Tammi Terrell
Tammi Terrell
Born	April 29, 1945 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	March 16, 1970 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tammi Terrell (born Thomasina Montgomery) (April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970) was an American Motown singer in the 1960s, best known for her duets with Marvin Gaye. Image File history File links Tammi_duet_with_Marvin_Gaye. ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Ercole de Roberti performing the song Freinds Of P: Concert, c. ... See also: 1959 in music, other events of 1960, 1961 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 14 - Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army February 6 - Songwriter Jesse Belvin dies in an automobile accident in Los Angeles, California. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ...

Biography

Early years

Tammi Terrell in her early years.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she entered the music business at the age of 13, regularly performing live. In 1961 she was signed to the fledgling Scepter Records (later Wand Records), recording under the name "Tammy Montgomery". After coming to the attention of James Brown she recorded one single apiece for Brown's own Try Me record label and, in 1964, Checker Records. The year after that, she was spotted by Berry Gordy Jr. while playing live, and signed to his Motown label. Attractive and talented, she became romantically linked with both James Brown and David Ruffin, lead singer of The Temptations. Image File history File links Tammi_Terrell. ... Image File history File links Tammi_Terrell. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... See also: 1960 in music, other events of 1961, 1962 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 15 - Motown Records signs The Supremes January 20 - Francis Poulencs Gloria is premiered in Boston February 12 - The Miracles Shop Around becomes Motowns first... Scepter Records was started in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. ... Wand Records was started by Florence Greenberg in 1961 as a subsidiary of Scepter Records. ... James Brown, known variously as: Soul Brother Number One, the Godfather of Soul, Mr. ... See also: 1963 in music, other events of 1964, 1965 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 1 - Top of the Pops premieres on BBC television. ... Checker Records was started in 1952 as the gospel subsidiary of Chess Records. ... Berry Gordy, Jr. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... James Brown (born James Joseph Brown, Jr. ... David Ruffin. ... The Temptations (often abbreviated as The Tempts or The Temps) are an American Motown singing group whose repertoire has included doo-wop, soul, psychedelia, funk, disco, R&B, and adult contemporary. ...

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

Initially Terrell recorded solo, with only moderate success (she had a pair of R&B Top 30 singles in 1966, "I Can't Believe You Love Me" and "Come on and See Me") . However, from 1967 onwards she recorded a series of duets with Marvin Gaye, producing hits with Ashford & Simpson written tunes such as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "You're All I Need to Get By". Image File history File links Marvin_Gaye_and_Tammi_Terrel. ... Image File history File links Marvin_Gaye_and_Tammi_Terrel. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... See also: 1966 in music, other events of 1967, 1968 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music 1967 was an important year for psychedelic music, with releases from the Beatles Sgt. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... Nickolas Ashford (born May 4, 1942, in Fairfield, South Carolina) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946 in The Bronx, New York) are a successful husband and wife songwriting/production team, as well as being recording artists in their own right. ... Aint No Mountain High Enough is an R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson in 1966. ... Aint Nothing Like the Real Thing was a 1968 hit for soul music legends Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. ... Youre All I Need to Get By was a 1968 hit for soul music legends Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. ...

However, Terrell's success was to be short-lived. On October 14, 1967, while in concert at the homecoming for a college in Virginia, she collapsed in Gaye's arms. (Sources differ as to the exact site; some say it was Hampton University, others say it was Hampden-Sydney College.) She was rushed to the hospital, where she was later diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. From then on her health deteriorated. Gaye later told his biographer David Ritz that Terrell was no longer able to record and that Valerie Simpson recorded most of the female vocals on the final Gaye/Terrell duet album, Easy. (Simpson is quoted as denying this in a book written by Terrell's sister Ludie Montgomery.) Terrell died on March 16, 1970 at the age of only 24. October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... Hampton University is a historically Black and Indian university located in Hampton, Virginia. ... Hampden-Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia. ... In medicine, malignant is a clinical term that is used to describe a clinical course that progresses rapidly to death. ... A brain tumor is any intracranial tumor created by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, normally either found in the brain itself (neurons, glial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells), lymphatic tissue, blood vessels), in the cranial nerves (myelin-producing Schwann cells), in the brain envelopes (meninges), skull, pituitary and pineal gland... Nickolas Ashford (born May 4, 1942, in Fairfield, South Carolina) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946 in The Bronx, New York) are a successful husband and wife songwriting/production team, as well as being recording artists in their own right. ... Easy is an album released by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell on September 16, 1969 under the Tamla Records label. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

