-910-1).

Film[link]

Wahlberg at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011.

Wahlberg dropped the "Marky Mark" moniker and began an acting career, making his debut in the 1993 TV movie The Substitute. His big screen debut came the next year, with the Danny DeVito feature Renaissance Man. A basketball fanatic, he caught the attention of critics after appearing in The Basketball Diaries in 1995, playing the role of Mickey alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, in a film adaptation of the Jim Carroll book of the same name. He also starred in the 1996 James Foley thriller Fear.

He has earned many positive reviews after successful movies like Boogie Nights as Dirk Diggler, Three Kings, The Perfect Storm, The Italian Job, and Four Brothers. His performance in I ♥ Huckabees was voted best supporting performance of the year in the 2004 Village Voice Critics Poll. Wahlberg was originally cast as Linus Caldwell in Ocean's Eleven; Matt Damon played the role instead. The two later worked together in The Departed.^[20] Wahlberg was also considered for a role in the film Brokeback Mountain. It was originally intended to star him and Joaquin Phoenix, but Wahlberg was uncomfortable with the film's sex scenes and his role ultimately went to Jake Gyllenhaal.^[21]

Wahlberg starred in the American football drama, Invincible, based on the true story of bartender Vince Papale. He is also the executive producer of the HBO series Entourage which is loosely based on his experiences in Hollywood. He also appeared as a foul-mouthed Massachusetts State Police detective in Martin Scorsese's critically acclaimed thriller, The Departed in 2006, which netted him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, and an NSFC Best Supporting Actor award. Wahlberg has confirmed that he was approached to star in a sequel to The Departed, but it is still early in development. The sequel would reportedly revolve around the Staff Sergeant played by Wahlberg.^[22]

Wahlberg at the Shooter premiere in London, March 2007

Wahlberg at the premiere of Max Payne.

To prepare for his role in Shooter, Wahlberg attended long-range shooting training at Front Sight Firearms Training Institute near Pahrump, Nevada, and was able to hit a target at 1100 yards on his second day, a feat which usually takes weeks to achieve.^[23] He has said in a number of interviews that he will retire at the age of 40 to concentrate on parenthood^[24] and professional golf. However, in early 2007 he indicated that the latter was no longer the plan as "his golf game is horrible".^[25] He played Jack Salmon, a leading role in Peter Jackson's film of The Lovely Bones.^[26] In 2007, he starred opposite Joaquin Phoenix in We Own the Night, a movie about a family of police officers in New York City.

He starred in M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening as Eliot Moore, which premiered in movie theatres on June 13, 2008. The same year, he played the title role in Max Payne, based on a video game of the same name. While promoting Max Payne, Mark became involved in a playful feud with Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg and threatened to "crack that big fucking nose of his." Samberg had done an impression of Wahlberg in a Saturday Night Live skit titled "Mark Wahlberg Talks To Animals."^[27][28] However, Wahlberg later appeared in a follow-up skit parodying both the original skit, Samberg's impression of Wahlberg, and his own threats to Samberg.^[29][30]

Personal life[link]

Family and relationships[link]

In the early '90s, Wahlberg dated former child actress Soleil Moon Frye.^[31] Wahlberg and model Rhea Durham have been together since 2001 and were married on August 1, 2009 at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills. The couple have four children, Ella Rae (born September 2, 2003), Michael Robert (born March 21, 2006), Brendan Joseph (born September 16, 2008) and Grace Margaret (born January 11, 2010). In a 2011 interview with USA Weekend, Wahlberg stated that he had taken his children to visit his old Dorchester neighborhood, saying "I want them to know that not everyone is as fortunate and how important it is to work hard and give back."^[32]

His father, a US Army veteran of the Korean War, died on February 14, 2008.^[33]

Religion[link]

Wahlberg is a committed Roman Catholic,^[34] who attends daily Mass, credits his faith and a priest from his childhood for helping him turn his life around, and recognizes the seriousness of his faith.^[6]

