Somebody Remembers Teena Marie

We're getting close to Hall of Fame awards time. Not just the RRHOF, but other ones like the Country Music Hall of Fame. And then there's the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, which after going silent in 2007 has come back with a mostly modern lineup of inductees for their Pioneer Awards. The Whispers, Bill Withers, Kool & The Gang, Chaka Khan, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Funk Brothers, Al Bell and Teena Marie. Naturally, it was the last name that caught my eye. Not because she didn't deserve it. Marie was more R&B than a lot of R&B singers in the late 70's/early 80's. But I began to wonder, without doing any research, if she was the first white artist to get a RBF Award. And I couldn't think of any other modern era singers that might get one (Hall & Oates?). So, kudos to the Foundation for a great pick amidst the obvious ones.