After a suffering year long battle with colon cancer, R&B legend Teddy Pendergrass passed away yesterday at 59 years old.

Friends and family members told the Associated Press that the five time grammy nominated singer struggled to recover since his initial diagnosis.  He died at Bryn Mawr Hospital outside his native Philadelphia.

Pendergrass’ inherent ability to fight through his circumstances somewhat defined his career, in that he wouldn’t let anything prevent him from international stardom.

In 1982, with a brilliant career ahead of him, he was involved in a near fatal car accident.

The former lead singer of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes was hospitalized for six months and paralyzed from the waist down.

That, however, did not stop him from topping the charts for years. He had ten platinum albums in a row and scored memorable ditties such as “Joy,” “Love TKO,” “It Should Have Been You” and a plethora of others.

Let their promo pics tell it, Pretty Ricky as a collective, is soft.

You imagine their music to be the stale, overly produced mess that R&B has succumbed to in this not so artistic industry. Surprisingly, Pretty Ricky’s every day appearance and/or perceived promotional rep, doesn’t do their music or maturity justice. Their third and newest album, the self-titled Pretty Ricky, shows that, despite their over the top appearance, they’re as dedicated to putting out good music as they are to solidifying an eternal bond with their fans.

Though the day is overcast, cool and rainy, the guys are unexpectedly upbeat. Bearing the innocence of a fourteen year old boy, Spectacular looks up and announces, “I’m tired.” He then sighs before popping up from his chair to grab some food to join the others at a display tailor made just for them.

Given his recent decision to eliminate red meat from his diet, Diamond “Baby Blue” Smith makes his way from the chow line first, effectively prompting a domino effect, beginning with the newest member of the group, Emmanuel “Lingerie” Deanda. Corey “Slick’em” Mathis, easily the most visible with his bright gold teeth and long, flowing dreads, is next. Then, as if it were a predetermined move on all their parts, Spectacular joins the circle, his mood focused, friendly and charming.

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