Tammi is best remembered for her duet recordings with fellow Motown artist Marvin Gaye, with hits including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “Your Precious Love” and “Ain’t Nothin’ Like The Real Thing”. Her personal life was a little less idyllic: she was romantically linked to both James Brown and Temptations singer David Ruffin; both relationships were rumored to be abusive.
During an onstage performance with Marvin Gaye in 1967, she collapsed in his arms; she was later diagnosed with a brain tumor. Several surgeries were unsuccessful at alleviating her condition. Tammi Terrell passed away in March, 1970, in Philadelphia, at the age of 24.