Charity work[link]

Actively involved in charity, Wahlberg established the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation in May 2001 for the purpose of raising and distributing funds to youth service and enrichment programs.^[35]

Wahlberg is also active with The Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children. In an interview, Mark said that it's important to let the homeless know that people care about them and are working to help the impoverished get back on their feet.^[36]

Tattoos[link]

Wahlberg has four tattoos done by various artists including Paul Timman.^[37] The tattoos include Sylvester the cat with Tweety Bird in his mouth on his ankle, a design of his initials "MW" with his surname "Wahlberg" on his upper right arm, and a Bob Marley tattoo with "One Love" on his upper left arm.^[38] The final tattoo, which Wahlberg holds as his most meaningful, is the rosary tattooed around his neck, with a crucifix and the words "In God I Trust" resting over his heart.^[38] On January 9, 2012 Wahlberg was a guest on The Late Show With David Letterman. He spoke about his tattoos and stated he is in the process of having them removed. Initially he was told it would take 8-10 laser treatments however he required over 30 treatments and is still in the process of getting them removed. He cited his career and children as the reason for the removal of the tattoos. His first tattoo was as a young teenager and it was of a shamrock. Because it was not professionally done, he said the shamrock was not straight and had the Tweety Bird tattoo placed over it after arriving in Los Angeles.

Discography[link]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mark Wahlberg

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Mark Wahlberg

• Mark Wahlberg at the Internet Movie Database
• Works by or about Mark Wahlberg in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2010)

Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass (March 26, 1950^[1] – January 13, 2010)^[2] was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade. In 1982, he was severely injured in an auto accident in Philadelphia, resulting in his being paralyzed from the waist down. After his injury, he founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, a foundation that helps those with spinal cord injuries. Pendergrass commemorated 25 years of living after his spinal cord injury with star filled event, 'Teddy 25 - A Celebration of Life' at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center. His last performance was on a PBS special at Atlantic City's Borgata Casino in November 2008.

Early life[link]

Pendergrass was born Theodore DeReese Pendergrass at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the only child of Jesse Pendergrass and Ida Geraldine Epps. When Pendergrass was still very young, his father left the family; Jesse Pendergrass was murdered when Teddy was 12. Pendergrass grew up in Philadelphia and sang often at church. He dreamed of being a pastor and got his wish when, at 10, he was ordained a minister (according to author Robert Ewell Greene). He also took up drums during this time and was a junior deacon of his church. Pendergrass attended Thomas Edison High School for Boys in North Philadelphia (now closed). He sang with the Edison Mastersingers. He dropped out^[3] in the eleventh grade to enter the music business, recording his first song "Angel With Muddy Feet." The recording, however, was not a commercial success.

Pendergrass played drums for several local Philadelphia bands, eventually becoming the drummer of The Cadillacs. In 1970, the singer was spotted by the Blue Notes' founder, Harold Melvin (1939–1997), who convinced Pendergrass to play drums in the group. However, during a performance, Pendergrass began singing along, and Melvin, impressed by Pendergass's vocals, made him the lead singer. Before Pendergrass joined the group, the Blue Notes had struggled to find success. That all changed when they landed a recording deal with Philadelphia International Records in 1971, thus beginning Pendergrass's successful collaboration with label founders Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.

Early career[link]

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes: 1972-1977[link]

In 1972, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes released their first single, a slow, solemn ballad titled "I Miss You". The song was originally written for the Dells, but the group passed on it. Noting how Pendergrass sounded like Dells lead singer Marvin Junior, Kenny Gamble decided to build the song with Pendergrass, then only 21 at the time of the recording. Pendergrass sings much of the song in a raspy baritone wail that would become his trademark. The song also featured Blue Notes member Lloyd Parks singing falsetto in the background and spotlighted Harold Melvin adding in a rap near the end of the song as Pendergrass kept singing, feigning tears. The song, one of Gamble and Huff's most creative productions, became a major rhythm and blues hit and put the Blue Notes on the map.

