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.
It Don't Hurt Now
Teddy Pendergrass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would cry my heart out over you
And it used to be every day
I would wish you here close to me
And I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat
I'd just sit at home and I'd weep
But now all that has changed
And it don't hurt now, no, not now
Baby, it don't hurt now, no, not now
See there's no more sleepless nights
No more heartache and no more fights
And it don't hurt now, not now
And it used to be every time
I would hear a sad song, I would die
And it remind me of when you and I
Were so much in love
And I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat
I'd just sit at home and I'd weep
But now all that has changed
I've found someone to ease my pain
And it don't hurt now, no, not now
Trying to tell you (and it don't hurt now, no, not now)
See there's no more sleepless nights
No more heartache and no more fights
And it don't hurt now, not now
Well, there's no more sleepless nights
No more heartaches and no more fights
Now all that has changed
I've found someone to ease my pain, oh, oh, oh no
And it don't hurt now, no, not now
See I'm trying to tell you woman
And it don't hurt now, no, not now
See there's no more sleepless nights
No more heartaches and no more fights
And it don't hurt now, not now
Now (don't hurt now)
Will you listen to me (don't hurt now)
Please (don't hurt now)
Try to say don't hurt now
And don't hurt now
See I found somebody (don't hurt now)
Yes, I have (don't hurt now)
I think it's over, I think it's over (don't hurt now, don't hurt now))
I think it's over between me and you (don't hurt now)
Yes, it is (don't hurt now)
I found somebody new (don't hurt now)
Oh, yes, I did (don't hurt now)
Somebody that make me feel
the way that you used to make me feel, but even better.
Teddy Pendergrass's "It Don't Hurt Now" is a song about moving on from heartbreak and finding love again. The singer reflects on how they used to cry every night and wish for their former lover to return, but now all that has changed. They have found someone new who eases their pain and brings them happiness. The song discusses how the singer used to be unable to function after the breakup, with sleepless nights and no appetite. But now, they have moved past the pain and are able to feel joy again. The chorus repeats the refrain "it don't hurt now" to emphasize the singer's sense of relief and the song ends with the singer confidently proclaiming that they have found someone new.
This song represents a common theme in soul and R&B music - the process of moving on from heartbreak and finding new love. The lyrics are straightforward and relatable to anyone who has been through a difficult breakup. However, Teddy Pendergrass's powerhouse vocals elevate the song to another level. He imbues every word with emotion and grit, making the listener feel the singer's pain and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
It used to be every night
I would cry my heart out over you
I used to cry every night thinking about you, and the pain it caused me.
And it used to be every day
I would wish you here close to me
Every day, all I wanted was for you to come back to me and be with me.
And I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat
I'd just sit at home and I'd weep
I was so sad and heartbroken that I couldn't even take care of myself or do anything but cry.
But now all that has changed
I've found someone to ease my pain
The pain of missing you has been eased because I've found someone else to love and care for me.
And it don't hurt now, no, not now
Baby, it don't hurt now, no, not now
See there's no more sleepless nights
No more heartache and no more fights
And it don't hurt now, not now
Now that I have found someone new, I don't feel hurt and sad anymore, and I don't have to go through the pain of sleepless nights, heartache, and arguments anymore.
And it used to be every time
I would hear a sad song, I would die
And it remind me of when you and I
Were so much in love
Sad songs used to make me think of the time when you and I were deeply in love and it would hurt me to think of what we had lost.
See I'm trying to tell you woman
And it don't hurt now, no, not now
See there's no more sleepless nights
No more heartaches and no more fights
And it don't hurt now, not now
I want you to know that I have moved on and found someone new, and I no longer feel hurt, sad, or have to go through the pain of sleepless nights, heartaches, and fights.
Now all that has changed
I've found someone to ease my pain, oh, oh, oh no
And it don't hurt now, no, not now
Because I've found someone new who loves and cares for me, I no longer feel hurt or sad.
Yes, it is (don't hurt now)
I found somebody new (don't hurt now)
Oh, yes, I did (don't hurt now)
Somebody that make me feel
I am certain that it's over between you and me, and I have found someone new who makes me feel loved and happy without the pain and hurt of our past relationship.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sherman Marshall, Ted Wortham
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@HMercy
"I Couldn't sleep, couldn't eat. I'd just sit at home and I'd weep." Who's been there?
@jonmolnar5440
Been there for about 9 years now.
@cadrickgonder6733
Been there
@carrierobinson7217
😂well, not the eating part. No one😊 gonna stop me from eating unless I'm sick 😊
@buttacudawey
Rip to ms ida Pendergrass she passed away today at 104..she was also an awesome singer too
Thank u for ur beautiful son...🙏🏽🙏🏽💕
@davidmoore9150
Hello,how are you doing?
@AndriaaLeoLove
Wow. 104. I Wonder What Was Her Quality Of Life!!! She Sure Gave Us Awesome Teddy!! I Think She Had Many Miscarriages Before God Gave Her Teddy. To Lose A Child...I Hope Someone Recorded What This Lady Had To Say About This Thing Called Life!
@shaneeddd9538
Oh wow!
@margaretel566
😓
@janicetatum3067
Rip Ms Ida