R&B singer Teena Marie was found dead in her apartment yesterday, Dec. 26, 2010, at the age of 54. Known largely for her work with Rick James, Marie was an inspiration to a wide array of artists. Perhaps her biggest hit was “Lovergirl,” while the song above was sampled by the Fugees on their monster hit album The Score. MTV.com remembers the legendary singer today by quoting tweets from those who felt her influence. According to reports in the Examiner:
No cause of death has been provided however Marie’s publicist Lyn Jeter confirmed the artists had suffered from a grand mal seizure while watching a movie in her bed approximately one month ago.
Teena Marie was on tour and had recently performed at the Desoto Civic Center in Mississippi and was scheduled to appear in Miami for a New Years Eve engagement. The official Teena Marie site is currently down due to current circumstances.