The group's follow-up single, "If You Don't Know Me by Now", brought the group to the mainstream with the song reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 while also reaching number-one on the soul singles chart. Like "I Miss You" before it, the song was originally intended for a different artist, fellow Philadelphian native Patti LaBelle and her group Labelle but the group could not record it due to scheduling conflicts. Pendergrass and LaBelle developed a close friendship that would last until Pendergrass' death.

The group rode to fame with several more releases over the years including "The Love I Lost", a song which predated the upcoming disco music scene; the ballad "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon", and socially conscious singles "Wake Up Everybody" and "Bad Luck", the latter song about the Watergate scandal. One of the group's important singles was their original version of the Philly soul classic, "Don't Leave Me This Way", which turned into a disco smash when Motown artist Thelma Houston released her version in 1976. By 1975, Pendergrass and Harold Melvin were at odds, mainly over monetary issues and personality conflicts. Despite the fact that Pendergrass sung all of the group's songs, Melvin was controlling the group's finances. At one point, Pendergrass wanted the group to be renamed "Teddy Pendergrass and the Blue Notes" because fans kept mistaking him as Melvin.^{[citation needed]} Pendergrass left the group in 1977 and the Blue Notes struggled with his replacements. They eventually left Philadelphia International and by the early 1980s had disbanded for good.

Solo career[link]

Early solo success[link]

In 1977, Pendergrass released his self-titled album, which went platinum on the strength of the disco hit, "I Don't Love You Anymore". Its follow-up single, "The Whole Town's Laughing At Me", became a top 20 R&B hit. It was quickly followed by Life Is a Song Worth Singing, in 1978. That album was even more successful with its singles including "Only You" and "Close the Door". The disco single, "Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose" was popular in dance clubs. The year 1979 brought two successes, Teddy and the live release, Live Coast to Coast. Hits off Teddy included "Come and Go With Me" and "Turn Off the Lights". His 1980 album, TP, included his signature song, "Love TKO" and the Ashford & Simpson composition, "Is It Still Good to You". Between 1977 and 1981, Pendergrass landed five consecutive platinum albums, which was a then-record setting number for a rhythm and blues artist.

Pendergrass' popularity became massive at the end of 1977. With sold-out audiences packing his shows, Pendergrass' manager soon noticed that a huge number of his audience consisted of women of all races. They made up a plan for Pendergrass' next tour to have it with just female audiences only, starting a trend that continues today called "women's only concerts". With five platinum albums and two gold albums, Pendergrass was on his way to be what the media was calling him, "the black Elvis", not only in terms of his crossover popularity but also due to him buying a mansion akin to Elvis' Graceland, located just outside of his hometown of Philadelphia. By early 1982, Pendergrass was the leading R&B male artist of his day usurping competition including closest rivals Marvin Gaye and Barry White. In 1980, the Isley Brothers released "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love)" to compete with Pendergrass' "Turn Off the Lights", which sensed Pendergrass' influence on the quiet storm format of black music.

Accident[link]

On March 18, 1982, in the East Falls section of Philadelphia on Lincoln Drive near Rittenhouse Street, Pendergrass was involved in an automobile accident. The brakes failed on his 1981 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, causing the car to hit a guard rail, cross into the opposite traffic lane, and hit two trees. Pendergrass and his passenger, Tenika Watson, a nightclub performer with whom Pendergrass was acquainted, were trapped in the wreckage for 45 minutes. While Watson walked away from the accident with minor injuries, Pendergrass suffered a spinal cord injury, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.^[4][5]

Later solo career[link]

Pendergrass got well-wishes from thousands of his fans during his recovery. In August 1982, his label released This One's for You, which failed to chart successfully, as did 1983's Heaven Only Knows. Both albums included material Pendergrass had recorded prior to his accident. The albums completed Pendergrass' contract with Philadelphia International, in which by that time Pendergrass decided to return to the studio to work on new music and struggled to find a recording deal. Eventually signing a deal and completing physical therapy, Pendergrass released Love Language in 1984. The album included the pop ballad "Hold Me", featuring a then unknown Whitney Houston.

