Theodore DeReese Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American soul and R&B singer and songwriter. Born in Kingstree, South Carolina, he spent most of his life in the Philadelphia area. Pendergrass first gained prominence as the lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes before embarking on a solo career in 1976 under the Philadelphia International label, releasing five consecutive platinum albums. In March 1982, he was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down.