Marvin Gaye's classic album What's Going Down, an introspective, low-key work which dealt with mature themes, was in part a reaction to Terrell's death.

Rumors

Rumors persist that Terrell's condition was either brought on, or worsened by, domestic abuse from her live-in boyfriend, Temptations singer David Ruffin. While Ruffin and Terrell did fight, it was never proven that Ruffin abused her severely enough to damage her in such a way. The Classic 5 lineup of the Temptations, circa 1965. ... David Ruffin. ...

It has been speculated for years that Terrell may have had an affair with her frequent singing partner Marvin Gaye. Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ...

Discography

Albums

with Marvin Gaye

• 1967: United
• 1968: You're All I Need (6 of its 12 tracks were existing Terrell solo tracks with Gaye overdubs)
• 1969: Easy
• 1970: Greatest Hits (posthumous)
• 2001: The Complete Duets (compilation of United, You're All I Need, and Easy)

United was the first of three albums by Motown soul music duo Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell. ... Youre All I Need was a hit album for legendary soul music duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. ... Easy is an album released by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell on September 16, 1969 under the Tamla Records label. ...

Solo

• 1967: The Early Show (Wand LP, side A is by Tammi Terrell, side B is by Chuck Jackson)
• 1969: Irresistible

Singles

with Marvin Gaye

• 1967: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" #19 US
• 1967: "Your Precious Love" #5 US
• 1967: "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" #10 US, #41 UK
• 1968: "If This World Were Mine" #68 US
• 1968: "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" #8 US, #34 UK
• 1968: "You're All I Need to Get By" #7 US, #19 UK
• 1968: "Keep On Lovin' Me, Honey" #24 US
• 1969: "You Ain't Livin' Til' You're Lovin'" #21 UK
• 1969: "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By"* #30 US, #26 UK
• 1969: "What You Gave Me"* #49 US
• 1969: "The Onion Song"* #50 US, #9 UK
• 1970: "California Soul"* #56 US

(* - credited as Tammi Terrell, when lyrics were actually sang by Valerie Simpson) Aint No Mountain High Enough is an R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson in 1966. ... Your Precious Love was a 1967 hit by soul music legends Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. ... If I Could Build My Whole World Around You was a popular recording for American soul music legends Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell in 1968. ... If This World Were Mine was originally a 1968 release by soul legends Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. ... Aint Nothing Like the Real Thing was a 1968 hit for soul music legends Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. ... Youre All I Need to Get By was a 1968 hit for soul music legends Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. ... The Onion Song was a hit for soul singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1970, although it didnt feature Terrell on vocals. ...

Solo

• 1963: "I Cried" (as Tammi Montgomery) #99 US
• 1966: "I Can't Believe You Love Me" #72 US
• 1966: "Come On and See Me" #80 US
• 1969: "This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)" #67 US

See also

• List of notable brain tumor patients

Film legend Elizabeth Taylor is a long term meningioma survivor. ...

Further reading

• Montgomery, Ludie. My Sister Tommie: the Real Tammi Terrell (2005, ISBN 1-904408-16-8)
• Ritz, David. Divided Soul: the Life of Marvin Gaye (2003 edition, ISBN 0-306-81191-X)
• Whitall, Susan. For the Record: Women of Motown (1998, ISBN 0-380-79379-2)

External links

• Tammi Terrell at Internet Movie Database
• Tammi Terrell's Gravesite
• TammiTerrell.com (fan site)
• Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell