On this day in 1956, Mary Christine Brockert was born in Santa Monica, California. But you know her has "Lady Tee" and "The Ivory Queen Of Soul", Teena Marie.

Teena Marie was a natural born singer who began auditioning for acting and singing roles at the age of 8. Even after being discovered by Berry Gordy, her star didn't truly begin to shine until Rick James, who was tapped to produce for Diana Ross at time, chose to work with Marie instead. The rest, as they say is history as Teena with the help of James scored her first top-ten R&B hit "I'm a Sucker For Your Love".

Teena Marie would go on to record 3 albums for Motown including "It Must Be Magic" which featured her biggest R&B hit "Square Biz".

In 1984, Teena Marie her biggest selling album "StarChild" on Epic Records which featured her biggest hit overall "Lovergirl".

Teena Marie went on to release 4 more albums from 1986 to 1994 before going on a 14 year hiatus. She returned in 2004 with "I'm Still In Love" which helped propel her "La Dona" album into the Top 10. It was like she never left.

With her career re-ignited, Teena Marie began touring and recording more music including two more albums and a third she was in the middle of recording at the time of her death on December 26 2010. She was 54. We celebrate a long historic career on her birthday today.

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