Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, better known as
Tammi Terrell (April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970) was a
Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
-nominated
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer, most notable for her association with
MotownMotown Records was a group of record labels originally based in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. on January 12, 1959 as Tamla Records, the company was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of the words motor and town, is also a...
and her duets with
Marvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr., better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and instrumentalist with a three-octave vocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960...
. As a teenager she recorded for the
ScepterScepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
/
WandWand Records was started by Florence Greenberg in 1961 as a subsidiary of Scepter Records. In 1976 Florence Greenberg decided to retire from the business and sold her record labels to Springboard International. When Springboard went bankrupt, Gusto Records acquired the catalog.Artists on Wand...
, Try Me and
CheckerChecker Records was started in 1952 as a subsidiary of Chess Records. Like Cadet Records it stopped releasing records around 1971.Its most known artists include young Aretha Franklin, Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, J. B. Lenoir, Lowell Fulson, Little Milton, Arthur Crudup, Little Walter, Sonny Boy...
record labels. She signed with Motown in 1965 and enjoyed modest success as a solo singer. Once she was paired with Gaye in 1967, her stardom grew, but later that year she collapsed on stage into Gaye's arms during a performance.
Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, better known as
Tammi Terrell (April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970) was a
Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
-nominated
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer, most notable for her association with
MotownMotown Records was a group of record labels originally based in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. on January 12, 1959 as Tamla Records, the company was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of the words motor and town, is also a...
and her duets with
Marvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr., better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and instrumentalist with a three-octave vocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960...
. As a teenager she recorded for the
ScepterScepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
/
WandWand Records was started by Florence Greenberg in 1961 as a subsidiary of Scepter Records. In 1976 Florence Greenberg decided to retire from the business and sold her record labels to Springboard International. When Springboard went bankrupt, Gusto Records acquired the catalog.Artists on Wand...
, Try Me and
CheckerChecker Records was started in 1952 as a subsidiary of Chess Records. Like Cadet Records it stopped releasing records around 1971.Its most known artists include young Aretha Franklin, Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, J. B. Lenoir, Lowell Fulson, Little Milton, Arthur Crudup, Little Walter, Sonny Boy...
record labels. She signed with Motown in 1965 and enjoyed modest success as a solo singer. Once she was paired with Gaye in 1967, her stardom grew, but later that year she collapsed on stage into Gaye's arms during a performance. She was then diagnosed with a
brain tumorA brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells within the brain or inside the skull, which can be cancerous or non-cancerous .It is defined as any intracranial tumor created by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, normally either in the brain itself , in the cranial nerves...
which eventually led to her death at the age of 24.
Early years
Born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery in
Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-most-populous city in the United States.In 2008, the population of the city proper was estimated to be over 1.4 million, while the metropolitan area's population of 5.8 million made it the country's fifth-largest...
, she entered the music business at the age of 13, regularly performing live. In 1961 she was signed to the fledgling
Scepter RecordsScepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
(later
Wand RecordsWand Records was started by Florence Greenberg in 1961 as a subsidiary of Scepter Records. In 1976 Florence Greenberg decided to retire from the business and sold her record labels to Springboard International. When Springboard went bankrupt, Gusto Records acquired the catalog.Artists on Wand...
), recording under the name "Tammy Montgomery". After coming to the attention of
James BrownJames Joseph Brown , originally James Joseph Brown, Jr., also known as "The Godfather of Soul", was an American entertainer. He is recognized as one of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music and was renowned for his vocals and feverish dancing...
she recorded one single apiece for Brown's own Try Me record label and, in 1964,
Checker RecordsChecker Records was started in 1952 as a subsidiary of Chess Records. Like Cadet Records it stopped releasing records around 1971.Its most known artists include young Aretha Franklin, Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, J. B. Lenoir, Lowell Fulson, Little Milton, Arthur Crudup, Little Walter, Sonny Boy...
. The year after that, she was spotted by Berry Gordy Jr. while playing live, and signed to his Motown label.
Marvin Gaye & 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 GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr., better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and instrumentalist with a three-octave vocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960...
