Tammi Terrell...
One spends alot of time on the internet doing useless things, and I'm sure this mini quiz on Facebook has no consequence on who I really am...
But I don't know why I was so flattered by the result. Motown's tragic angel (versus, say, being Florence Ballard, the wounded princess/queen ...or David Ruffin the self destructive prince).
But when I think of the Tammi Terrell songs that I love, from her work at Specter/Wand ( The hazily dreamy gothic 12/8 masterpiece "Sinners Devotion") through her unreleased pure gold like "All I Do is Think about You" There's a weird combination of elements in her voice
The playful giggle, the near perfect, almost Dinah Washington like nasally diction, the inordinate amount of sass and vulnerability, the striving for notes (mostly) out of her range...
I note that the two songs of hers that immediately sprung to my mind to mention were songs of hers that merge dark, moody emotions, with giddy glee...
...as if she was meant to be some kinda mystical voodoo creature in Pop culture. How could something so beautiful and young be mixed and mired in such tragedy.
So, thank you, random Facebook quiz, for aligning me with someone that blurs the lines between beauty and tragedy. I kinda like inhabiting that zone myself.
