Introducing : Black True Crime Podcast | Teddy Pendergrass & The Murder of Taaz Lang (Network Drop)

Summary

Laugh with Me – Introducing: Black True Crime Podcast | Teddy Pendergrass & The Murder of Taaz Lang
iHeartPodcasts | June 30, 2026

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Episode Overview

This special crossover episode of "Laugh with Me" introduces listeners to the "Black True Crime Podcast," hosted by Kayla and Nikki. The central theme is an exploration of the life, career, and controversies surrounding legendary R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, with a true-crime deep dive into the 1977 murder of his manager, Taz (Tasmaya Melanie) Lang. The episode weaves together music history, speculation, humor, and culture with a candid mother-daughter dynamic, offering context, theories, and memorable debate on one of music’s lingering mysteries.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Teddy Pendergrass’s Upbringing & Rise to Fame

• Background: Born March 26, 1950, in South Carolina, moved to Philadelphia as a child (04:48).
  • “Teddy's mama kept him in the church... seven days a week… this is where he learned how to not only sing, but also play the drums.” — Kayla (05:13)
  • Ordained minister at age 10; inspired to pursue music after seeing Jackie Wilson perform (06:08, 06:19).
• Music Career Start: Dropped out in high school to focus on music; played at the Uptown Theater, absorbing soul, R&B, and jazz influences (07:31).
• Breakout with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes:
  • Initially joined as drummer, but quickly promoted to lead singer after being recognized for his talent and appeal (08:56).
  • “Mom, I'm telling you, it's the open shirt with the chest out and all them chains hanging.” — Nikki (09:04)
• Solo Stardom:
  • Left the Blue Notes following conflict; his debut solo album ("Teddy Pendergrass," 1977) hit #5 on the Billboard R&B charts (11:25).
  • Signature hits: “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “Turn Off the Lights,” and more (10:00, 13:30).
  • Developed a reputation for his women-only shows and irresistible sex appeal (13:02, 13:47).
  • “He was described as being simply irresistible.” — Kayla (13:47)
  • Nicknamed "Black Elvis," became the first Black singer with five consecutive platinum records (16:24).

2. The 1982 Accident

• Circumstances of the Crash (21:26-23:19):
  • While driving his Rolls Royce in Philly, Teddy’s car lost power steering and crashed, paralyzing him from the chest down.
  • “Thank the Lord. But the accident did a number on Teddy's mental health. And he said he was down so bad that he thought about committing suicide.” — Kayla (24:55)
• Speculation About Sabotage (28:50):
  • Later checks found some of Teddy’s other cars had tampered brake lines.
  • Theories: Retaliation due to Teddy’s lawsuit against the Philly Police Department, or ties to the Philadelphia Black Mafia (29:23, 29:39, 30:23).

3. The Murder of Taz Lang

• Who Was Taz?
  • Tasmaya Melanie Lang: Philly native, well-connected socialite, owned a popular beauty salon, former wife of NFL player Israel Lang (34:06).
  • “She was really cute and she was one of the it-girls in the ’70s… everyone who was anyone got their hair done by Taz.” — Kayla (34:06)
  • Managed Teddy’s solo career after he left the Blue Notes, earning shares in his production company and a cut of his deals (36:16).
• Relationship with Teddy:
  • Dated briefly while managing his career; business and personal boundaries blurred (36:41).
  • “She gave him money out of her own pocket, like $15,000 when he first left the group to help his solo career get started.” — Kayla (36:54)
• The Murder (37:33–38:44):
  • April 14, 1977: After visiting Teddy’s tour bus, Taz called her mom with, “I’ve got something to tell you, but I can’t tell you what it is until I get there.” She was shot outside her house before she could share her secret.
  • “Who knew when she was getting off that bus… and was waiting for her?” — Kayla (38:07)
  • “She was rushed to Germantown Hospital, but she was pronounced dead at 11:42pm… it just hit her heart and she was gone.” — Kayla (38:52)
• Theories & Suspects:
  • Many believed the Philadelphia Black Mafia was involved, potentially over money and control (39:17).
  • Rumors suggest Teddy wanted out of his contract and considered having Taz “taken out.” Multiple witnesses claimed Teddy was frustrated, but he denied any direct involvement (39:50–41:08).
  • "He even was quoted to have said in an interview, 'I'm not about to have any lady who's going to run me down and say, I've got to report to her where I'm at... Any woman that's messing with me better get with the program or get gone.'" — Kayla quoting Teddy (40:19)
  • After her death, Teddy reportedly received threats that similar harm could befall him—which adds weight to his accident potentially being targeted (41:08).

4. Conspiracies & Enduring Mysteries

• Ongoing Unsolved Case:
  • "To this day, no one has ever been charged with the murder of Taz… and it’s still an unsolved case." — Kayla (47:30)
  • The hosts speculate about possible betrayal by men in Taz’s life, a set-up stemming from someone with inside knowledge of her movements (48:43).
  • “I wonder what she wanted to tell her mama… and I know her mama wondered until the day she died.” — Nikki (49:03)

5. Teddy’s Legacy & Cultural Impact

• Career Resilience:
  • Despite his paralysis, Teddy recorded six more albums, four of which went gold (27:29).
  • Founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance to support others with spinal cord injuries (28:19).
  • Died in 2010 from colon cancer, loved by fans globally (27:57).
• Complex Personal Life:
  • Teddy’s womanizing and substance use made for enemies and scandals (45:32).
  • Shared stories: Teddy’s encounters with famous women, wild sex/drug parties, connections to dangerous individuals (45:40–46:44).
• Reflections on Gender & Power:
  • “If a man was making that much off of another man, he wouldn't bat the eye… but because she was a woman… she was more threatening.” — Kayla (49:28)
  • The murder is seen as emblematic of the risks successful, assertive women faced in that era and industry.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the allure of Teddy:
  • “It was the voice. They should have named him The Voice. They named Whitney The Voice. They should name him Mr. The Voice because he was sexy.” — Nikki (14:26)
• Comic Relief:
  • “Mom, you're out of ten. I need you out of six.” — Kayla addressing Nikki’s enthusiastic singing (10:25)
• On the sabotaged cars:
  • “Some of them had their brake lines cut and had been vandalized.” — Kayla (29:00)
  • “I told you… I may not know a lot, but I know a lot.” — Nikki (29:04)
• On Taz’s fate:
  • “She was a mother, too. Like, oh, my God. Walking into her house, you'd never think…” — Kayla (39:09)
• Speculation on betrayals:
  • “Somebody called and snitched because no one else would have known what time she was getting home.” — Nikki (48:43)
• Gender power play:
  • “Because she was a woman… she was more threatening.” — Kayla (49:28)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:01–09:48] – Teddy's childhood, musical influences, and early career with the Blue Notes
• [11:25–16:24] – Solo breakthrough, iconic albums, and cultural impact (“Black Elvis,” platinum records)
• [21:26–24:55] – The 1982 car accident: details, aftermath, and speculation
• [28:50–30:23] – Revelations: evidence of tampered vehicles, police and Black Mafia conspiracy theories
• [34:06–37:33] – Portrait of Taz Lang: career, connections, and partnership with Teddy
• [37:33–38:44] – The night of Taz’s murder
• [39:17–41:08] – Suspects, potential motives, and Teddy’s complicated ties
• [47:30–49:01] – The unsolved status of Taz’s case and continuing mysteries

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Overall Tone & Style

Blending true crime and music history with personal banter and sharp commentary, Kayla and Nikki use humor ("Mom, you're out of ten. I need you out of six."), frankness, and empathy throughout. While they entertain speculative theories, their engagement with the facts and their own familial rapport make the retelling vibrant and accessible.

