Declaring June 16, 2005 as "Tammi Terrell Day."

WHEREAS, Tammi Terrell was born Thomasine Montgomery, as the oldest daughter of Thomas and Jennie Montgomery in Philadelphia on April 29, 1945; and

WHEREAS, Tammi Terrell was raised in Germantown and North Philadelphia and attended Emlen Elementary School, Roosevelt Jr. High School, and Germantown High School, and by the time she was fifteen, Ms. Terrell had already become well known in the local sock hop and talent contest scene; and

WHEREAS, In high school, Ms. Terrell sang with Steve Gibson and the Redcaps and was signed to The Scepter Wand Record Label, and at the age of 17, was the featured vocalist in The James Brown Revue, and later toured with Jerry Butler; and

WHEREAS, In 1965, Ms. Terrell was discovered in Detroit while doing a show at The 20 Grand with Mr. Butler by Motown’s Berry Gordy who signed her to recording contract and changed her professional name from Tammi Montgomery to Tammi Terrell; and

WHEREAS, Tammi Terrell was a well known artist on the Motown label and is fondly remembered for some of the greatest duets of all time with Marvin Gaye, which include: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” “Your Precious Love, and ‘‘You’re All I Need to Get By’’; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Terrell collapsed on stage in Mr. Gaye’s arms at the age of 22 and on March 15

,

1970, Tammi Terrell died from a brain tumor at the age of 24; and

WHEREAS, In June 2005, Bank House Books will release “My Sister Tommie, Tammi Terrell’s Biography,” the true life story of Motown sweetheart and legend Ms. Tammi Terrell as told by her sister Ludie Montgomery; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we declare June 16th

“Tammi Terrell Day.”

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Ms. Ludie Montgomery as an expression of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

End