On July 13, 1985, Pendergrass made an emotional return to the stage at the historic Live Aid concert in Philadelphia in front of a live audience of over 99,000 and 2 billion television viewers.^[6] It was the 35-year-old's first live performance following his 1982 accident. Pendergrass tearfully thanked the audience for keeping him in their well-wishes and then performed the Ashford & Simpson classic, "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". In 1988, Pendergrass scored his first R&B number-one hit in nearly a decade when the new jack swing-styled "Joy", off his album of the same name, was released. A video of the song was in heavy rotation on BET. It was also his final Hot 100 charted single, peaking at number 77. Also, Pendergrass' voice was heard on the jingles of a back then local Philadelphia radio station, WSNI-FM.

Pendergrass kept recording through the 1990s. One of the singer's final hits was the hip-hop leaning "Believe in Love", released in 1994. In 1996, he starred alongside Stephanie Mills in the touring production of the gospel musical Your Arms Too Short to Box with God.^[7] In 1998, Pendergrass released his autobiography entitled, Truly Blessed.^[8]

Pendergrass did a concert at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, California on February 14, 2002 entitled "The Power of Love". The concert became the album From Teddy, With Love, which was released on the Razor & Tie record label later that year. It was his second (after Live! Coast to Coast) and final live album. Clips of the concert, in particular his performance of his comeback song "Joy", can still be seen on YouTube.^[9] In his later years, Pendergrass' “Wake Up Everybody” has been covered by a diverse range of acts from Simply Red to Patti LaBelle and was chosen as a rallying cry during the 2004 Presidential campaign by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds to mobilize voters. In addition, Little Brother, Kanye West, Cam'ron, Twista, Ghostface, Tyrese Gibson, 9th Wonder, DMX and DJ Green Lantern have utilized his works.

In 2006, Pendergrass announced his retirement from the music business.^[10] In 2007, he briefly returned to performing to participate in Teddy 25: A Celebration of Life, Hope & Possibilities, a 25th anniversary awards ceremony that marked Pendergrass' accident date, but also raised money for his charity, The Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, and honored those who helped Pendergrass since his accident.^[11]

Personal life[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Pendergrass had four children, Tisha, LaDonna, Tamon and Teddy II. In 1987, he married a former Philadanco dancer named Karen Still, who had also danced in his shows. Karen was Pendergrass' primary caregiver. The couple amicably divorced in 2003. Pendergrass met Joan Williams in the spring of 2006. Pendergrass proposed to Joan after four months and they married in a private ceremony officiated by his Pastor Allyn Waller of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008. A formal wedding was celebrated at The Ocean Cliff Resort in Newport, Rhode Island on September 6, 2008.

As members of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, Joan Pendergrass set up The Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church Youth Fund in the name of Pendergrass to provide assistance and a center for Philadelphia's inner city youth.

He published his autobiography, Truly Blessed, in 1992. There are plans to make a feature film biopic of Pendergrass's life. Tyrese Gibson is set to star as the late singer.^{[citation needed]}

Death[link]

On June 5, 2009, Pendergrass underwent successful surgery for colon cancer and recovered to return home. A few weeks later he returned to the hospital with respiratory issues. After seven months, he died of respiratory failure on January 13, 2010, at age 59 with wife Joan by his side, while hospitalized at Bryn Mawr Hospital in suburban Philadelphia.^[12] He was survived by his mother Ida, wife Joan, three children; Tisha, Teddy II, LaDonna, stepdaughters Sherilla Leftrade, Jessica Avila and four grandchildren and three step-grandchildren.^{[citation needed]}

Joan Pendergrass is the executrix of The Theodore Dereese Pendergrass Estate.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

Grammy Awards nominations[link]

Pendergrass received the following five nominations for Grammy Awards.

