CNN confirmed Teena Marie, an award-winning R&B singer-songwriter, was found dead Sunday at her California home, her manager said.
Born Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica, California, the 54-year-old artist famously paired with late funk legend Rick James and was nominated four times for a Grammy Award, according to her official website.Marie was found dead by her daughter after apparently dying in her sleep, manager Mike Gardner said.
While no cause of death has been released, the singer's publicist Lynn Jeter said that Marie suffered a grand mal seizure -- a neurological event, marked by loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions, according to the Mayo Clinic -- a month ago.
"Luckily, someone was there," Jeter said of that seizure. "The ambulance took her to the hospital, and on the way she had another seizure."
The publicist said that she had a "great" conversation on Saturday with Marie, who told her that she was excited about heading to Atlanta to perform this week -- in what would have been her first performance since the seizure."
Marie sang under various record labels, including Motown, Epic and Cash Money Classics, since bursting on the scene as a 19-year-old, according to her website. Her most recent album, Sapphire, features collaborations with Smokey Robinson, Kurupt and Gerald Albright.
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