Teena Marie, Known As “Ivory Queen of Soul”, Died at the Age of 54 in California

Teena Marie, known as “Ivory Queen of Soul”, was passed away yesterday at the age of 54. She was certainly not the first white act to sing soul music. However, she was arguably among the most gifted and respected, and was thoroughly cuddled by black audiences.

Reportedly, Teena Marie, was found dead at her California residence on Sunday by her daughter, 19-year-old Alia Rose. The four-time Grammy nominee is said to have died in her sleep, and the singer’s death was announced on CNN shortly.

How she died is yet to be determined but her manager, Mike Gardner, revealed to the network that she suffered a grand mal seizure last month. Teena, real name Mary Brockert, was Motown’s first white female artist back in the 70s. She was also the protégé of the late Rick James. Our condolences go out to Teena’s daughter and her family.