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By Tom Eames
Tammi Terrell was one of the most popular singers of Motown's early hit factory in the 1960s, particularly with her duet partner and close friend Marvin Gaye.
However, Tammi is arguably forgotten in comparison to other Motown stars such as Diana Ross and Gladys Knight, largely down to her untimely death at the age of 24 in 1970.
https://www.smoothradio.com/news/mus...-children-age/
Bit sceptical about one or two things in this. So her mother banned everyone from Motown from her funeral apart from Marvin. Why? It seems unlikely everyone should have been on the banned list. What about her close friends at Motown?
Ludie thought the label didn't protect her from David.
I never think that Tammi is forgotten in any way. I think she has a very special place in both Motown's history and the music industry generally. The results of her recording sessions with Marvin have a certain something that has never been surpassed. I think it is highly likely it never will be.
There was an article in the Philadelphia Bulletin that listed Smokey as being at the funeral as well.
Don't want to dispute this statement, however, if you read the one and only book published by a family member, My Sister Tommie by Ludie Montgomery and Vicki Wright it is stated as follows: ". . . PROLOGUE . . . There were many more flowers for Tommie than the eye could see. Tommie had so many friends. The presence of Motown was everywhere. There were so many Motown artists in attendance, and for the ones who were not in attendance, there were flowers from all of them too. . . ."Quote:
Originally Posted by soulwally
A lot of the stuff in the article posted above seems to come from the Tammi UNSUNG episode. In it, her fiance says that Tammi's mother lashed out at Motown who she blamed for not protecting her daughter. She said that Marvin can come to the funeral, but the rest of Motown can not come. That segment starts at about 35:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXdKFPA8YAM
Someone mentioned most of the then current Temptations being there but Ruffin was a no show.Quote:
Originally Posted by woodward
Milven I found an old newspaper article with a photo of Smokey etc at the funeral, RandyQuote:
Originally Posted by milven
Marvin was really really sad especially after Tammi's death. I went home after delivering the newspaper and told my Mom that Marvin wasn't hardly talking at all; my Mom told me that he was probably sad about Tammi. I did not put two and two together at that time. After a while he kind of perked up and began conversing with me again, but it still wasn't the same. I don't think he was the same Marvin until the What's Going On era, that's when he had the Detroit Lions coming over and we would play football in his front yard.
Marvin himself stated that he took tammi's death very hard.
I wonder just exactly why Tammi's death impacted Marvin so much. Obviously the lady was very important to him, but there seems to have been an 'extra' connection. Do I remember reading/hearing that Marvin considered Tammi a sort of 'little sister'?