Smooth soul singer Teddy Pendergrass lost the battle to colon cancer, passing away yesterday at the age of 59 in a hospital outside of Philadelphia. The 70s and 80s R&B sex symbol, and five-time GRAMMY-nominated singer will not only be remembered for his love ballads, but as an inspirational figure to many. After suffering a devastating car crash in 1982, he was left paralyzed from the waist down, but that tragedy didn’t prevent Pendergrass from releasing 10 platinum albums and rising to international fame status. His son is quoted to have said, “To all his fans who loved his music, thank you. He will live on through his music.”
The Archives
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Bits & Pieces
Legendary Drummer Chuck Biscuits Dies At 44
10.29.09For anyone well versed in the history of punk music, today marks a sad day as the world is robbed of Black Flag, Danzig and Social Distortion drummer Chuck Biscuits, who has passed away after succumbing to throat cancer at the age of 44. Although briefly playing with the aforementioned bands, the Canadian beat keeper, legally named Charles Montgomery, made a distinct dog ear in the page of angsty music. Biscuits found a home with Black Flag in 1982 for five months, later teaming up with Danzig at the request of Rick Rubin and pounding the skins with Social Distortion before leaving in 1999. R.I.P. Chuck Biscuits.
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Bits & Pieces
Daughter of The Mamas & the Papas’ John Phillips Alleges Incestuous Relationship
09.23.09Daughter of The Mamas and the Papas leader John Phillips, former child star Mackenzie Phillips, alleges in her new book that she had a long-term sexual relationship with her father. The tome, High on Arrival, alleges that the relationship began the eve of her 1979 wedding to Rolling Stones’ entourager Jeff Sessler. “On the eve of my wedding, my father showed up, determined to stop it. I had tons of pills, and Dad had tons of everything too. Eventually I passed out on Dad’s bed. My father was not a man with boundaries. He was full of love, and he was sick with drugs. I woke up that night from a blackout to find myself having sex with my own father.” Mackenzie, scheduled to appear on Oprah later today, told Winfrey that her father introduced her to IV cocaine use saying, “He put the needle in my arm and pushed the plunger…” (more…)
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Bits & Pieces
Poet, Musician and Author Jim Carroll Passes at 60
09.14.09The NYC triple threat legend Jim Carroll passed away September 11th due to a heart attack suffered at his Manhattan home. The poet, musician and author masterminded the grimy novel adventure The Basketball Diaries, which was later adapted into a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as revered punk poetry he wrote and performed around New York City and helmed The Jim Carroll Band; a rock outfit established at the request of Patti Smith and then given a three album deal with Atlantic Records at the hands of Keith Richards. Carroll’s most famous tunes remain Catholic Boy, and People Who Died, the second of which was used in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Patti Smith made a comment to The New York Times saying, “I met him in 1970, and already he was pretty much universally recognized as the best poet of his generation. The work was sophisticated and elegant. He had beauty.” Today we mourn the loss of a great. R.I.P. Jim Carroll.
