Teddy Pendergrass
Written & Produced by Jason Goodman
Teddy Pendergrass: Behind The Music was the 3rd episode I wrote and produced. I never really understood why VH1 green lighted the show. Teddy’s audience was never the VH1 audience, and everyone knew it would be a difficult show. Teddy is a proud and private man who, after being paralyzed in a 1982 car accident, has now lived for decades under difficult conditions. Teddy’s story was just a little too real – there was no uplifting ending to be had.
I’m proud of Teddy’s episode, but the network pretty much buried it – Teddy Pendergrass: Behind The Music is probably was one of the least seen episodes of Behind The Music ever. But I’ve always believed this was a good and heartfelt episode, and that it tells Teddy’s story honestly and compassionately.
Click here to watch my favorite act. Click here to watch the whole show.
Behind The Music: Teddy Pendergrass • My Favorite Act • Written & Produced by Jason Goodman
Anyone can ask the easy questions. But it takes a special sensitivity to get people to talk about the most personal things in their lives – the stuff that has nothing to do with fame or their careers – but the things that are down close to their soul. Getting Teddy Pendergrass to talk about the accident and his paralysis was a great personal triumph, and I have always been grateful to Teddy for reliving those horrible events with me.
More than a decade later, I still find this act moving and compelling – and more than a little painful to watch.
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[watch the whole show].
Behind The Music: Teddy Pendergrass • Written & Produced by Jason Goodman
One of the great things about telling Teddy Pendergrass’ story was that it was the first episode that was an East Coast show. I had a lot more autonomy, didn’t have to live on airplanes, and got to feature some people who often didn’t get to appear on these types of shows. I loved spending time with Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, who invented the Philadelphia sound, and with Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson, who not only gave me a great interview, they also invited me to dinner with them at their restaurant. Valerie is one of the warmest humans beings I’ve ever met, and Nick is as fascinating in person as he is on screen – I’m just not completely sure he’s an Earthling.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