, producing hits with
Ashford & SimpsonNickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson are a successful husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists. They met at Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church in 1964...
written tunes such as "
Ain't No Mountain High Enough"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is an R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell for the Tamla label...
", "
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" is a 1968 single released by American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, on the Tamla label in 1968. The B-side of the single is Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl from the duo's "United" LP...
" and "
You're All I Need to Get By"You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" by Method Man and Mary J...
".
However, Terrell's success was to be short-lived. On October 14, 1967, while in concert at the
homecomingHomecoming is the tradition of welcoming back of former residents and alumni of an institution. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America. It usually includes activities for students and alumni, such as sports and culture events and a...
for
Hampden-Sydney CollegeHampden-Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia. Founded in 1775, Hampden-Sydney is the oldest private charter in the South, as well as the 17th oldest institution of higher education and one of only three four-year, all-men's liberal arts colleges in...
,
near Farmville, VirginiaFarmville is a town in Cumberland and Prince Edward counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 6,845 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County. The Appomattox River runs through the town....
. she collapsed on stage (in Gammon Gym) in Gaye's arms. She was rushed to the hospital, and she was later diagnosed with a
malignantMalignancy is the tendency of a medical condition, especially tumors to become progressively worse and to potentially result in death. It is characterized by the properties of anaplasia, invasiveness, and metastasis...
brain tumorA brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells within the brain or inside the skull, which can be cancerous or non-cancerous .It is defined as any intracranial tumor created by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, normally either in the brain itself , in the cranial nerves...
. From then on her health deteriorated. Gaye and Terrell's first duets album,
UnitedUnited is a studio album by soul musicians Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, released August 29, 1967 on the Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol produced all of the tracks on the album, with the exception of "You Got What It Takes" and "Oh How I'd Miss You"...
, contained two tracks which featured Gaye's vocals overdubbed onto previously recorded Terrell solo songs. The second,
You're All I NeedYou're All I Need is the second studio album by soul musicians Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, released in August of 1968 on Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records...
, relied upon the use of overdubs to complete the album, as Terrell had fallen ill; six of its 12 tracks were Terrell solo recordings overdubbed by Gaye to create duet tracks.
Gaye later told his biographer David Ritz that Terrell was no longer able to record and that
Valerie SimpsonNickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson are a successful husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists. They met at Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church in 1964...
recorded most of the female vocals on the final Gaye/Terrell duet album,
EasyEasy is an album released by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell on September 16, 1969 under the Tamla Records label. One song on the album, "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy To Come By", was a hit single and remains popular to this day. Terrell had been ill, suffering from complications caused by a brain tumor,...
. (Simpson and her husband, Nickolas Ashford, are quoted as denying this in a book written by Terrell's sister Ludie Montgomery.)
Death and aftermath
Terrell died from a brain tumor at the age of 24. Marvin Gaye reacted to her death by taking a four year hiatus from concert performance and went into self-isolation. In addition, Gaye's classic album
What's Going OnWhat's Going On is the tenth studio album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released May 21, 1971 on the Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1970 and March–May 1971 at Hitsville U.S.A., Golden World and United Sound Studios in Detroit, Michigan and...
, an introspective, low-key work which dealt with mature themes released in 1971, was in part a reaction to Terrell's death.
Discography
Albums
with Marvin Gaye
- 1967: United
United is a studio album by soul musicians Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, released August 29, 1967 on the Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol produced all of the tracks on the album, with the exception of "You Got What It Takes" and "Oh How I'd Miss You"...
- 1968: You're All I Need
You're All I Need is the second studio album by soul musicians Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, released in August of 1968 on Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records...
- 1969: Easy
Easy is an album released by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell on September 16, 1969 under the Tamla Records label. One song on the album, "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy To Come By", was a hit single and remains popular to this day. Terrell had been ill, suffering from complications caused by a brain tumor,...