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For Further Listening

• Fans of true crime, R&B history, or deep-cut pop culture will find this episode engaging and informative, with both humor and respectful intrigue for a still-unresolved tragedy in Black entertainment history.
• Listeners are encouraged to share their knowledge and theories, as the case remains unsolved and the mystery endures.

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Transcript

[Tony Ayo]

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[Kayla]

There's a fire inside you you can't ignore. Stand still. Not a chance. You're a lifelong learner who's come this far. Now we are here to help you keep going further. Capella University what can't you do? Visit Capella. Edu to learn more. A burst pipe? A dead water heater? The AC calling it quits? Who do you call? HomeServe is an easy way to handle unexpected home repairs with plans covering stuff basic homeowners insurance usually won't. Instead of scrambling for a contractor, you make one call to get repair process started. Join the millions of customers who trust HomeServe right now. Go to HomeServe.com podcast for 50% less your first year. That's HomeServe.com podcast savings compared to renewal

[Amy Ehrich]

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[Kayla]

Black True Crime is a podcast that researches and discusses murders committed by black offenders. It is a podcast that anyone and everyone is welcome to enjoy, but it may not be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. So listener discretion is advised. Now, without further ado, this is Black True Crime. Do not go gentle into that good night. Hello everyone. Hi friends. I'm Kayla.

[Nikki]

And I'm Nikki. And this is Black True Crime all day long.

[Kayla]

And if this is your first time here at the show, friend, welcome. And hello.

[Nikki]

Come on in. Have a sit down. We got something to tell you.

[Kayla]

Yes, we do. From what's on the screen already, mom was like, is that who I think it is?

[Nikki]

And I said, yes, it is tp.

[Kayla]

It's TP Chair and not toilet paper

[Nikki]

and not Tyler Perry and not Turning Point.

[Kayla]

It is Teddy Pendergrass.

[Nikki]

Teddy Pendergrass, you already know from the

[Kayla]

title that we gonna get into some things.

[Nikki]

Oh, Teddy, I can't right now. Remember none of your song. I want to say if only for one night, but I think that's Luther.

[Kayla]

Might be Luther, but I'm gonna name some in a few.

[Nikki]

Okay? All right.

[Kayla]

So let's just dive right in. Okay, mom, are you ready?

[Nikki]

I'm ready, Kayla. I had two weeks off from all this drama, so I am ready.

[Kayla]

She's in need of some. Okay, let's get started. Teddi Pendergrass was a legendary singer and songwriter from the 60s and 70s that attracted the attention of women worldwide. But when one of the closest women to him is murdered and then he suffers a near fatal accident years later, are people wrong to suggest that the two may be connected closest to him?

[Nikki]

Was this his mommy?

[Kayla]

One of the closest moms? Stop asking questions during the intro.

[Nikki]

Oh, he's still introducing. Sorry.

[Kayla]

Join us as we discuss Teddy Pendergrass and the murder of Taz Lang.

[Nikki]

Who?

[Kayla]

Taz Lang.

[Nikki]

Taz Lang. That's her name.

[Kayla]

Taz. Language.

[Nikki]

Okay, Taz Lane. I like that name.

[Kayla]

Now you're gonna behave. No, stay focused.

[Nikki]

At least I try.

[Kayla]

Okay. Theodore De Reiss Pendergrass Jr. Wasn't that.

[Nikki]

I know.

[Kayla]

She heard me the first time. Was born in March 26, 1950, in King Street, South Carolina.

[Nikki]

All right, South Carolina.

[Kayla]

Uh huh. But he moved to Philly with his mother Ida when he was still a baby.

[Nikki]

Yeah, that's what we know. Teddy from Philly.

[Kayla]

Oh, that's what you knew? Oh, okay. His daddy had skipped out on them when he was super young, so Teddy didn't even get to meet his dad until he was about 11 years old.

[Nikki]

Deadbeat.

[Kayla]

And to be named after a deadbeat is even worse. Teddy's mama kept him in the church. And should I read that she had Teddy at the church seven days a week. And this is where he learned how to not only sing, but also play the drums.

[Nikki]

All right, Teddy, you must have been Pentecostal, girl.

[Kayla]

You know, he was giving Baptist baptism.

[Nikki]

Go to church seven days a week.

[Kayla]

Well, she. He was in the church. I don't know if they. You know, he was actually having church, but he was there.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Kayla]

I also read that his mother gave him a drum set, and he taught himself how to play, like. But either way, Teddy was very musically inclined.

[Nikki]

I love it.

[Kayla]

And it all started at the cute little baby age of two.

[Nikki]

Oh, my. Bubby got a drum set. I'm gonna set it up in there.

[Kayla]

Oh, yeah. Did you buy that for him?

[Nikki]

No. Kristen did.

[Kayla]

Kristen did Mrs. Smith shout out to Preston, Mrs. Smith, I'm exhausted by you already, Mom.

[Nikki]

Oh. So I'll get over. Come on.

[Kayla]

Okay. Where were we? Okay. And by the age of 10, he was an ordained minister, literally at the pulpit, preaching.

[Nikki]

Go ahead, Teddy.

[Kayla]

And he said, although he kind of always knew he would be, like, involved in music somehow for the rest of his life, it wasn't truly confirmed for him until he saw Jackie Wilson perform.

[Nikki]

Jackie Wilson.

[Kayla]

I don't know who that is.

[Nikki]

Me either.

[Kayla]

And that's all right.

[Nikki]

But I remember their name now. 60s and 70s. I was only a child that time, so I'm just hearing the music through my mom.

[Kayla]

So, yes, 70s. You were. You were born 74, so you was just a baby. Tail end of it. In a 1995 interview, he said, quote, I always knew that I wanted to be in show business, but it was confirmed for me when I was about 13 and saw Jackie Wilson on stage. I saw the way he worked on stage. That, for me, was it, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

[Nikki]

He was an entertainer, huh?

[Kayla]

Oh, yeah.

