Teddy Pendergrass II and the late Singer's 2nd Wife, Joan Pendergrass, Embroiled in Battle over his Estate

Why do some celebrities leave a mess behind when they die? Teddy Pendergrass II and the late singer's second wife, Joan Pendergrass, are embroiled in a battle over his estate. You will recall that Teddy P died of colon cancer in January of this year. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the son claims a will from May 2009 names him executor and sole beneficiary. Well, the wife begs to differ. She claims a later document on which she signed her name as the singer's attorney gives her control.

Teddy Pendergrass left an indelible music legacy when he died in January. He didn't leave much else. A bank foreclosed on his Penn Valley home over the summer - the property is slated for sheriff's sale next month. There's also an outstanding car loan and a lawsuit by a former songwriting partner.

For months, Pendergrass' second wife, whom he married in 2008, has been quietly warring with his son over the remnants of his estate. Both sides have produced conflicting wills - purportedly approved by Pendergrass - that cut the other out.

Together, the documents and interviews suggest a portrait of a renowned R&B artist and Philadelphia institution whose mind and money may have been slipping away at the same time.

Last Wednesday, attorneys for Teddy Pendergrass II and his father's widow, Joan Pendergrass, met with a judge in Montgomery County, but left without an agreement. One of her attorneys said the dispute was less about money than about the singer's legacy. What that legacy includes - and who deserves to control it - has divided the family. Source

The in-fighting is reminiscent of the family drama that unfolded in the weeks following the deaths of Bob Marley, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, Sammy Davis Jr., Gary Coleman and Michael Jackson, to name a few. It is a shock that Teddy Pendergrass wasn't worth much in his later years. He had enough time before he died to set his affairs in order.