Editing Teddy Pendergrass (section)

== Philadelphia Upbringing ==

Theodore DeReese Pendergrass was born on March 26, 1950, in Philadelphia, growing up in North Philadelphia where gospel music permeated his childhood. He began singing in church at age two, his precocious talent evident from earliest childhood. His mother, Ida Geraldine Pendergrass, raised him as a single parent, instilling the determination and work ethic that would characterize his career. The gospel tradition in which he was raised provided both vocal training and the emotional directness that would distinguish his secular performances.<ref name="jackson">{{cite book |last=Jackson |first=John A. |title=A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul |year=2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York}}</ref>

Pendergrass's path to professional music was unconventional—he initially joined Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes as a drummer, his vocal abilities unrecognized by the group's leader. When Harold Melvin heard him singing, the potential was immediately evident, and Pendergrass became the group's lead vocalist in 1970. His voice—a rich baritone with extraordinary emotional range—transformed the Blue Notes from a struggling group into one of Philadelphia International Records' premier acts.<ref name="pendergrass"/>

The Blue Notes' recordings with Pendergrass on lead, including "If You Don't Know Me by Now" (1972), "The Love I Lost" (1973), and "Wake Up Everybody" (1975), showcased his ability to convey vulnerability and power simultaneously. His voice combined the raw emotion of gospel with sophisticated phrasing that made even the most familiar lyrics seem freshly felt. These recordings established Pendergrass as one of soul music's most compelling voices while demonstrating the possibilities of Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia sound.<ref name="jackson"/>