Other awards[link]

Pendergrass received several nominations for the American Music Awards between 1979 and 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Album, and Favorite Disco Artist. He won the AMA for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist in 1979, alongside singer Lou Rawls in a tie.

In popular culture[link]

This "In popular culture" section may contain minor or trivial references. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture rather than simply listing appearances, and remove trivial references. (April 2012)

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

In Eddie Murphy's standup comedy, Delirious, Murphy does an imitation of Pendergrass singing "Only You", saying Pendergrass' masculine voice "scares the bitches into liking him". Cedric The Entertainer referenced Pendergrass in the comedy movie The Kings of Comedy.

Pendergrass appeared on the dance show, Soul Train on a number of occasions.

India recorded a cover version of Pendergrass's song "Turn Off the Lights" on her 2010 album, Unica. India explained in an interview^[which?] that she had grown up listening to some of this music, and she had decided to do a cover to this song with a more tropical/Salsa feel to it.

In the live episode of 30 Rock, Dr. Leo Spaceman (performed by Chris Parnell) says that the last good "doing it" song is "Close the Door", and claims that the lack of such songs are the direct cause of erectile dysfunction.

On the Kanye West song "Devil in a New Dress", Rick Ross rapped, "Poke County, Jacksonville, write Melbourne/whole clique appetites had tape worms/spinning Teddy Pendergrass vinyl as my J burns."

At the Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011, country band Lady Antebellum paid tribute to Pendergrass, performing a medley that included "If You Don't Know Me By Now."

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Teddy Pendergrass Alliance
• Teddy Pendergrass at Philly Soul Classics
• Teddy Pendergrass at the Internet Movie Database
• Teddy Pendergrass at Discogs
• Teddy Pendergrass at WhoSampled
• Obituary article at Lasting Tribute
• RIP Teddy Pendergrass
• Teddy Pendergrass - Daily Telegraph obituary
• talking about covering Teddy's song 'Turn Off the Lights'- Interview with Salsa's Princess and a fan of Pendergrass

Teddy Afro (in Amharic: ቴዲ አፍሮ; real name: Tewodros Kassahun, in Amharic: ቴዎድሮስ ካሳሁን, B. 14 July 1976) is a popular Ethiopian singer and critic of the ruling Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). His opposition to the government has led to legal troubles.

Rise to fame[link]

In 2001, Teddy Afro released his second album, Abugida, named after the Abugida syllabary of the Ge'ez language. Several tracks quickly caught the ear of many listeners in Ethiopia - "Halieselassie", a tribute to the late Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I; "Haile, Haile", a single in honor of the Olympic long distance champion Haile Gebrselassie; and "Mona Lisa", a song about the measure of human beauty.

His third album, Yasteseryal, was released in 2005. The release of this album coincided with elevated political tension in Ethiopia surrounding the Ethiopian general election, 2005. His politically- and socially-inspired songs acted as a call for unity and peace and made the 17 years of TPLF-led government in power concerned.^{[citation needed]} Consequently the government banned four songs including "Yasteseryal" from playing on radios and TV (http://www.ethiopianreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10689&p=53228). The most popular song of the album "Yasetseryal" claims that there is no real change in Ethiopia but a new government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fight against the Derg was nothing but an infamous military junta. The album sold more than a million copies within a few months after its release, becoming the biggest selling Ethiopian music album to date.^[1]

Legal troubles[link]

Afro was accused of hit-and-run manslaughter and was imprisoned in April 2008.^[2] Some sources claimed that the accusation was politically motivated, following the release of several songs critical of the government, especially during the May 2005 national election.^[3] Afro pleaded not guilty to these allegations, and his court case and imprisonment were national talking points in Ethiopia.^[4] Some members of the opposition viewed his imprisonment as part of the regime in Ethiopia attack on symbols of Ethiopian unity.^[5] Afro was convicted of manslaughter on 5 December 2008 and the judge sentenced him to six years' imprisonment and a fine of 18,000 Birr (apr. 1800 USD). On 18 February 2009, Afro's prison sentence was reduced from six years to two years by an appellate court.^[6] On 13 August 2009, Afro was released from prison eight months early on account of good behaviour in prison.^[2][7]

