Tammi Terrell: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 13:53, 10 March 2005

Tammi Terrell (Thomasina Montgomery) (April 29, 1945 - March 16, 1970) was an African-American Motown singer in the 1960s, best known for her duets with Marvin Gaye.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she entered the music business at the age of 13, regularly performing live. In 1961 she was signed to the fledgling Scepter Records (later Wand Records), recording under the name "Tammy Montgomery". After coming to the attention of James Brown she recorded one single apiece for Brown's own Try Me record label and, in 1964, Checker Records. The year after that, she was spotted by Berry Gordy Jr. while playing live, and signed to his Motown label. Attractive and talented, she became romantically linked with both James Brown and David Ruffin, lead singer of The Temptations.

Initially Terrell recorded solo, with only moderate success. However, from 1967 onwards she recorded a series of duets with Marvin Gaye, producing hits with Ashford & Simpson written tunes such as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing"" and "You're All I Need to Get By". Unfortunately, Terrell's success was to be short-lived. On October 14, 1967, while in concert at the Hampden-Sydney College homecoming in Virginia, she collapsed in Gaye's arms and was rushed to the hospital, where she was later diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Although she continued to write and perform in the studio, her health deteriorated. She was unable to record, and Valerie Simpson recorded most of the female vocals on the final Gaye/Terrell duet album, Easy. Terrell died on March 16, 1970 at the age of 24.

Rumors persist that her condition was either brought on or worsened by domestic abuse from her live-in boyfriend, David Ruffin. While Ruffin and Terrell did fight, it was never proven that Ruffin abused her hard enough to damage her in such a way.

In part, Marvin Gaye's classic album What's Going On, an introspective, low-key work which dealt with mature themes, was a reaction to Terrell's untimely passing. Both Terrell's solo work and her duets with Marvin Gaye remain in print today.

Discography

with Marvin Gaye

1967: United
1968: You're All I Need (half of the tracks were from an existing Terrell solo album with Gaye overdubs)
1969: Easy
1970: Greatest Hits (posthumous)

Solo

1969: Irresistable

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Tammi Terrell (Thomasina Montgomery)''' ([[April 29]], [[1945]] - [[March 16]], [[1970]]) was an [[African-American]] [[Motown]] singer in the [[1960s]], best known for her duets with [[Marvin Gaye]].
+'''Tammi Terrell (Thomasina Montgomery)''' ([[April 29]], [[1945]] - [[March 16]], [[1970]]) was an [[African-American]] [[Motown]] [[singer]] in the [[1960s]], best known for her duets with [[Marvin Gaye]].
-Born in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], she entered the music business at the age of 13, regularly performing live. In 1961 she was signed to the fledgling [[Scepter Records]] (later [[Wand Records]]), recording under the name "Tammy Montgomery". After coming to the attention of [[James Brown]] she recorded one single apiece for Brown's own record label and, in 1964, [[Checker Records]]. The year after that she was spotted by [[Berry Gordy Jr.]] while playing live, and signed to his [[Motown]] label. Attractive and talented, she became romantically linked with both James Brown and [[David Ruffin]], lead singer of [[The Temptations]].
+Born in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], she entered the music business at the age of 13, regularly performing live. In [[1961]] she was signed to the fledgling [[Scepter Records]] (later [[Wand Records]]), recording under the name "Tammy Montgomery". After coming to the attention of [[James Brown]] she recorded one single apiece for Brown's own Try Me record label and, in [[1964]], [[Checker Records]]. The year after that, she was spotted by [[Berry Gordy Jr.]] while playing live, and signed to his [[Motown]] label. Attractive and talented, she became romantically linked with both James Brown and [[David Ruffin]], lead singer of [[The Temptations]].
-Initially Terrell recorded solo, with only moderate success. However, from 1967 onwards she recorded a series of duets with [[Marvin Gaye]]'s, producing hits with [[Ashford & Simpson]] written tunes such as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing"" and "You're All I Need to Get By". Unfortunately, Terrell's success was to be short-lived. While in concert in [[Virginia]] in 1967, she collapsed in Gaye's arms, and was diagnosed with a malignant [[brain tumor]]. Although she continued to write and perform in the studio, her health deteriorated. She was unable to record, and [[Ashford & Simpson|Valerie Simpson]] recorded most of the female vocals on the final Gaye/Terrell duest album, ''Easy''. Terrell died on [[March 16]], [[1970]] at the age of 24.
+Initially Terrell recorded solo, with only moderate success. However, from [[1967]] onwards she recorded a series of duets with [[Marvin Gaye]], producing hits with [[Ashford & Simpson]] written tunes such as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing"" and "You're All I Need to Get By". Unfortunately, Terrell's success was to be short-lived. On [[October 14]], [[1967]], while in concert at the [[Hampden-Sydney College]] [[homecoming]] in [[Virginia]], she collapsed in Gaye's arms and was rushed to the hospital, where she was later diagnosed with a malignant [[brain tumor]]. Although she continued to write and perform in the studio, her health deteriorated. She was unable to record, and [[Ashford & Simpson|Valerie Simpson]] recorded most of the female vocals on the final Gaye/Terrell duet album, ''Easy''. Terrell died on [[March 16]], [[1970]] at the age of 24.
 Rumors persist that her condition was either brought on or worsened by domestic abuse from her live-in boyfriend, David Ruffin. While Ruffin and Terrell did fight, it was never proven that Ruffin abused her hard enough to damage her in such a way.
@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 [[Category:Female singers|Terrell, Tammi]]
 [[Category:United States musicians|Terrell, Tammi]]
-[[Category:African Americans|Terrell, Tammi]]
+[[Category:African American musicians|Terrell, Tammi]]
 [[Category:Motown performers|Terrell, Tammi]]