[Nikki]

Probably sexy, too, because Jackie Wilson was an entertainer.

[Kayla]

Jackie Wilson, he was an entertainer, Mom. He said he saw him in concert.

[Nikki]

You said on stage.

[Kayla]

Same thing. Who else is on stage?

[Nikki]

A lot of people on stage.

[Kayla]

And they're all entertainers.

[C.J. Toledon]

Yes, they are.

[Nikki]

Yes. They may not entertain you. Okay.

[Kayla]

So when he was just a junior in high school, he decided to drop out and spend all of his time working on his music. You weren't preaching no more? No, he kind of like I was. That's the next part. I was just gonna say, because, yes, Teddy still loved the gospel, like, soul music he grew up on, but he was also drawn to R B. Most of them are Whitney and. Yeah. And found himself at the Uptown Theater quite often. Okay, so I know a lot of you don't know about the Uptown Theater. I didn't know about it until this case, but it was a theater in Philly known For hosting legendary soul R and B and jazz musicians like the Supremes, James Brown.

[Nikki]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

Stevie won.

[Nikki]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

They'd have amateur nights and comedy nights. So it was just like the place to be during that time.

[Nikki]

It really was hot to trot.

[Kayla]

And Teddy found even more musical influences in people like Otis Redding. Oh, yeah. And Nat King Cole.

[Nikki]

Oh, old school.

[Kayla]

I think we talked about that on

[Nikki]

the show we have before.

[Kayla]

And even a little bit of, you know, Frank Sinatra.

[Nikki]

So classy.

[Kayla]

Very like Sexy Singers. In 1969, when Teddy was just 19 years old, he joined his first ever group. And it was a vocal group called Harold Melvin and the blue Notes. Have you ever heard of them?

[Nikki]

No, but I wouldn't went with that name.

[Kayla]

So he joined the group as their drummer.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Kayla]

But he quickly graduated to lead vocalist after the group heard him saying. And how the women were just all over.

[Nikki]

Mom, I'm telling you, it's the open shirt with the chest out and all them chains hanging.

[Kayla]

Well, it is. He is a looker. I think he's handsome. He was outside.

[Nikki]

I don't know, but he was outside.

[Kayla]

Handsome man.

[Nikki]

Line up that. Line up a little bit more and that's all right.

[Kayla]

You know, a little rugged ain't hurt nobody. Nice teeth.

[Nikki]

As long as he got nice, nice teeth. They do.

[Kayla]

They're a little crooked, but that's fine.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Kayla]

So he became the lead singer, which obviously did not sit well with Harold, who was the least. So of course there was a lot of fighting between those two, which led to 26 year old Teddy leaving the group in 1975.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Kayla]

But while the group was together, they secured a contract with Philadelphia international Records and went on to release bangers like the 1972 hit, if you don't know me by now.

[Nikki]

Yeah, there you go. If you don't know me by now.

[Kayla]

There you go.

[Nikki]

You will never ever get to know me,

[Kayla]

y'.

[Nikki]

All, mom knows she cannot say.

[Kayla]

So her thing on the show means she was feeling it.

[Nikki]

That just means I'm just out here. Yeah. Okay.

[Kayla]

Okay.

[Nikki]

I'm gonna sing it again. Lord help us.

[Kayla]

Mom, you're out of ten. I need you out of six.

[Nikki]

Never.

[Kayla]

Anyway. And another song from 1973, the Love I lost. You may not know that one. And then 1975, bad luck wake everybody up came out. So these are songs apparently that people of the time.

[Nikki]

Wake up everybody. That was maybe, I don't know, I think that was tape in the crap. Well, shoots.

[Kayla]

Wouldn't surprise me if it was a hit.

[Nikki]

You need to do your research. And put some snippets in there of the music.

[Kayla]

A lot of stuff is like heavily copyrighted. So I was hoping you knew some stuff.

[Nikki]

You should have told me. You never tell me about the cases because I'm gonna bust them out.

[Kayla]

Y' all go listen to some of these songs. I'm gonna definitely listen after. So with Teddy choosing to go solo, he knew he wouldn't have any trouble keeping his career alive. He low key knew he was the star of Harold Melvin and the blue Notes. And that was made clear when he released his first solo album called Teddy Pendergrass.

[Nikki]

He did that namesake. That's when you know you got it.

[Kayla]

That's your first album.

[Nikki]

When you got it, you got it.

[Kayla]

You named it.

[Nikki]

I put your name on it. Cause Luther had one, Whitney had one, Michael had one, Teddy had one. All of them had namesake albums, period.

[Kayla]

And his was. This was his first. So he was like, oh.

[Nikki]

So he was. He was the man killing himself in

[Kayla]

1977 was when he released it. And it reached a number five spot on the Billboard's R B charts featuring songs like I don't love you anymore, you can't hide from yourself, and the whole town's laughing at me.

[Nikki]

Jesus. I know you at all, Teddy. I feel like I didn't know you at all. Well, you didn't know Teddy at all. I know Teddy at all. They probably sung that. So

[Kayla]

the wrong one.

[Nikki]

Wrong. Don't interrupt.

[Kayla]

Our listeners are going to tell us a hundred times. So don't worry. They're going to let us know. Even if somebody.

[Nikki]

They saw someone right above them let us know already. They're going to type it again.

[Kayla]

Don't judge us.

[Nikki]

I don't care. You already saw this. Before my time.

[Kayla]

I feel like this is kind of black history because he does make history.

[Nikki]

And we're going to get to it, definitely.

[Kayla]

This man then went on to release another crazy album the following year. And y', all, the people were just eating it up.

[Nikki]

Who was.

[Kayla]

Was called Teddy?

[Nikki]

I think.

[Kayla]

I think it was just called Teddy.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Kayla]

I can't remember. But he would have shows that were only for women.

[Nikki]

So like, no, Teddy, he done fell far.

[Kayla]

He was nasty. And they threw my. Said he fell far.

[Nikki]

He fell far from the full pit.

[Kayla]

And they would throw everything they could think of up at that man. Lingerie. They would throw Teddy bears. They just. He was a sex symbol. I can name so many of his well known hits. The man was just a star and everyone wanted a piece of him.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Kayla]

Which will come back up later in the case, he released his third album called Teddy. So his third album was Teddy. I can't remember what the second one was.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Kayla]

And that was in 1979, featuring his hit songs. Turn off the lights.

[Nikki]

Turn off the lights, yeah. Oh, he was sexy. I remember that because we had the. The quiet Storm. Quiet storm and all them little sexy moves that come off and we'll go to sleep to them on the move. Yeah, but Turn off the light was one of them, period.

[Kayla]

He was described as being simply irresistible.

[Nikki]

Yeah. He has swag. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I see it now. Teddy, look, look.

[Kayla]

She sees the appeal. She's getting it.

[Nikki]

She did it right, y'. All. I did it right. Wow. Okay, I'm impressed.