Released works[link]

Albums[link]

DVDs[link]

References[link]

1. ^ http://www.ethiomedia.com/aurora/when_will_the_daybreak_come.html
2. ^ ^{a b} Malone, Barry; Tsegaye Tadesse (13 August 2009). "Pop Star Teddy Afro Freed From Jail in Ethiopia". ABCNews.com (ABC News Internet Ventures). http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=8321807. Retrieved 13 August 2009. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "Teddy Afro - Another victim of Ethiopia's ruthless dictator", Ethiopian Review 20 November 2008 (accessed 26 July 2009)
4. ^ " Protests over Ethiopia pop singer" BBC website, 23 April 2008
5. ^ "In Ethiopia, jailed singer Tewodros Kassahun is a political symbol", Los Angeles Times, 11 August 2008
6. ^ Yahoo News (dead link)
7. ^ [1] - ethiomedia news

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2008)

External links[link]

• Teddy Afro Charity Song - Sew EthioTube Video
• Teddy Afro Music video Collection
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Woodrow Wilson Sovine (July 17, 1918 – April 4, 1980), better known as Red Sovine, was an American country music singer associated with truck driving songs, particularly those recited as narratives but set to music. The most famous example was his 1976 number one hit "Teddy Bear".

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Born in 1918 in Charleston, West Virginia, Sovine (whose last name was pronounced So VINE) was taught to play guitar by his mother. His first venture into music was with his childhood friend Johnnie Bailes, with whom he performed as "Smiley and Red, the Singing Sailors" in the country music revue Jim Pike's Carolina Tar Heels on WWVA-AM in Wheeling, West Virginia^{[citation needed]}. Faced with limited success, Bailes left to perform as part of The Bailes Brothers. Sovine got married, and continued to sing on Charleston radio, while holding down a job as a supervisor of a hosiery factory.^{[citation needed]} With the encouragement of Bailes, Sovine formed The Echo Valley Boys.^[1]

After a year of performing in West Virginia, Sovine moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where the Bailes Brothers were performing on KWKH-AM. Sovine's own early morning show wasn't very popular, but he gained greater exposure performing on the famed KWKH radio program, Louisiana Hayride. One of his co-stars was Hank Williams, who steered Sovine toward a better time slot at WSFA in Montgomery, Alabama, and toward a contract with MGM Records in 1949. That same year, Sovine replaced Williams on Louisiana Hayride when Williams jumped to the Grand Ole Opry. Over the next four years he recorded 28 singles, mostly following in Williams' honky tonk footsteps, that didn't make much of a dent on the charts but did establish him as a solid performer.

Fame[link]

Another Louisiana Hayride co-star who helped Sovine was country music legend Webb Pierce. Pierce convinced Sovine to lead his Wondering Boys band and helped him toward a contract with Decca in 1954. The following year Sovine cut a duet with Goldie Hill, "Are You Mine?" which peaked in the Top 15, and in 1956 he had his first number one hit when he duetted with Pierce on a cover of George Jones' "Why Baby Why". Sovine had two other Top Five singles that year and joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. After recording close to 50 sides with Decca by 1959, Sovine signed to Starday Records and began touring the club circuit as a solo act.

1960s[link]

In 1963, Sovine passed on the helping hand given him by older performers when he heard the singing of minor league baseball player Charley Pride and suggested that he move to Nashville, Tennessee. Sovine opened doors for Pride at Pierce's Cedarwood Publishing, but his own career had stalled: "Dream House For Sale", which reached number 22 in 1964, came nearly eight years after his last hit.

