Teena Marie was first recognized as an R&B talent in the 1970s when she signed a recording deal with Motown at the tender age of 19.
Now, the self-proclaimed "Ivory Queen of Soul" is being recognized for a nearly 30-year career that has included collaborations with industry giants from Rick James to Smokey Robinson, as well as a Grammy-nominated solo repertoire.
Teena Marie is one of nine artists receiving a Pioneer Award from the Philadelphia-based Rhythm & Blues Foundation at a gala ceremony Tuesday night.
"I’m very, very excited," Marie said in a phone interview. "All my idols that I grew up on are going to be there."
The other honorees are Chaka Khan, Kool & The Gang, Bill Withers, The Whispers, The Funk Brothers, Donny Hathaway, Sugar Pie DeSanto and Al Bell. The awards were last given in 2006 by the R&B Foundation, which is dedicated to celebrating and preserving the genre, and to assisting artists in need.
Teena Marie, 52, has been a pioneer in more than one sense. Besides being a white woman in a mostly black genre, she also won a precedent-setting lawsuit against Motown in 1982.
But her robust, soulful voice is what put her on the R&B map – and what has kept her there for nearly three decades. Admirers also cite her versatility; some of her later work includes a pairing with hip-hop star Kurupt, and her songs have been sampled by artists including Ludacris and The Fugees.
"I guess you could really call her a true soul sister," said R&B Foundation chairman Kendall Minter.