- 1970: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's Greatest Hits
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's Greatest Hits is a 1970 compilation album released by Motown stars Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell on the Tamla label. A collection of the famed duo's recording material, mostly penned and produced by the songwriting-producing team of Ashford & Simpson except for two...
(posthumous)
- 2001: The Complete Duets
The Complete Duets is a two-disc compilation album of duet recordings by Motown Records artists Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, recorded between 1965 and 1969...
(compilation of United, You're All I Need, and Easy)
Solo
- 1967: The Early Show (Wand LP, side A is by Tammi Terrell, side B is by Chuck Jackson)
- 1969: Irresistible
Irresistible was the only solo album for Tammi Terrell, which was released in January 1969 by Motown Records. Due to complications with a malignant brain tumor in 1968 which caused her untimely death in March 1970, Terrell did not record a subsequent solo album; this album compiles solo recordings...
- 2001: The Essential Collection
The Essential Collection is a compilation album for Motown soul singer Tammi Terrell, released by Universal Music Group's Spectrum Music in the United Kingdom in 2001...
(posthumous)
with Marvin Gaye
- 1967: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is an R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell for the Tamla label...
" (#19 US)
- 1967: "Your Precious Love
"Your Precious Love" is a popular song that was a 1967 hit for Motown singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson and produced by Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol, the doo-wop styled recording features background vocals by Fuqua, Gaye, Terrell and Bristol,...
" (#5 US)
- 1967: "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You
"If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" is a popular song recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1967 and released in December 1967...
" (#10 US, #41 UK)
- 1968: "If This World Were Mine
"If This World Were Mine" is a 1967 song by soul music duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell from their album United. Written solely by Gaye, it was one of the few songs they recorded without Ashford & Simpson writing or producing...
" (b-side of "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You", #68 US)
- 1968: "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" is a 1968 single released by American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, on the Tamla label in 1968. The B-side of the single is Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl from the duo's "United" LP...
" (#8 US, #34 UK)
- 1968: "You're All I Need to Get By
"You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" by Method Man and Mary J...
" (#7 US, #19 UK)
- 1968: "Keep On Lovin' Me Honey
"Keep On Lovin' Me Honey" is a 1968 hit written and produced by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, and issued as a single on Motown Records' Tamla label by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell....
" (#24 US)
- 1969: "You Ain't Livin' Till You're Lovin'
"You Ain't Livin' till You're Lovin'" is a 1968 single released on the Tamla-Motown label by Motown vocal duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.The song gave the duo a boost in the UK where the single was released. Motown's stateside headquarters issued the song as the b-side to the hit "Keep On Lovin'...
" (#21 UK)
- 1969: "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By
"Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By" is a duet released in 1969 on the Tamla label by renowned singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.The first release off the duo's third album, Easy, it has been hugely debated whether or not an ailing Terrell, who was dying from a brain tumor, was on the track or...
" (#30 US, #26 UK)
- 1969: "What You Gave Me
"What You Gave Me" is a hit duet written and produced by Ashford & Simpson and issued as a single originally by the vocal duo of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1969 on the Tamla label....
"* (#49 US)
- 1969: "The Onion Song
"The Onion Song" was a hit for soul singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1970, although various sources reports that it didn't feature Terrell on vocals. According to Gaye and the song's writers Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, Terrell was so sick during the recording of the duo's third...
"* (#50 US, #9 UK)
- 1970: "California Soul
"California Soul" is a pop-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as a single by American pop quintet The 5th Dimension in late 1968...
"* (#56 US)
Solo
- 1961: "If You Seen Bill" (as Tammy Montgomery)
- 1962: "Voice of the Experience" (as Tammy Montgomery)
- 1963: "I Cried" (as Tammy Montgomery) (#99 US)
- 1964: "If I Would Marry You" (as Tammy Montgomery)
- 1966: "I Can't Believe You Love Me" (#72 US)
- 1966: "Come and See Me" (#80 US)
- 1969: "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)
"This Old Heart of Mine " was a successful hit single for The Isley Brothers in 1966 , during their brief tenure on Motown's Tamla label...
" #67 US
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