Trucker songs and sentimental tunes[link]

In 1965 Sovine found his niche when he recorded "Giddyup Go", which, like most of his other trucker hits, he co-wrote with Tommy Hill. It is spoken, rather than sung, as the words of an older long-distance truck driver who rediscovers his long-lost son driving another truck on the same highway. Minnie Pearl released an answer song titled "Giddy-Up Go Answer". Sovine's version of the song spent six weeks atop the country charts and crossed over to the pop charts. Other truck-driving hits followed, including:

• "Phantom 309", a tale of a hitchhiker who hops a ride from a trucker who turns out to be the ghost of a man who died years ago giving his life to save a school bus full of children from a horrible collision with his rig. This story was later adapted by singer-songwriter Tom Waits, who performed "Big Joe And Phantom 309" during his Nighthawks At The Diner recordings. Waits' version of this song was covered by Archers of Loaf on the 1995 tribute album, Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits. Musician Steve Flett named a recording project after the song. The song was originally written and recorded by Tommy Faile.
• "Teddy Bear", the tale of a disabled boy who lost his truck driver father in a highway accident and keeps his CB radio base as his only companion.
• "Little Joe", a tale of a trucker and his devoted canine friend which became his last big hit.

Sovine was also remembered for his Christmas tear-jerkers, which included "Here It Is Christmas" (a divorcee's holiday lament), "Faith In Santa" (a dialog between a poor, runaway boy and a sidewalk Santa), and "What Does Christmas Look Like?" (a little blind girl asks her father to describe the Christmas she cannot see). He scored another sentimental hit with "Little Rosa" in which an Italian-American railroad employee tells a stranger, in broken English, about getting a bouquet to place on the grave of his small daughter who was killed by a train while he was away.

Death[link]

On April 4, 1980, Sovine suffered a heart attack while driving his Ford van in Nashville, which caused him to crash. The injuries and his heart attack were fatal. He was buried next to his wife Norma, who died in 1976.

For many years after his death, his greatest hits collection (The Best Of Red Sovine) was advertised on television, exposing his music to a new generation of fans.

Covers[link]

Sovine performed covers of many truck driving songs made popular by fellow country stars, such as Del Reeves and Dave Dudley, as well as "Why Baby Why", a duet with Webb Pierce originally recorded by George Jones. Other covers include "A Dear John Letter" (Jean Shepard and Ferlin Husky), "Old Rivers" (Walter Brennan), "Bringing Mary Home" (The Country Gentlemen), and "Roses for Mama" (C.W. McCall), among many more.

Many of Sovine's biggest truck driving hits were covered by artists such as, Del Reeves, Dave Dudley, Ferlin Husky, Boxcar Willie, Tex Williams and Australian country singer Nev Nicholls. Mike Judge covered "Teddy Bear" as Hank Hill for the King of the Hill soundtrack. Some of Sovine's songs were covered by Dutch artists and became big hits in the Netherlands (Teddy Bear, Giddy Up Go and Deck of Cards by Gerard de Vries, Phantom 309 (Stille Willie) by the B B Band, Little Joe (Kleine Waker) by Henk Wijngaard). Tom Waits released Big Joe and Phantom 309 on his 1975 "Nighthawks at the Diner".

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Compilation albums[link]

Singles[link]

• ^A"Teddy Bear" also peaked at #1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart and #49 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada. His song "Teddy Bear" was also made slightly famous by Mike Judge, better known by the alias Hank Hill, as "Hank" released a CD of covers with himself singing other songs. One of the songs on this CD was "Teddy Bear."

References[link]

• Red Sovine Feature in the WFMU Diesel Sniffing Series
• Official Site
• Allmusic
• Tales from the Truck Stop - A humorous, illustrated fiction blog that spoofs the sentimental and supernatural world Red Sovine created in his songs.
• Trott, Walt (1998). "Red Sovine". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 499. lpdiscography.com