Taazmayia “Taaz” Melanie Lang was a Philadelphia “it” lady within the Seventies who frolicked with stars like Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, and even her son’s mates, the Jackson 5, after they got here to city. By all accounts, she was well-loved and favored by everybody. Nonetheless, the previous beautician was shot down in her early 30s outdoors of her dwelling, and her homicide stays unsolved regardless of rumors that her former lover and consumer might need had one thing to do together with her dying.
The one-time spouse of former Philadelphia Eagles fullback Israel “Izzy” Lang was extra than simply standard and keen on hanging out with celebrities, she was a businesswoman who at one level was the supervisor of R&B legend Teddy Pendergrass.
Her profession as a music supervisor was short-lived, as she was gunned down a yr after changing into Pendergrass’ supervisor when he left the soul group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.
Pendergrass was initially a drummer for the group however was tapped to sing the lead on a lot of its largest songs. He believed he ought to have acquired the lion’s share of what the group was bringing in, however he was not. In style lore additionally suggests the rising intercourse image wished the group’s title to be modified to Teddy Pendergrass and the Blue Notes, and when it was not, he left the act in 1975.
That is when Taaz stepped in.
Taaz grew to become not simply the baritone’s supervisor however his enterprise accomplice, shaping his profession into one which rivaled these of Marvin Gaye, Al Inexperienced, and lots of different soulful singing intercourse symbols of the time. Underneath this association, Pendergrass reportedly gave Taaz roughly fifty shares in his Teddy Bear Manufacturing firm.
She would lend him $15,043.00, in keeping with courtroom papers, to assist launch his profession as a solo artist. Someplace round this time, Taaz grew to become his lover however broke it off after about two months.
Via her capability as a supervisor, she went to New York Metropolis on April 14, 1977, to tie up the final particulars of Pendergrass’ first tour after he launched his self-titled debut album earlier that yr.
When she returned to Philadelphia from the Massive Apple, she met Pendergrass and his band on their tour bus, which was scheduled to go away round 10 p.m. from Broad and Locust in Heart Metropolis. Their first journey was to a cease in Buffalo, New York.
Taaz didn’t go away with them and determined to return dwelling. She known as her mom, Eva Ritter, and stated, “I’ve received one thing to let you know, however I can’t let you know what it’s till I get there.” That will be the very last thing she stated to her mom.
The Unsolved Homicide of a Rising Music Govt
When Taaz arrived at her Mt. Ethereal dwelling, whereas on the entrance door to get in, somebody shot her from what authorities recommend was 15 ft away, sending a bullet into her left arm. The bullet traveled by means of her arm after which into her chest, killing her instantly. She died on the age of 33.
Instantly, whispers have been suggesting that there had been a success on her. On the time, there was hypothesis that Pendergrass was displeased with how his administration contract favored Taaz and that she refused to renegotiate the phrases. Rumors that the soul singer was linked to native gangsters additionally began to drift.
Investigators from the Philadelphia Police Division said that the one who killed her most likely didn’t anticipate the bullet that went into her arm and traveled to her coronary heart to be deadly. In addition they imagine that the particular person should have been hiding within the bushes close to her dwelling.
Detective Edward Hughes stated on the time, “If somebody was set to kill her, it wasn’t an actual skilled job. If the bullet doesn’t undergo her arm, all she has is a critical arm damage. However something’s attainable, and I wouldn’t be stunned if somebody had been despatched there to scare her.”
Luminaries of all types attended her funeral on the Second Macedonia Baptist Church to say their last farewells. Lola Falana learn a poem in her honor. Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff have been in additionally attendance, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson eulogized her. Taaz was laid to relaxation at Chelten Hills Cemetery.
Police say that nobody from Philadelphia Worldwide Data cooperated with them whereas they have been making an attempt to piece collectively the homicide.
Watchin a Showtime doc “Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me” & whew shit. He was *proper* on the cusp of being large, had whole package deal of voice & intercourse enchantment. However that Taaz Lang homicide & minimize brake traces on a number of automobiles & no brakes on the one he crashed?? 👀 tragic story
— Pippi Loansgotme (@mutual_feelings) February 20, 2019
The Regret of the Final One to See Her Alive
One music business linked to the homicide was Jo-Jo Tynes, an worker of Teddy Bear Productions. He was reportedly with Taazz when she was shot, serving to her out of her automotive round 11:30 p.m. after they left Pendergrass and the band on the tour bus.
Based on studies, Tynes walked her to her door however turned to get one thing out of the trunk of Pendergrass’ Mercedes. He would say he didn’t see the shooter and couldn’t get to her earlier than she died.
Tynes’ fiancée, Kim Oliver, stated after he died in 2013 that Taaz’s dying bothered him to the tip.
“The police questioned Jo-Jo, however he was as baffled as everyone over what had occurred. It all the time bothered him,” she stated in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Folks additionally thought that he might need had one thing to do with the homicide as a result of he was there and noticed nothing. Some folks suspected Pendergrass of being concerned together with his dying.
‘By no means Gotten Over Her Homicide,’ Pendergrass Mentioned of Her Demise
The “TKO” singer denied any connection to the taking pictures and spoke about discovering out about her dying in his autobiography, “Really Blessed.”
He wrote, “Taaz was tending to enterprise however returned to Philly in time to say goodbye earlier than I left. We promised to speak the subsequent day.”
“As the remainder of the entourage checked into the lodge, a desk clerk stated, ‘Mr. Pendergrass, you have got an pressing message from Philadelphia.’ I dialed the quantity and was knowledgeable that Taaz had been murdered. I used to be in shock,” he continued.
“I’ve by no means gotten over her homicide,” the singer confessed. Pendergrass, who grew to become paralyzed from the waist down following a single-car crash 4 years after Taaz’s dying in 1982, died in 2010.
Ritter Vs. Pendergrass
In 1986, Taaz’s property sued Pendergrass, alleging he had by no means paid them royalties owed them based mostly on a 1976 contract he signed.
Aug. 1 of that yr, he signed an settlement for one yr with choices for renewal for 3 further one-year intervals. Inside that month, the singer entered into a distinct contract with Assorted Music Co., Inc. that was speculated to final till Oct. 3, 1978, with choices for renewal. It additionally stipulated that Assorted would pay royalties to Pendergrass for all recordings produced and bought by them.
On Sept. 17, 1976, Pendergrass, Taaz, and Assorted purportedly entered an settlement the place Assorted would immediately pay Taaz 10 % of all royalties owed to Pendergrass below their settlement. Moreover, Assorted was instructed to supply the supervisor with copies of the royalty statements given to Pendergrass.
Taaz’s mom believed that she ought to have acquired 10 % of his royalties, although her daughter was useless, as a result of she oversaw her property, in keeping with the Ritter vs. Pendergrass lawsuit.
The courts would dismiss claims made by the property, solely permitting them to go to trial a declare that he owed $15,000 that he borrowed — which might go to her inheritor.
Her then-8-year-old son, Izzy Jr., was left as her sole inheritor and beneficiary.
No arrests have ever been made within the younger lady’s homicide, and regardless of all the preventing over cash, Pendergrass died with solely $100,000 in his checking account.
Totally different relations spent nearly years in courtroom disputing rights to his property, together with his dwelling and useful music catalog. Nonetheless, amidst the preventing, his mansion went into foreclosures, and so they misplaced his property.
