Tammi Terrell - a photo on Flickriver

Tammi Terrell

BIRTHDAY
April 29, 1945
BIRTHPLACE
Philadelphia, PA
DEATH DATE
Mar 16, 1970 (age 24)
BIRTH SIGN
Taurus

Today we celebrate the birthday of the late Tammi Terrell.
born April 29 , 1945.In her short career she captured the hearts of millions who loved her music and dynamic personality.Sadly we loss Tammy on March 16, 1970
We will never forget Tammi Terrell and our love for her
and her music will live on forever.

Tammi Terrell is best known as one of Motown’s great talents although her short life was full of tragedy. Romantic and physically abusive relationships with James Brown and David Ruffin may have cut short a career that included many classic duets with Marvin Gaye. Brain cancer took her life only a month before her twenty-fifth birthday.

Born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery on April 29, 1945, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to parents Thomas Montgomery and Jennie Montgomery, she was discovered at age fifteen by singer-songwriter-producer Luther Dixon. Under the name Tammy Montgomery, she recorded songs for Scepter/Want, Checker, and Try Me labels before hitting the road as a background singer for James Brown’s touring band. Many rumors swirled about Brown’s relationship with Montgomery. Suffering from severe migraines from the age of twelve led to speculation that these migraines and the repeated abuse from Brown and others were linked to the cancer that eventually killed her.

Montgomery briefly worked with Jerry Butler before Motown label founder Berry Gordy saw her sing and quickly signed her to his label on her twentieth birthday in 1965. Renamed Tammi Terrell by Berry Gordy, her career began to take off. She soon found herself as part of a Motown revue tour with The Temptations. Soon afterwards David Ruffin found his way into Terell’s life. Then a lead vocalist with The Temptations, Ruffin’s abuse of Terrell was nothing short of horrific with reports that he attacked her at different times with a hammer, a machete, and a motorcycle helmet.

In 1967, Terrell and Ruffin split, and she began her now-famous partnership with Marvin Gaye. Together, they recorded Ashford & Simpson’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” reaching No. 19 on the pop charts and No. 3 on the rhythm and bluescharts. They followed up their first hit with “Your Precious Love,” which hit No. 5 pop and No. 2 R&B.

Gaye and Terrell soon went on the road, gaining a following throughout the country. Later that year, Terrell fainted onstage, into the arms of Gaye, when a migraine became too painful to sustain. She was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. During this difficult time, she recorded classic hits such as “You’re All I Need To Get By” and “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing,” both of which reached No. 1 on R&B charts, as she continued to struggle through several brain surgeries.

In 1969, Terrell was forced to quit performing live as her tumor continued to grow. Her final appearance was at the Apollo Theatre in late 1969. Having lost her eyesight and a significant amount of weight, Terrell slipped into a coma and died on March 16, 1970. At the funeral, Marvin Gaye delivered the eulogy. He was the only Motown representative invited to attend the funeral, a clear indictment of Motown’s treatment of Terrell throughout the final stages of her short life.

If you go to If you go to UTUBE at :

A documentary on the late Tammi Terrell.

www.dailymotion.com/video/x6xpaio

A short talk with Tammi's voice with Emcee Scott Regan I
believe from 1967

Also at www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B8_KpREpKc

Tammi Terrell Live at Roostertail

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe7MamDDpGc

Unfortunately there is not much video footage on Tammi except
footage with her and Marvin Gaye singing.I'm hoping in the future
they will do a movie on her life and career.Till then let us
enjoy the beautiful memories of her music and keep her forever
in our hearts. God Bless and we will never forget Tammi Terrell

Also if you go to Amazon you find a great book her sister co- wrote on her life.The book still available published in 2005.
Reading this book you get a great insight on Tammi Terrell's
life ,her family written by her sister Ludie Montgomery.
I believe by reading this book readers will get a good idea what the young female motown singers had to endure dealing with the unscruplous producers,managers and physical abuse
from male stars of the day.Good example was the physical abuse Tammi endured from James Brown then David Ruffin
of the Temptations What is sad we idolize many of these male singers with books,movies,musicals but forget they were no
idols and thus many of the Motown female singers we forget.
I recommend reading books on Florence Ballard,Mary Wells,
Mary Wilson,Patti Labelle and others and you will see how the women singers of the era were never given the credit ,opportunity and record companies ripped them off along with abuse they suffered.

My Sister Tommie - The Real Tammi Terrell Hardcover – June 1, 2005
by Ludie Montgomery (Author), Vickie Wright (Author)

Taken on: April 29, 2019

Tags:

Tammi

Terrell

Philadelphia

Detroit

Montgomery

TammiTerrell

LudieMontgomery

tammimontgomery

thomasina

tammiterrellmarvingaye

marvingaye

marvin « less

Sets appears in: • Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye • Spring 2019

Groups appears in: • Photography • Portrait (real persons only) more » • Artistic Photography • Beautiful Light • Flickr Addicts • Happiness is.... • #flickr • NORTHERN SOUL • Creative Photography • Flickritis: over 87,000 waiting for a vaccine. • It Makes Me Smile • FlickrToday (only 1 pic per day) • Total Photography (No AI or SL) • "Make me smile" [Add only pictures with "smile" comments] • 60's 70's Vision & Change • Sweet Soul Music • HDR - Portraits • Beauty of Water • all photo • Beautiful Capture • Your Best Photography • Beautiful Smiles - WARNING - Smiles Are Contagious • Popular Photography Magazine • PHOTO SMILES - Photos That Make You SMILE! Post 1/Award 2 • 1960's Pop Culture • Spring and Summer Around the World ❀ • Wow! : ) • 60's Golden Age of Music • **The Street Photography Society** only 2 shots per week • Barrie Ontario: One more reason why I live here • Tamla Motown • Motown50 • The world of photography • Funk, Soul & Reggae posters • as beautiful as you want • amateurs unlimited • ★★★Shutter Bug - Tips & Tricks★★★ • A Smile is a wonderful thing • Creative Minds & Eyes • Street Photographer • DPExperience • FEMALE SINGERS (Naislaulajia) • Fstoppers • [][][]Nature.. Light and Color[][][] • PLANET EARTH BACK IN THE DAY • ·Sony·Nikon·Canon· • Digital SLR Photography Magazine • Aspiring Street Photographers • Flickr Amateurs • Anything You're Proud Of!! • ` FLICKR ´ • Thank You for the Music • flickr (unofficial) • Street Photography • flickr every day! • Amateurs - Anything you like! • Digital Photo Mag • !*ALL ARE WELCOME*! • Amateur Photographer Magazine • Portraits with soul • Flickr Community–Around the world • Flickr Social • flickr_explore • Today's Flickr • Best amateur shot • All beautiful photos are welcome! • flickr world wide • ~~~ Artistic Photography ~~~ • inspiriting immages • Smile of the day (GROUP CLOSED) • Do little things with great love • love of photography • Flickr Photo Unlimited (No People) • 60s & 70s Pop Music • ㋡ SMICKR = SmugMug + Flickr ㋡ « less

Stats: 5,043 views / 3 comments

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: