54-year-old soul singer Teena Marie has died unexpectedly in her sleep on Christmas night. Â There have been no reports yet as to what the cause of death was, but the police have said that they’ve ruled out foul play, and until the coroner comes back with the autopsy report, it’s unlikely we’ll know anything else.
Teena did have a seizure about a month ago, so it’s possible that there was something seriously wrong and she just wasn’t aware of the gravity of it. Â Teena became famous in the ’80s at a time when it was unusual for white girls to sing soul and R&B music. Â She worked closely with Rick James and he helped propel her to fame. Â Her family have not announced anything about the services, but it’s likely there will be a memorial sometime before the new year.