Teena Marie

In a way it's not fair to mention race when it comes to Teena Marie, but there is no avoiding it. She was a white woman dripping Soul. She peaked in the late 80's, and made sporadic comebacks in recent years, but when I think of Teena Marie I think Old School. This was Soul Music's last great era. Finished by the 1990, and Marie was right there with the great voices of that generation.

Of all the female Soul singers who charted, she had the biggest voice, and her albums had bigger concepts. She wasn't just a hits plus filler lady.

R&B continues to lose its great voices at an alarming rate. She was only 54, with many comebacks and many more miles left on her marvelous instrument.

Right now, duetting once more with Rick James.