Meet Ida Geraldine Epps, Jesse Pendergrass

Theodore DeReese Pendergrass, an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter passed away on January 13, 2010. His birthday is March 26, 1950.

He was created in Kingstree, South Carolina. Pendergrass, who lived most of his life in the Philadelphia area, first found popularity in music as the lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.

After quitting the band in 1976, Pendergrass began a successful solo career with the Philadelphia International label, achieving five consecutive platinum records (a record at the time for an African-American R&B artist). Pendergrass’ career was put on hold after a vehicle accident in March 1982 left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Pendergrass had a successful solo career up until the time of his 2007 retirement announcement. He died from respiratory failure in January 2010.

Tamon Pendergrass parents: Meet Ida Geraldine Epps, Jesse Pendergrass

Theodore DeReese Pendergrass was the only child Jesse and Ida Geraldine Pendergrass had. Six pregnancies for Ida were lost before Teddy was born. When Pendergrass was still relatively young, his father left the family.

As he grew older, his mother promised him that she would find his father so the two of them could mend fences. When he was 11 years old, Teddy finally got to see his father because she stuck to her word. Soon after, while arguing with another man, Jesse was savagely stabbed on June 13, 1962. Jesse was 47 years old when he passed away.