the r&b world was cast into shock and grief as word began to spread last night that a legend had passed away. teena marie, whose music has been a staple on r&b radio stations for 30 years, apparently died in her sleep on december 26 at the relatively young age of 54.

i have been a teena marie fan since ‘square biz’ topped the charts way back in ’81. her rap during the break gave birth to her nickname ‘lady t’ and also made her one of the first white & female…