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Soul singer Teddy Pendergrass, who rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, has died aged 59. Pendergrass recently underwent colon cancer surgery which he had difficulty recovering from. He died while hospitalized at Bryn Mawr Hospital in suburban Philadelphia.

Pendergrass began his career as a drummer for The Cadillacs. The Cadillacs merged with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and Melvin soon invited Pendergrass to become the lead singer. After signing with Philadelphia International Records in 1972, the Blue Notes had hits such as “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “I Miss You,” “Bad Luck” and “Wake Up Everybody.”

Teddy Pendergrass, who was also known as Teddy P, launched a solo career following his split from the band and released his first album, Teddy Pendergrass, in 1977. Solo hits included “The More I Get the More I Want,” “Close the Door,” “I Don’t Love You Anymore” and “Turn Off the Lights.”

On March 18, 1982, Pendergrass was involved in an automobile accident in Pennsylvania which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Despite the injury, Pendergrass continued to perform and release records throughout the 1980s and 1990s. A highlight was a performance on July 13, 1985, at the historic Live Aid concert in Philadelphia. Teddyalso sang a duet with Whitney Houston on “Hold Me”, which appeared on her self-titled debut album.

Here’s a vintage performance on Soul Train which shows what a fine soul singer Pendergrass was.

“If You Don’t Know Me By Now” – Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes

Rest in peace Teddy Pendergrass.