His initial rise to stardom occurred under tutelage of producer's Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff on the then CBS subsidiary Philadelphia International in 1970. The Blue Notes had hits such as "I Miss You," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody," the two million seller "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and many more. Following personality conflicts between Melvin and Pendergrass, Pendergrass launched a solo career and released hit singles like "The More I Get the More I Want," "Close the Door," "I Don't Love You Anymore," "Turn Off the Lights" and others.
His first solo album was self titled Teddy Pendergrass (1977), followed by Life is a Song Worth Singing (1978), Live! Coast to Coast and Teddy (1979), 1980's TP and the final Philadelphia International Records album It's Time for Love (1981). He also sang a duet with Whitney Houston on "Hold Me," from her self-titled debut album.
Teddy Pendergrass started singing gospel music in Philadelphia churches, becoming an ordained minister at ten years old. While attending public school, he sang in the citywide McIntyre Elementary School Choir and in the All-City Stetson Junior High School Choir. A self-taught drummer, Pendergrass had a teen pop vocal group when he was 15.
By his late teens, Pendergrass was a drummer for local vocal group the Cadillacs. In the late 60s, the Cadillacs merged with another more-established group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. In 1970, when the Blue Notes broke up, Melvin, now aware of Pendergrass' vocal prowess, asked him to take the lead singer spot. It's no secret that Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff wanted Marvin Junior of the Dells for their Philadelphia International Records roster. Since the Dells were signed to Chess, they were unavailable. When the gruff'n'ready vocals of Pendergrass came their way, they eagerly signed the group.
Beginning with "I Miss You," a steady stream of hit singles flowed from the collaboration of Pendergrass and Gamble & Huff: "If You Don't Know Me By Now," "The Love I Lost," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody" (#1 R&B for two weeks in 1976), and two gold albums, To Be True and Wake Up Everybody.
Unfortunately, the more success the group had, the more friction developed between Melvin and Pendergrass. Despite the revised billing of the group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Theodore Pendergrass, Pendergrass felt that he wasn't getting enough recognition. Around 1976, Pendergrass left Melvin's Blue Notes and formed his own Blue Notes, featuring Teddy Pendergrass. Briefly, there was some confusion as to which Blue Notes was which. The resolution came when Pendergrass disbanded his Blue Notes in favor of a solo career and Melvin's group signed a recording contract with Source Records, distributed through ABC Records, scoring a hit with "I Want to Be Your Lover."
Pendergrass signed a new contract with Philadelphia International Records sometime between late 1976 and early 1977. He burst back on the scene with Teddy Pendergrass, a platinum solo debut that included the top-notch singles "I Don't Love You Anymore," "You Can't Hide From Yourself," and "The More I Get the More I Want." Around this time, Pendergrass began to institute his infamous "Ladies Only" concerts. His next three albums went gold or platinum: Life Is a Song Worth Singing, Teddy, and Live! Coast to Coast. The hit single "Close the Door" was used in the film Soup for One, where Pendergrass had a minor role.
The singer received several Grammy nominations during 1977 and 1978, Billboard's 1977 Pop Album New Artist Award, an American Music Award for best R&B performer of 1978, and awards from Ebony magazine and the NAACP. He was also in consideration for the lead in the movie biopic The Otis Redding Story. The '70s ended, but Pendergrass kept racking up the hits. TP, his fifth solo album, went platinum in the summer of 1980 off the singles "Turn Off the Lights," "Come Go With Me," "Shout and Scream," "It's You I Love," and "Can't We Try." It's Time for Love gave Pendergrass another gold album in summer 1981, which included the hit singles "Love TKO" and "I Can't Live Without Your Love." However in the UK chart success was limited to a handful of singles peaking just short of the top 40. Amazingly "Love TKO" failed to even grace the top 100.
A 1982 car accident left Pendergrass paralyzed from the waist down and wheelchair-bound. After almost a year of physical therapy and counseling, Pendergrass returned to the recording scene, signing a contract with Elektra/Asylum in 1983. His ninth solo album, his Elektra/Asylum debut, Love Language went gold the spring of 1984. Philadelphia International issued two albums of unreleased tracks, This One's for You (1982) and Heaven Only Knows (1983). Other albums included Workin' It Back (1985), Joy (1988, whose title track stayed at #1 in the R&B charts for two weeks), and A Little More Magic (1993). The latter half of '90s found Pendergrass recording for the Surefire/Wind Up label. Truly Blessed (the name of an 1991 Elektra album) is the title of the autobiography Pendergrass co-authored with Patricia Romanowski.
