Singer Teena Marie dead at 54

R&B singer Teena Marie has died at the age of 54, her manager has confirmed to CNN.

Details on the death of the singer, born Mary Christine Brockert in 1956, are currently scant. Her manager, Mike Gardner, says Marie was found dead by her daughter earlier today, and that she died had died in her sleep. According to CNN, cause of death is not yet known, but Marie had experienced some health problems in the very recent past:

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.”

Teena Marie was set to perform this later this week in Atlanta, in what would have been her first performance since her recent illness.

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