Teddy Pendergrass was an indisputable soul legend when he made his Elektra/Asylum debut in 1984. The former Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes lead vocalist and chart-topping solo superstar’s career had been stalled by a 1982 car accident, in which he suffered permanent paralysis from the waist down. After intensive physical therapy, he signed with Asylum and returned with the triumphant “LOVE LANGUAGE.” The album – which included the top 10 AC hit single, “Hold Me,” with vocals from a young Whitney Houston – was later featured prominently as the evocative soundtrack to Alan Rudolph’s 1984 film, Choose Me.

“JOY,” released in 1988, reached #2 on Billboard’s “Top R&B Albums” chart – his highest placing since “TEDDY” in 1979 – with two top 3 R&B hits in “2 A.M.” and the stirring title track. “Joy” proved a #1 smash, Teddy’s first solo chart-topper in a decade.

Pendergrass scored his third career R&B #1 with 1991’s “It Should Have Been You,” featured on his 11th studio album, “TRULY BLESSED.” Teddy’s third and final Elektra release, 1993’s “A LITTLE MORE MAGIC,” saw the singer collaborating with fellow stars like Barry White and labelmate Gerald Levert.

Teddy Pendergrass retired from the music business in 2006. Sadly, he passed away three years later following surgery for colon cancer.

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Even their name is unique.

But that’s not the only thing that sets Pretty Ricky apart from the rest of the pack.

From their configuration – one singer and three rappers – to their image –
handsome, young and sexy – Pretty Ricky has been in a league all its own since
they first hit the scene in 2005 with “Grind With Me,” the smash single from their
platinum debut CD, “Bluestars.” Says member and resident producer Diamond
Blue Smith, “In a time where record labels are generically making bands on
reality shows, Pretty Ricky is the last of a dying breed.”

With a sound that is one part hip hop, one part R&B, Pretty Ricky practically
invented and single-handedly mastered the art of combining melodies,
harmonies and dope raps. They took their signature sound and injected it into
a predominantly hip-hop marketplace during a time when crunk music ruled the
airwaves. The result was the birth of an exciting twist on both genres that would
be imitated – but never duplicated – by their successors.

Adoration for Pretty Ricky caught on early. Their debut CD spawned two of their
three top ten hits and set the stage for their sophomore CD “Late Night Special,”
which topped the charts and owned the number one spot for five consecutive
weeks. Pretty Ricky mania erupted as reports of fanatical fans fainting at
concerts and standing in interminable lines at record stores ran rampant. Atlantic
Records COO Craig Kallman likened it to Beatle-mania.

As a group, Pretty Ricky is known for their sexy, sensual (borderline raunchy)
music and stage shows. But there’s much more to these Miami natives, known
individually as Diamond, Spectacular, Lingerie and Slick’em, than meets the eye.
It’s safe to say these guys really do mean business. Julie Greenwald, president
of Atlantic Records, once proclaimed, “Diamond Blue is the new Puffy in the
making.” (Diddy himself referred to the band as “the new Jodeci.”)

These music impresarios know that Pretty Ricky have all the traits that
superstars are made of: business sense, vocal innovation, showmanship and, of
course, dynamic personalities. Says Diamond, “The various personalities of each
individual member is what gives the band diversity. Spectacular brings the sex-
appeal, Slickadelaphante brings out the wild and crazy side of the band, Lingerie
provides the charismatic, R&B, sultry side and I’m the business man; collectively,

We are the Kings of the Bedroom!”

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