Pendergrass passed away at age 59 on January 13, 2010 from complications following surgery for colon cancer.
Hold me
Teddy Pendergrass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And make you my woman
I'll give you my love
With sweet surrender
Tonight our hearts will beat as one
And I'll hold you, I'll touch you
And make you my woman tonight
A pure and simple honesty
Hold me in your arms tonight
Fill my life with pleasure
Let's not waste this precious time
This moment's ours to treasure
Hold me in your arms tonight
We'll make it last forever
When the morning sun appears
We'll find our way together
I believe you
When you say that you love me
Know that I won't take you for granted
Tonight the magic has begun
So won't you hold me touch me
Make me a woman tonight
There's something in your eyes I see
I won't betray your trust in me
Hold me in your arms tonight
Fill my life with pleasure
Let's not waste this precious time
This moment's ours to treasure
Hold me in your arms tonight
We'll make it last forever
When the morning sun appears
We'll find our way together
I'll hold you (hold)
And touch you (touch me baby)
Make you my woman (make me a woman)
Tonight
Hold me in your arms tonight
Fill my life with pleasure
Let's not waste this precious time
This moment's ours to treasure
Hold me in your arms tonight
We'll make it last forever
When the morning sun appears
We'll find our way together
Hold me in your arms tonight
Fill my life with pleasure
Let's not waste this precious time
This moment's ours to treasure
Hold me in your arms tonight
We'll make it last forever
When the morning sun appears
We'll find our way together
The song "Hold Me" by Teddy Pendergrass is a romantic ballad about a man expressing his desire to hold and touch the woman he loves. It's a sensual love song that expresses sweet surrender and the deep connection between the two lovers. The lyrics describe the passion and intimacy that the lovers share, and the singer promises to make the woman feel like a true woman tonight. The lyrics convey honesty and trust, and the need to treasure every moment they share together.
The first verse of the song expresses the singer's desire to make the woman his own and give her all of his love. The second verse is all about the honesty and trust that they have, and he won't betray the trust that she has in him. The chorus is an expression of passion and a desire for pleasure. The singer wants to treasure every moment together and make their love last forever. The bridge enforces the belief in their love, and the magic that they share is something that they should not take for granted.
Overall, "Hold Me" is a heartfelt love song that expresses the deep passion and intimacy between two lovers. It encourages cherishing every moment together and holding onto the magic that they share.
Line by Line Meaning
I hold you, and touch you
And make you my woman
I'll give you my love
With sweet surrender
Tonight our hearts will beat as one
And I'll hold you, I'll touch you
And make you my woman tonight
I will show you affection and tenderness, and I will commit myself fully to you. We will share a connection unlike any other and I will cherish this time with you.
There's something in your eyes I see
A pure and simple honesty
Your eyes reflect your genuine nature and sincerity.
Hold me in your arms tonight
Fill my life with pleasure
Let's not waste this precious time
This moment's ours to treasure
Hold me in your arms tonight
We'll make it last forever
When the morning sun appears
We'll find our way together
Let us embrace each other and enjoy the moment. We should not let this time slip away because it is special to us. We can make this feeling last and find our path together.
I believe you
When you say that you love me
Know that I won't take you for granted
Tonight the magic has begun
So won't you hold me touch me
Make me a woman tonight
I trust your declaration of love and assure you that I will never undervalue you. This moment feels special, so I invite you to be intimate with me.
I'll hold you (hold)
And touch you (touch me baby)
Make you my woman (make me a woman)
Tonight
I will comfort and caress you, and make you feel like the woman you are tonight.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Linda Creed, Michael Masser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@M3NTALMAGIC
I forgotten how many hits she had, she truly dominated the charts back then.
@Patriot47
A real star ⭐️
@latriciamccormick9669
AND DID! WHITNEY WAS SO BEAUTIFUL FABULOUS AND AWESOME! 🤗💜🌹🌹✨
@johnsuggs7828
There was nothing like her.
@pascalbriand8834
Quelle belle chanson romantique wow merci ❤❤❤
@christineharris2199
Beautiful ❤❤❤
@lucineidechagas9844
Música Very beutifful ❤❤❤❤
@damienmillett5546
If this song doesn't send shivers up your spine then youre an amphibian ,
totally awesome !!!! ❤️💙🧡💛💜💚
@damienmillett5546
Woops I meant invertebrate !
@Swahili14
@@damienmillett5546 amphibians are vertebrates you fool insects and molluscs aint 😂
But understandable Whitney's fan😍🙏😇