#7- 10 White Singers We Once Thought Were Black

Teena Marie

Now you know we could not run this list without including Lady Tee!? The late singer was probably one of the first singers out there to confuse the listening public with her soulful, powerhouse voice back when she made her debut. It was also probably because when she first came out, her debut album, Wild and Peaceful, didn’t have her picture on it, and her hit song, “I’m Just a Sucker For Your Love” placed on the “Black Singles Chart” (no such thing now). Black or white though, Marie’s voice was one of a kind. “Square Biz” is my ish by the way!

Mary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, (March 5, 1956 – December 26, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter and producer. She was known as Tina^[1] before taking the stage name Teena Marie, then she later acquired the nickname of Lady Tee (sometimes spelled as Lady T), given to her by collaborator and friend, Rick James.

She was known for her distinctive soulful vocals which initially caused many listeners to believe she was African-American. Her success in R&B and soul and loyalty to these genres would earn her the title Ivory Queen of Soul. She played rhythm guitar, keyboards and congas. She also wrote, produced, sang and arranged virtually all of her songs since her 1980 release, Irons in the Fire, which she later said was her favorite album.