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Tyrese Gibson celebrated his 41st birthday at home in pajamas Monday — but despite the dress code, the event was anything but sleepy.

Instead, it was an evening filled with poetry, laughs and fireworks with his closest friends and family, held at the Gibson Estate located in Atlanta.

“[His wife] Sam wanted to do something extraordinary for Tyrese,” event designer Michelle Gainey of Lemiga Events tells People exclusively. Gainey previously worked with the Transformers actor to plan Samantha Gibson’s surprise party in October.

Guests arrived at their home on Saturday night, instantly wowed by the gold and white theme, decorated with 50 feet...

American singer Tyrese Gibson will star as late singer-songwriter Teddy Pendergrass in a biopic. Pendergrass broke out in the early 1970s as the lead singer of Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, and became a massive success as a RandB solo artist with five consecutive platinum albums, reports variety.com. He suffered a spinal cord injury in a 1982 traffic accident that left him a quadriplegic, learned how to sing again and returned to perform at the Live Aid Concert at Wembley Stadium in London in 1985. Pendergrass continued his solo career until announcing his retirement in 2007. He died of cancer in 2010.

Warner Bros. has roped in Little Marvin to write the screenplay. Teddy Pendergrass' widow, Joan Pendergrass, is an executive producer. "I am honoured to take this journey... this is the role that I feel I was born to play," Gibson said.?

Gibson added, "Teddy Pendergrass embraced me and before he...

Tyrese Gibson will star as singer-songwriter Teddy Pendergrass in a biopic set up with Warner Bros., which has acquired the life rights to the late singer.

Pendergrass broke out in the early 1970s as the lead singer of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and became a massive success as an R&B solo artist with five consecutive platinum albums. He suffered a spinal cord injury in a 1982 traffic accident that left him a quadriplegic, learned how to sing again and returned to perform at the Live Aid Concert at Wembley Stadium in London in 1985.

Pendergrass continued his solo career until announcing his retirement in 2007. He died of cancer in 2010.

Gibson will also produce with his Voltron Pictures with “Empire” co-creator and executive producer Lee Daniels and Donald De Line through De Line Pictures. Warner Bros. has hired Little Marvin (creator of Amazon’s upcoming “Them”) to write the screenplay. Teddy Pendergrass’ widow,...

Warner Bros. has acquired the life rights of Teddy Pendergrass and will produce a biopic with Tyrese Gibson to star as the R&B legend.

Donald De Line (“Ready Player One”) will produce through his De Line Pictures studio banner, along with Lee Daniels and Gibson via his Voltron Pictures. The studio has also tapped Little Marvin, creator of Amazon’s upcoming event series “Them,” to write the screenplay, which will chronicle the amazing and tumultuous life journey of one of the greatest R&B performers of all time.

Teddy Pendergrass’ widow, Joan Pendergrass, is an executive producer.

“I am honored to take this journey. This is the role that I feel I was born to play,” Gibson said in a statement. “Teddy Pendergrass embraced me and before he passed put the responsibility on my shoulders to tell his story,” commented Gibson. “Being here in this time and in this...

Warner Bros Pictures has acquired the life rights of iconic Philadelphia-born R&B singer-songwriter Teddy Pendergrass, a movie project that has Fast & Furious actor Tyrese Gibson set to star in the lead role.

Donald De Line (Ready Player One) will produce via his De Line Pictures studio banner, along with Lee Daniels, and Gibson via his Voltron Pictures. The studio has also tapped Little Marvin (creator of Amazon’s upcoming event series Them) to pen the screenplay. Pendergrass’ widow, Joan Pendergrass, is an executive producer.

Born Theodore DeReese Pendergrass on March 26, 1950, Teddy was raised by Ida Geraldine Pendergrass, a single mother whose husband, Jesse, left the family while Teddy was a young child. Shortly after meeting his father for the first time, Jesse was stabbed to death in 1962 when Teddy was 11 years old.

In the early 1970s, Pendergrass rose to fame as the lead singer...