Taazmayia “Taaz” Melanie Lang was a Philadelphia “it” woman within the Seventies who frolicked with stars like Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, and even her son’s buddies, the Jackson 5, once 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 shopper might need had one thing to do together with her loss of life.
The one-time spouse of former Philadelphia Eagles fullback Israel “Izzy” Lang was extra than simply widespread 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 lots of its greatest songs. He believed he ought to have obtained 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 turned not simply the baritone’s supervisor however his enterprise companion, shaping his profession into one which rivaled these of Marvin Gaye, Al Inexperienced, and plenty of different soulful singing intercourse symbols of the time. Beneath this association, Pendergrass reportedly gave Taaz roughly fifty shares in his Teddy Bear Manufacturing firm.
She would lend him $15,043.00, in response to court docket papers, to assist launch his profession as a solo artist. Someplace round this time, Taaz turned his lover however broke it off after about two months.
By way of 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 Huge Apple, she met Pendergrass and his band on their tour bus, which was scheduled to depart round 10 p.m. from Broad and Locust in Middle 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 mentioned, “I’ve obtained one thing to inform you, however I can’t inform you what it’s till I get there.” That may be the very last thing she mentioned to her mom.
The Unsolved Homicide of a Rising Music Government
When Taaz arrived at her Mt. Ethereal dwelling, whereas on the entrance door to get in, somebody shot her from what authorities counsel was 15 ft away, sending a bullet into her left arm. The bullet traveled by way of her arm after which into her chest, killing her instantly. She died on the age of 33.
Instantly, whispers had 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 that killed her in all probability didn’t count on the bullet that went into her arm and traveled to her coronary heart to be deadly. In addition they consider that the particular person should have been hiding within the bushes close to her dwelling.
Detective Edward Hughes mentioned 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 harm. However something’s attainable, and I wouldn’t be stunned if somebody had been despatched there to scare her.”
Luminaries of every kind attended her funeral on the Second Macedonia Baptist Church to say their remaining farewells. Lola Falana learn a poem in her honor. Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff had 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 Information cooperated with them whereas they had been attempting 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 bundle of voice & intercourse enchantment. However that Taaz Lang homicide & minimize brake traces on a number of vehicles & 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.
In accordance with 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, mentioned after he died in 2013 that Taaz’s loss of life bothered him to the top.
“The police questioned Jo-Jo, however he was as baffled as all people over what had occurred. It at all times bothered him,” she mentioned 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 individuals suspected Pendergrass of being concerned together with his loss of life.
‘By no means Gotten Over Her Homicide,’ Pendergrass Stated of Her Loss of life
The “TKO” singer denied any connection to the capturing and spoke about discovering out about her loss of life in his autobiography, “Actually 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 resort, a desk clerk mentioned, ‘Mr. Pendergrass, you’ve gotten 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 turned paralyzed from the waist down following a single-car crash 4 years after Taaz’s loss of life 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 extra one-year intervals. Inside that month, the singer entered into a special contract with Assorted Music Co., Inc. that was purported 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 straight pay Taaz 10 % of all royalties owed to Pendergrass beneath 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 obtained 10 % of his royalties, although her daughter was useless, as a result of she oversaw her property, in response to 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 girl’s homicide, and regardless of the entire combating over cash, Pendergrass died with solely $100,000 in his checking account.
Totally different members of the family spent nearly years in court docket disputing rights to his property, together with his dwelling and invaluable music catalog. Nevertheless, amidst the combating, his mansion went into foreclosures, they usually misplaced his property.