[Kayla]

According to one drummers who was present for the ladies only shows, he said, quote, I think the tone of his voice hit a certain center in them or something. He wasn't built like Arnold Schwarzenegger or nothing. He came out in that wife beater T shirt and they went crazy. We didn't understand it. I don't even think he understood it.

[Nikki]

It was the voice. They should have named him the voice. They named Whitney the voice. They should name him miss the voice because he was sexy. It's a sex appeal to that voice.

[Kayla]

I'm sure his. His talking voice was nice. Like, he's a. He looks like a clean man.

[Nikki]

He got done phone sex and made a good.

[Kayla]

Oh, that's nice.

[Nikki]

Good amount of money.

[Kayla]

Probably not as much as he made,

[Nikki]

but not phone sex. But, you know, that phone call and stuff, that's what the phone sect is. Okay. Yeah.

[Kayla]

So whether he understood it or not, Teddy was benefiting from his sex appeal and talent to the tune of having a beautiful mansion, a whole fleet of luxury cars. He loved luxurious experiences. Like, he just held himself that way. He was also a businessman. I read that he had. It was. I think it was called. It was Teddy. We're gonna talk about it in a little bit, but like, Teddy Pendergrass Productions or something like that. So he had his own production company. He had his own line of jeans for women. So, you know, he was making bookoo money off that.

[Nikki]

Get in Teddy's jeans. That's what they was doing. Oh, my God, girl. They wanted to be in Teddy jeans. And he had a man. I'm ch.

[Kayla]

He was definitely one of them ones. And he wrote his own music. He was a hit maker. People called him Black Elvis, which I'm like, you know, okay, Elvis jacked a

[Nikki]

lot of our stuff. But whatever.

[Kayla]

Either way, he was a Musical shooting star.

[Nikki]

Forrest Gumpto, Elvis. How to dance through that one. You ain't nothing but a hound all day. A talent you'd only get twice in a lifetime. As we ignore mother and her ridiculous. I saw that young man. He taught him how to dance. And he saw him on TV doing it. Okay.

[Kayla]

Oh, my God. Anyway, Teddy made history for being the first black singer to have five consecutive platinum records.

[Nikki]

Do the doggone thing, Teddy. Do the doggone thing. Hello.

[Kayla]

You can call me what you want

[Nikki]

to, but don't call me bro.

[Kayla]

You can't call me on a cop, I'm telling you. And he was still making hits when he was in a near fatal car crash in 1982 that changed his life forever.

[Nikki]

Wait, what happened? A near fatal car accident. Okay, but how did it.

[Kayla]

Yeah, we're going to get to it.

[Tony Ayo]

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[Amy Ehrich]

Hello, beautiful. I'm Amy Ehrich, founder of Madison Reed, a hair color company I named after my daughter. I started Mad Reed because I believe women deserve better. Better ingredients, better results, and the freedom to color on your terms. Our prestige hair color is made with ingredients that care for your hair, delivering gorgeous, multi dimensional results. Meet our Salon in a Box, a permanent hair color kit with over 4020005 star reviews delivering rich color and 100% gray cover coverage. Try our Root Touch up kit for a permanent root refresh or our hair and brow mascara to cover stray grays on the go. Join more than 5 million women who have made the switch. Visit madison-reid.com or Amazon and discover the Madison Reed difference. Confident, bold, unstoppable. That's the power of Madison Reed.

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[C.J. Toledon]

This week on Point game with me, C.J. toledon and Isaiah Thomas, Nate Robinson joins us and talks about how he blessed it back in the day when he was on the Knicks and it was on his alma mater, U Dub. Take a listen, man.

[Tony Ayo]

Nate blessed me like, I'm about to

[C.J. Toledon]

make you some Kobe's for the whole year. When Nike ID came out, I used

[Tony Ayo]

to go early before the games and

[Kayla]

go down there and make shoes.

[Tony Ayo]

They used to be like, nate, why

[Kayla]

are you making all these shoes for everybody else? I said, because I gotta share the wealth.

[C.J. Toledon]

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[Kayla]

That is him and Dion.

[Nikki]

Girl, look at Teddy and that fur coat. Taddy had class, y'.

[Radhi Deblookia]

All.

[Nikki]

He had class.

[Kayla]

Glasses and all. I know that's right,

[Nikki]

girl. Play everything

[Kayla]

what Jennifer was doing.

[Nikki]

Rocking it out.

[Kayla]

So on March 18, 1982, 31 year old Teddy was driving his Rolls Royce on a winding road in the German Town section of Philly when the power steering on his car just completely stopped working.

[Nikki]

Kaylee, you did a tongue twister and

[Kayla]

you did that thing I did.

[Nikki]

You said Teddy was driving. Teddy was driving.

[Kayla]

And his rose worst on a whining roll.

[Nikki]

I was a tat roller, roller, roller street. Oh, wow.

[Kayla]

I was trying to focus.

[Nikki]

Thank you, Mom.

[Kayla]

So he was doing that in the Germantown section of Philly when he lost control of his car. And he smashed into a highway divider first and then a tree.

[Nikki]

What?

[Kayla]

So if you're on Patreon, you see the picture of the car in a tree?

[Nikki]

God, that's an old rose that tree wrapped around it.

[Radhi Deblookia]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

Looks really bad.

[Nikki]

It's really bad. I'm really. I'm really coloring this because I want y' all to go to Patreon. The ones that ain't run. Oh, you should see it.

[Kayla]

Oh, is that a leg and an orb? It's not.

[Nikki]

Lies. Lord.

[Kayla]

Now, I read that it was because the brakes failed or because there was an electrical issue that caused his power steering to just stop working. But either way, he couldn't control the car. It sounds kind of suspicious to me.

[Nikki]

Here's my take on that. Not that you asked, but here it is. That car looks so old and antique. I don't think no electric was in there for one.

[Kayla]

Okay.

[Nikki]

And then two. I think somebody cut his brake line. Cause they was jealous. Mm.

[Kayla]

Okay.

[Nikki]

That's what I'm thinking.

[Kayla]

Well, we'll see, I guess. Thankfully, the crash did not kill him.

[Nikki]

Thank you, Lord.

[Kayla]

However, it did break his neck.

[Nikki]

His vocal cords. Good Lord.

[Kayla]

I know. Not his vocal cords, though. They weren't affected. But he was paralyzed after that from the chest down.

[Nikki]

Really?

[Kayla]

For the rest of his life?

[Nikki]

Oh, my.

[Kayla]

No.

[Nikki]

That's tragic. Out of the blue, it seems the boy did it. That's what I think.

[Kayla]

Talk about as well.

[Nikki]

That old lead singer.

[Amy Ehrich]

Who?

[Nikki]

The blue notes, Harold.

[Kayla]

He had a grudge.

[Tony Ayo]

What?

