Teena Marie, a celebrated R&B singer and songwriter has died in her sleep at her California home at age 54.

She was found dead by her daughter on Sunday, according to her manager Mike Gardner.

The cause of death was not immediately known but Marie's publicist, Lynn Jeter, told CNN that she suffered a grand mal seizure a month ago.

Born Marie Brockert, she had a three decade long singing career and was nominated four times for the Grammy.

Marie is perhaps best known for her musical collaborations with the late funk legend Rick James.

Among her popular songs were “Lovergirl,” “Portuguese Love,” “Ooo La La La,” and “I’m a Sucker for Your Love.”

She made histroy as Motown’s first white act.“Teena was a black voice trapped in a white body,” said Cathy Hughes, founder of Radio One, a broadcasting company that targets African-American and urban listeners. “I would always tell her that she was one of the greatest vocalists of our time,” reports CNN

Marie sang under various record labels, including Motown, Epic and Cash Money Classics. She released 13 studio albums over the course of her career. Her most recent album, Sapphire, features collaborations with Smokey Robinson, Kurupt and Gerald Albright.

California Ma California California