From Diddy to Mark Ronson, Teen Marie's massive influence on R&B, and music in general, has been eulogised across the web
The holiday bells carried a smokey, doleful note for everyone who loved Teena Marie, the R&B legend who died on 26 December. Artists including Mary J Blige, Alicia Keys and Estelle mourned Marie's death in messages online, calling her "timeless" and inspiring".
"So sad," wrote Estelle on Twitter. "Teena created music that is timeless!" agreed Missy Elliott. "Songs sung with soul and conviction, a true LEGEND!" The Roots' ?uestlove spent hours tweeting comments about and tributes to Marie. "She was an amazing work of art," he wrote. The DJ drew particular attention to the Brockert Initiative, which takes its title from Teena Marie's real name; the Initiative was a landmark ruling for musical artists' rights. "[She was] a rare phoenix of a soul," he said. "A TRUE ARTIST."
British DJ and producer Mark Ronson hailed Marie as a "bona fide legend of R&B". "I must have spun her records over 5,000 times and will continue to," he wrote.
Keys celebrated one record in particular ? Fire and Desire ? "one of the most beautifully performed songs". "Once a beautiful song, always a beautiful song! Certain songs just have that 'THING'!" And Diddy, inevitably, made it all about himself. "RIP Teena Marie," he declared. "Damn I just saw her the other day."
Blige wrote at length about Marie, calling her a model and a muse. "[She] inspired me vocally as a child," she explained. "Her songs I sang in the mirror with a hair brush ... Every girl that grew up in the hood, with her blasting through the windows, cars and radio waves can feel me ... All of your music will live forever through me."
Unexpectedly, one of the most poignant tributes came from rocker Lenny Kravitz, who posted a simple, solemn eulogy video on Youtube.
"I've never really talked much about it in depth, but I would not be here ... if it wasn't for Teena," he confessed. "She took me in when I was around 16. I was just a musician on the street. I was living from pillar to post. She took me in. She gave me a bedroom. She fed me. She cooked for me. She took care of me. She gave me instruments to play. She took me to all her recording sessions. She took me to concerts. She nurtured me and helped me to become who I am. She changed my life not only as an artist but as a person.
"Teena Marie was a treasure, was a genius ? composer, arranger, singer, musician, unique [and] underrated by far," Kravitz continued. "I just want to send all my love and respect out to the family."
Marie was 54.
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