[Nikki]

Yeah. That's how he went out of here.

[Tony Ayo]

No.

[Nikki]

Oh. I said he survived. I know. Keep up. Okay.

[Kayla]

The news of his crash spread like wildfire, and people started to speculate a lot of different things. Some suggested he wasn't. He was drunk, maybe, but he wasn't.

[Nikki]

Okay, good.

[Kayla]

There were claims that he wasn't alone in the car, that he was actually with a transgender woman, which she was.

[Tony Ayo]

That

[Nikki]

I'm speech. Wait a minute. Let's get it together. I knew he was gay. Undercover Brother, Mom.

[Kayla]

Well, before we started. And she saw Teddy's picture on the thing, she's like, it was either him or Marvin that was gay. More than likely it was both.

[Nikki]

Yeah, Marvin was gay.

[Amy Ehrich]

There you go.

[Nikki]

And Teddy was, too.

[Kayla]

He was dabbling, you know, and there's no shade, no fade. But that's. That's what it was. Yeah, that's what it was on the way back to his home is what I heard.

[Nikki]

Then it was different. They had to hide it.

[Kayla]

Yeah, yeah. They still hide it now, but, you know, they shouldn't.

[Nikki]

Everybody, the majority, we all see. Especially in Atlanta. I just ain't gonna date nobody there, but yeah.

[Kayla]

Oh, my gosh. Okay, so they both survived. Thank the Lord. But the accident did a number on Teddy's mental health. And he said he was down so bad that he thought about committing suicide.

[Nikki]

How? Teddy couldn't move, Ma.

[Kayla]

He could kill himself in some way. You know what?

[Nikki]

He's just having a fit.

[Kayla]

He said chest down. Chest down.

[Nikki]

Can he.

[Kayla]

I think he can move his arms.

[Nikki]

My.

[Kayla]

The arms is above the chest. That's not funny. That's not funny, Ma. It's not funny. And I don't like it. No, I don't like it. No, I don't like what you say. No, I don't like.

[Nikki]

I don't like what you're implying. No, I don't like what you're implying. I like when you're.

[C.J. Toledon]

Moving,

[Nikki]

Mom.

[Kayla]

Neck down is like, including arms and stuff, you know, so, like, neck down, you can't really communicate in other ways and stuff like that. Teddy was still making music, girl.

[Nikki]

What? All he gotta do is hold his head like this. Like I'm doing the same. I ain't moving at the Balaka sing in this position. But this chest down and arms, Ma,

[Kayla]

you're gonna have to say. You're gonna have to answer for this. These types of comments. When you meet the Lord, I'm just gonna let you know. The Lord's gonna ask you. He's gonna tell you.

[Nikki]

He gonna say, my daughter. Why did you say. He go. He gonna chuckle a little bit. Nick. That's what Lloyd call me.

[Kayla]

Nick. Nick.

[Nikki]

Why you say that, Pop? Ted? Didn't make no sense. You sp. But that makes sense.

[Kayla]

I miss Kristen. She keeps you level.

[Nikki]

Lord.

[Kayla]

So anyway, he was in a dark place. He thought about killing himself with the small range of motion he had.

[Nikki]

Okay, that's not funny. That part ain't.

[Kayla]

Thank you, Mom.

[Nikki]

But the vision of him. Yes, let's go. Let's let it go.

[Kayla]

But he decided he wanted to live after getting some professional help, and he. They actually staged a mock funeral. Mom, please don't ask for Teddy, Mon. They had him lay down. He was under a sheet. His family members came in. They. They said what would happen, how they would feel if he died and stuff like that. You know, it was, in my opinion, a little extreme, but it was beneficial. But do what you gotta do to

[Nikki]

save life, you know?

[Kayla]

He said after that, he realized he hopped up out the sheet.

[Nikki]

He did not hop up if he was paralyzed from the chest down.

[Kayla]

But anyway, go ahead.

[Nikki]

He removed that cover from his head.

[Kayla]

He said, I don't wanna die. So.

[Nikki]

Okay, well, thank God. Thank God for that.

[Kayla]

And Teddy decided he wanted to continue to make music. So he started releasing music again and recorded six more albums. Six more albums?

[Nikki]

Not records, but albums. Multiple songs on each one of them.

[Amy Ehrich]

Yes.

[Kayla]

Four of which. Four of which went gold, which is a huge feat for someone that is literally, like. Literally can't even walk, can't perform. Like, he was doing, like. And still had millions of fans all around the world.

[Nikki]

The Voice wasn't destroyed.

[Kayla]

Unbelievable. And he was still loved by plenty and many when he died on January 13, 2010 at the age of 59. And it was due to complications from colon cancer, so.

[Nikki]

Colon cancer.

[Kayla]

Yeah. That's what took him out of here. He left behind his mother, his wife Joan, his three Married.

[Nikki]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

So he left behind three children and their four children at the time. So he had four grandchildren at the time that he died. And then he also left behind the Teddy Pendergrass alliance, which was a non profit. He started to help others living with spinal cord injury. Peace. So. And he's like, you know, I know it's hard for me now. Let me help you all out.

[Nikki]

Yeah. Nice, Teddy. Nice.

[Kayla]

He tried to do some good things before he left us. Rest in peace to Teddy Pendergrass.

[Nikki]

Yes.

[Kayla]

But let's get back to the accident.

[Radhi Deblookia]

Okay.

[Kayla]

That may not have been an accident.

[Nikki]

It wasn't.

[Kayla]

Because according to people close to Teddy, when his other cars were checked after the accident, remember, he had like a bunch of nice cars. Some of them had their Brake lines cut.

[Nikki]

I told you.

[Kayla]

And had been vandalized.

[Nikki]

I may not know a lot, but I know a lot. She knows certain things. I know it.

[Kayla]

Yeah. So that clearly suggests that somebody tampered with the cars and wanted to make sure whatever car he drove didn't get him safely to where he was going.

[Nikki]

Wow. Dirty dogs.

[Kayla]

And although no real evidence surfaced about who may have cut all those brake lines or tampered with Teddy's cars, many people speculated that it may have been someone from the Philly Police Department. Because at that time, Teddy was suing the Police Department for $500,000.

[Nikki]

Why?

[Kayla]

Because they were harassing him like he was a black man driving around the city in a nice. You know, nice cars and stuff like that. They were on his booty crack for no reason.

[Nikki]

Why? How they get access to his vehicles?

[Kayla]

It's a police department. Who else could get access to your vehicles without.

[Nikki]

I mean, but that should have been on his private property.

[Kayla]

Well, yeah, but that's still easy. And this is like. This is 19, what, seven. What was it? It was 1982. So cameras. He's not really probably having cameras out there. Like, either way, somebody that was trusted to get near his cars, they did it. May have let someone near it or may have did it because they were coerced or whatever.

