Teresa Smith, known on TikTok as @Queenzziel0cthevoice, died, her daughter, Yolundria Rooks, revealed in a GoFundMe post for their family. “It is with a heavy heart to announce that my mother The Icon, The Diva, Miss Teresa Smith also known as ‘Queezielocthevoice’ has suddenly passed away,” she writes. Rooks told TMZ the 48-year-old had been privately battling ovarian cancer that spread to her lungs. Smith died at her home in Stockton, California, on February 14, surrounded by her family and friends, the outlet reports.
Smith gained online fame in August 2023 when her playful and eccentric TikTok duets of pop songs began going viral. Her various renditions of Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” received tens of millions of views, and Eilish herself sang Smith’s version of her song while performing that same month.
“Billie Eilish [is] one of the world’s greatest artists,” Smith said when she spoke with Vulture back in August 2023. “I feel wonderful.”
Smith grew up in Macon, Georgia, and had been singing since she was young. Smith previously told Vulture she was trained by her mother and would perform with her brother as a child when her family hosted church services in their home. Inspired by Aretha Franklin, Smith went on to release her own R&B music on Spotify, a collection of singles such as “Self-esteem.”
“I love the duet because singing is something that I am good at,” she said. “I love to hit high notes. I’m a powerhouse.”
Her creative interpretations of the songs she chose to duet inspired users to sing their own covers and remix her videos into one giant performance. Her most recent video, posted on February 10, has been flooded with over 4,500 comments from her followers.
“Thank you for making me laugh daily,” one wrote. “Rest in peace angel.”
“Rest in peace beautiful!” another commented. “So glad you don’t have to miss your son anymore.”
Rooks is now fundraising to return her mother’s body to Georgia so she can be buried with her son, Josiah Smith, who Rooks says passed away at 15 years old. Any additional funds raised will help keep the family on its feet during this transition.
“I, as the eldest child will now be taking on full responsibility of all my younger siblings,” Rooks wrote in the description, “so anything that is donated beyond the funeral cost and expenses will be invested in them, their needs, and their future.”
At the time of writing, Rooks had raised $7,898 of her $42,000 goal, much of it from TikTok followers who shared their love of Smith’s videos alongside their donations.
“I’ll miss seeing your TikToks on my FYP,” one message reads. “You brought me a lot of joy last year while I was going through tough times.”
For Smith, the feeling was very much mutual. “I love TikTok for believing in me,” she told Vulture. “I love when people sing and keep a smile on their face. It really makes me feel like I’m a blessing to somebody’s life.”
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Kate Lindsay , 2024-02-16 23:02:09
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