[Nikki]

Yeah, somebody paid the house help, maybe.

[Kayla]

And others thought it might have been the Philadelphia Black Mafia, who Teddi had a couple run ins with and who also allegedly murdered a woman named Taz Lang.

[Nikki]

Teddy was running like that. Yeah. About the street life with the Mafia.

[Kayla]

So I know you guys are probably like, where is the crime in all of this? We hadn't talked about, like, a legit crime yet, but here it is.

[Tony Ayo]

Okay, this is Tony Ayo from the Real Report with Tony Ayo and Uncle Murder. You ever notice how everything keeps going up? Rent's going up, streaming services are going up. Even your favorite burrito spot suddenly thinks salsa should cost extra. But with Boost Mobile, you and your phone bill don't have to play the Will this go up soon?

[Uncle Murder]

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[Tony Ayo]

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[Amy Ehrich]

Hello beautiful. I'm Amy Ehrett, founder of Madison Reed, a hair color company I named after my daughter. I started Madison Reed because I believe women deserve better better ingredients, better results and the freedom to color on your terms. Color at home with our permanent Hair Color Kit. It's a salon in a box for rich dimensional color and 100% gray coverage. Try our 10 minute root touch up Kit for a permanent root refresh or our Hair and Brow Mascara to cover stray grays on the go. Or visit one of our 95 plus hair color bars nationwide and let our licensed pro colorist color your hair for you. Visit madison-reed.com and join more than 5 million women who've made the switch to our award winning color. Confident, Bold. Unstoppable. That's the power of Madison Reed.

[Radhi Deblookia]

This is Radhi Deblookia from A really Good Cry Most wellness routines fail somewhere between day one motivation and where did I put that powder? That's where Groons comes in. Groons packs over 20 vitamins and minerals, greens and prebiotics into a snack pack of tiny delicious gummies. No powders, no pills. Just a simple way to support gut health, beauty, energy, immunity, recovery and cognition. Plus, the ingredients in Groons are backed by over over 35,000 research publications. It's a convenient comprehensive formula designed for real life. Get up to 52% off with code CRY@GRUNESCO. That's code CRY,

[Kayla]

a burst pipe, a dead water heater, the AC calling it quits. Who do you call?

[Tony Ayo]

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[Kayla]

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[Tony Ayo]

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[Kayla]

Go to homeserve.com podcast for 50 less your first year. That's homeserve.com podcast savings compared to renewal price void in Florida so Taz, her real name was Tasmaya Melanie Lang. I like it was a Philly girl through and through.

[Nikki]

What she look like? Hey pretty girl.

[Kayla]

She was really cute and she was one of the it girls in the 70s.

[Nikki]

She was. She Got a beautiful smile.

[Kayla]

She does. She was known to hang out with stars like Dionne Warwick.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Kayla]

And Nancy Wilson. I read that her son was friends with some of the Jackson 5.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Kayla]

So she was as well connected as well connected. I don't know if she was musically inclined, but she was definitely business inclined. She owned a beauty salon in the area, and everyone who was anyone got their hair done by Taz.

[Nikki]

All right, Taz. Yes.

[Kayla]

She also was once married to a Philadelphia Eagles running back named Israel Lang.

[Nikki]

Okay.

[Kayla]

You wouldn't know who he is.

[Nikki]

No, no, no.

[Kayla]

So that's Taz and TP together.

[Nikki]

Oh, okay. So that looked like Teddy Pentagram.

[Kayla]

That is Teddy. They were together in this picture.

[Nikki]

They look like they were together together.

[Kayla]

Oh, we're gonna get to it. But she was married to Israel for a while, who played for the team for, like, six seasons. He was a running back, like I said he was. You know, so she was outside connected.

[Nikki]

Connected.

[Kayla]

According to her find a grave.com page quote, to her friends, she was just Taz. The name was Magic. Manager of singer Teddy Pendergrass, Sunday school teacher, mother, model, most popular at Germantown High, friend of Dionne Warwick, confidant of Nancy Wilson, wife of a football star, Ms. Patio Diet Cola, sister to actress Mira Waters. Tas Lang was gunned down on April 14, 1977, by someone who wanted her dead. Or as the police theorized, someone who may have wanted to scare her, but instead killed her.

[Nikki]

Oh, Taz, Taz, you. Your resume is long. I heard Sunday school teacher in there. Is that where you know TP from?

[Kayla]

No, no. She did a lot with her old, beautiful self. Yep. And they look like they were in a relationship, because what wasn't mentioned on the page, and rightfully so, was that her and Teddy briefly dated when it was kind of while she was managing him. So remember when he left the band around 1975, that's when Taz, like, hopped on it and started managing him.

[Nikki]

Hey, she. She was biz.

[Kayla]

Yeah. She essentially just, like, helped his career skyrocket, and in return, he gave her 50 shares of Teddy Bear Production Company. That's the name of it. Teddy Bear Production Company.

[Nikki]

50.

[Kayla]

50 shares is what I read. So I'm not sure how many that is, but it sounds like a lot. Yeah, and she got a percentage of every deal he made going forward. She wasn't playing.

[Nikki]

She was not playing.

[Kayla]

Now, I read that he signed that while they were dating because, like, in his mind, he was, like, so in love and distracted. I think he was married. But I'm not really sure.

[Amy Ehrich]

Whatever.

[Nikki]

And she was doing the work.

[Kayla]

So that's why I said, like, she earned her keep, you know, she gave him money out of her own pocket, like $15,000 when he first left the group to help us get. To help his solo career get started. Oh, yeah, well, yeah, yeah, she was, she was. And like I said, she was getting him in the right room with the right people. Look at her connections. You know, she was keeping him booked, all that. Yeah, they dated for like a very short period of time. I read it was like two months. And then Taz broke it off because

[Nikki]

the wife found out.

[Amy Ehrich]

Out.

[Kayla]

Well, I'm not sure she found out about the wife. Well, she definitely knew about his. The wife. If you're managing him, girl, you know his business.

[Uncle Murder]

Right.

[Kayla]

But I think she just wanted to focus on the business. Who knows?

[Nikki]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

But on April 14, 1977, Taz went to New York to tie up a couple loose ends before Teddy's tour would start. He was going on, on like this big tour. She got back to Philly later that day and went to meet Teddy on his tour bus at around 10pm because that's around the time it was scheduled to head to the first tour stop.

[Radhi Deblookia]

Stop.

[Kayla]

But she didn't stay on the bus with them. She decided to get off and go home. And on her way home, she called her mother and said, quote, I've got something to tell you, but I can't tell you what it is until I get there. But she never got the chance to.

[Nikki]

Oh, what the world.

[Kayla]

Like, who had her phone bugged? Who knew when she was getting off that bus that she was going home and was waiting for her? Wow, that was a quick move.

[Nikki]

That was. That was a set up.

[Kayla]

How did they know what time she was going to be home? How did they.

[Nikki]

They were following her.

[Kayla]

They were either following her or somebody on that bus. Had to call and give somebody a heads up of that she was on her way home.

[Nikki]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

So Thursday, April 14, 1977, at around 11:30pm, Taz got out of a Mercedes Benz and started walking to her front door in the Mount Airy area when a shooter popped out of the bushes and shot her.

[Nikki]

One that was already in the bushes.

[Kayla]

It was in the bushes.

[Nikki]

So they wasn't following her. They was already there.

[Kayla]

Well, like I said, it was probably somebody that somebody gave him a heads up.

[Nikki]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

She was rushed to Germantown Hospital, but she was pronounced dead at 11:42pm Yeah, I read that the shot killed her instantly, but she was still rushed to the hospital. It went through her left arm and then straight into her chest. And I think it just hit her heart and she was gone.

[Nikki]

Poor lady.

[Kayla]

Poor thing. She was a mother, too. Like, oh, my God. Walking into her house, you'd never think, that's horrible.

[Amy Ehrich]

Yep.

[Kayla]

There are quite a few theories floating around as to who could have been responsible for Taz's murder. Many thought it was the pbm, which was the Philly Black Mafia, because they knew how much money she was making off of Teddi. So remember how we talked about Teddi was kind of associated with them? I don't think he had necessarily bad blood with him, but I saw a documentary and there were like three or four people in it saying that they'd heard personally themselves. Terry complained about his contact with Taz and how he wanted out of it. Out of the contract with Taz where she was getting all that money.

[Nikki]

Oh, Teddy.

[Kayla]

He'd even had someone ask him if he wanted to take. If he wanted them to take Taz out because she was a problem.

[Nikki]

What? Yes, I know. You did not Teddy.

[Kayla]

That's what was said. And multiple people said it.

[Radhi Deblookia]

What?

[Kayla]

And whenever Teddy asked, has to renegotiate the contract, she would always say no. So we know what a desperate man being controlled by a woman would do. Like, Teddy was not with that.

[Tony Ayo]

All.

[Kayla]

He even was quoted to have said in an interview, quote, I'm not about to have any lady who's going to run me down and say, I've got to report to her where I'm at. She has to realize that I'm a traveling entertainer, and if it's rough on her, that's just the end of that. So basically, any woman that's messing with me better get with the program or get gone.

[Nikki]

You married, though, wasn't you by then?

[Kayla]

Yeah, but. But still, it was so much like. There was interviews I saw with his wife at first. There was a wife named Karen I saw in there, too.

[Nikki]

Yeah, multiple ones.

[C.J. Toledon]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

And she was like, no, that was just Teddy. Like, you know, he. The type of star he is. That's something that you just. You accept.

[Nikki]

I wouldn't accept it long as he was taking care of me and the kids and everything. And I would have had a side piece, too.

[Kayla]

How about they. And not touching me very often. Because you're disgusting out here raw dogging it. Because I know you are.

[Nikki]

Yeah,

[Kayla]

yeah. So he was like, I know. Just eating him alive to be in this situation with Taz and seeing all that money go down. Yeah, but when asked about it and even questioned by police about it, Teddy always said he had nothing to do with her murder and was just heartbroken and never the same after she died. Teddy later admitted that he started getting threats after Taz's death that the same thing could happen to him. And then boom, five years later he has the terrible accident. So maybe he just said that to make us empathize with him. But he was in an accident that looked like it was sabotaged. Yeah, you know, purposely caused so this

[Tony Ayo]

is Tony Ayo from the Real Report with Tony Ayo and Uncle Murder. You ever notice how everything keeps going up? Rent's going up, streaming services are going up. Even favorite burrito spot suddenly thinks salsa should cost extra. But with Boost Mobile, you and your phone bill don't have to play the Will this go up soon? Game because Boost Mobile has an unlimited talk, text and data plan at a price that'll never go up. It's the same price you'll pay for life, meaning you're set to never worry about your bill increasing again for as long as you're on the plan. While the world keeps finding new ways to nickel and dime you. Boost Mobile gives you unlimited wireless at one set price for life. Imagine something in your budget actually staying the same. You'll pay the same for unlimited wireless when you're posting mirror selfies in your 20s and when you're posting mirror selfies in retirement. Some things never change. Switch now for unlimited wireless at a price that'll never go up. Only at boost mobile. After 30 gigabytes, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan.

[Amy Ehrich]

Hello beautiful. I'm Amy Eric, founder of Madison Reed, a hair color company I named after my daughter. I started Madison and read because I believe women deserve better better ingredients, better results and the freedom to color on your terms. Our prestige hair color is made with ingredients that care for your hair, delivering gorgeous, multi dimensional results. Meet our Salon in a Box, a permanent hair color kit with over 4020005 star reviews delivering rich color and 100% great hair coverage. Try our Root Touch up kit for a permanent root refresh or our hair and brow mascara to cover stray grays on the go. Join more than 5 million women who have made the switch. Visit madison-reed.com or Amazon and discover the Madison Reed difference. Confident, bold, Unstoppable. That's the power of Madison Reed.

[Radhi Deblookia]

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[Kayla]

Protect your pet with insurance from Pets Best plans start from less than a dollar a day. Visit petsbest.com Pet insurance products offered and administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC are underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company or Independence American Insurance Company for terms, terms and conditions, visit www.petsbest.com. backslash policy products are underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company, Independence American Insurance Company or Ms. Transverse Insurance Company and administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC. $1.00 a day premium based on 2024 average new policyholder data for accident and illness plans. Pets age 0 to 10. And according to people who actually knew Teddy at the time, he was really brazen with his womanizing and created a lot of enemies because of it.

[Nikki]

That Teddy?

[Kayla]

Yeah, he kind of like, liked messing with women that had men already.

[Nikki]

Oh, you was that kind of big?

[Kayla]

Yeah. According to Janice Gay, which is Marvin Gaye's wife, she once did coke with Teddy while they were on a date.

[Nikki]

Oh, a date.

[Kayla]

Yeah, she was on a date with Teddy. They did coke while Marvin stalked them from outside.

[Nikki]

But they both were gay. I don't know if he was watching Teddy or.

[Kayla]

Leave it, Mom.

[Radhi Deblookia]

Leave it.

[Kayla]

All right, I'm just saying.

[Nikki]

I'm just saying. He. I guarantee you. Okay, well, you know what? Maybe he was thinking maybe he was

[Kayla]

watching, but I'm sure he was watching his wife. Well, I'm just saying. I'm sure he's watching his wife do coke with another man.

[Nikki]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Kayla]

Which also. Janice, what were you doing?

[Nikki]

You were a married woman. What were you doing? Coke with Daddy. Well, shoots, now you got Marvin all in a bunch outside looking Crazy. Let's get it out.

[Kayla]

It was Marvin Gaye.

[Nikki]

Come on now, let's get it on.

[Kayla]

Oh, gosh. According to his manager, after Tad. I think his name was like Gibson or something like that. Teddy used to do a lot of drugs, including weed, coke, mushrooms, Quaaludes. And then he would have like sex parties that would last for days.

[Nikki]

Original Daddy. He's not going to come. Teddy. Teddy Titty T. Diddy Daddy.

[Kayla]

He definitely wasn't the original. You know, there's a lot of nasties,

[Nikki]

a lot of nasty, nasty.

[Radhi Deblookia]

It.

[Kayla]

Teddy was very much so out there. And some use this behavior, plus his connection to actual murderers. Hello, black mafia. As an example of what he'd be willing to do to get rid of Taz.

[Nikki]

Oh, you have fallen so sharp so far.

[Kayla]

He fell for the Okie doke.

[Nikki]

Good grief.

[Amy Ehrich]

Yeah.

[Nikki]

10 year old preacher to.

[Kayla]

He was doing all this in his 20s and 30s.

[Nikki]

Oh, God.

[Kayla]

Yeah.

[Nikki]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

So to this day, no one has ever been charged with the murder of Taz.

[Nikki]

What?

[Kayla]

Yes. And it's still an unsolved case.

[Nikki]

Oh, Taz, you didn't deserve that. She's just a businesswoman.

[Kayla]

She was a businesswoman. I know. She was more aggressive than the men in her life would have liked.

[Nikki]

Of course, men always want to keep women down.

[Kayla]

That's what I'm saying. I know there was areas where they were like, you know, they were like this be. Yes, yes, let's get rid of her. Whatever. But to actually go and do it and she was murdered is crazy.

[Nikki]

Yeah. She didn't deserve to be murdered.

[Kayla]

Now, I read that her husband at the time, he wasn't. I don't think. I read that. They weren't married when she was killed. But he died in like 2008, unfortunately, after he left the league and after she died and everything. He had like crazy amount of legal battles. He was arrested over 24 times.

[Nikki]

Hey. Yeah.

[Kayla]

And he died in like possibly poverty. Straight poverty, so.

[Nikki]

Football player.

[Kayla]

Yeah. So, I mean, I'm not saying that he was involved in her death, but, you know, sometimes the ego can get to you and maybe he.

[Nikki]

It was all a setup.

[Kayla]

Yeah. I mean, she was set up from. From the moment she, I feel like, left that bus.

[Nikki]

Bus. Yeah. And somebody's called and snitched because no

[Kayla]

one else would have known what time she was getting home.

[Nikki]

Right.

[Kayla]

You know, I know her. She called her mama. I know her mama didn't set her up, so.

[Nikki]

Well, we hope not.

[Kayla]

Well, we hope not. But it's like it has to be the Men in her life. Somebody, some man that was in her life, connected to her, was. Was responsible for her.

[Nikki]

I wonder what she wanted to tell her mama.

[Kayla]

I wonder, too.

[Nikki]

And I know her mama wandered until the day she died.

[Kayla]

Maybe she saw something on that doggone tour bus that she wasn't supposed to

[Nikki]

see and got off of it and

[Kayla]

got off the bus and that was enough.

[Nikki]

So she's gonna tell us something that

[Kayla]

will give her insurance.

[Nikki]

Maybe that mama, if this happened to me, this is why. Blah, blah, blah.

[Kayla]

Maybe.

[Nikki]

Poor Taz.

[Kayla]

I know, right? So shout out to you, Taz, for being a strong woman, you know, standing on your ten toes. Cause if a man was making that much off of another man, he wouldn't bat the eye. He would just cry about it and, you know, wait till his day came to get free. But because she was a woman, there was. She was. I guess she was more threatening.

[Nikki]

Right. And Taylor wanted to negotiate her contract. Well, she should have negotiate her services to him.

[Kayla]

I know I would do less than, you know. But when you're. You know, when love is involved. I read that they were, like, severely in love. Like, he was, like, in love with her.

[Nikki]

Well, he wasn't that in love. He wanted to negotiate, couldn't.

[Kayla]

I mean, she was making that much money as well. I'm sure he was like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Nikki]

Right.

[Kayla]

Because that's why he left the group in 1975. He's like, I'm the star. I should be making majority of the money that we're making, and I'm not. So he left. So, you know, money is the root of all evil. And maybe that's what led to Taz's death. So rest in peace. To Taz, Recipes. To Teddy.

[Nikki]

I don't know.

[Kayla]

I'm gonna say it, but I don't know.

[Nikki]

Either he knew Jesus, or maybe he cried out before he left.

[Kayla]

Maybe he did.

[Nikki]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

Maybe he did.

[Nikki]

He did. And God will be right there to take him back.

[Kayla]

Clash, y'. All didn't read nothing about him going back to the ch, But. But either way, y', all, that's our case for this week. So. Yeah, I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What happened here? And to know that we'll never know probably is really crappy.

[Uncle Murder]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

Cuz everyone's gone now.

[Nikki]

That was a lot. That makes you want to go and do a little research of your own. Yes.

[Kayla]

To see who else was in some sticky icky.

[Nikki]

And I need to go back and. And redo this one. Cause I'm not comfortable with my singing out there in the public now and it's gonna be out there.

[Uncle Murder]

I know.

[Nikki]

Okay. You always try to make a monkey out of me on Black. True.

[Amy Ehrich]

You do it.

[Nikki]

You do it. But you got the ability to edit it.

[Kayla]

Yes.

[Nikki]

But I'm gonna give the people the authentic as much as I can. So

[Kayla]

thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. Let us know what you guys thought about this case. If you have more information, please share it. Share it.

[Nikki]

I know y' all got more. I know y' all got more. Cause some of our listeners older than I am. It's true. And they know stuff. Yes.

[Kayla]

So please, we are so intrigued. And if you love the show or if you enjoy the show at all, please give us a five star rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and even Facebook. It really, really helps the show grow. And yeah, as always, before we go, be safe, protect your peace and protect your space.

[Nikki]

Yes, yes.

[Kayla]

So we don't have to cover your case friend.

[Amy Ehrich]

Period.

[Nikki]

Bye.

[Kayla]

Thanks so much for listening to the show. You can stream all of our episodes on Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your favorite podcast. And if you enjoy the show, please leave us a five star rating on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and even Facebook. It's the best way to help the show grow. And it's completely free. For bonus content, you can find us on Patreon. And for more information about the show, you can visit black.com see you next time.

[Radhi Deblookia]

Foreign.

[Kayla]

Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a

[Amy Ehrich]

message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good

[Kayla]

in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments.

[Amy Ehrich]

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[Kayla]

Okay, one judgment.

[Amy Ehrich]

Anyway, give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront

[Kayla]

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[Uncle Murder]

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