As I sit here and listen to an Artist Confidential of Natalie Cole on Sirius XM, I realize how remiss I was not to pay homage to her in a post.

As a child, I fell in love with her via Inseparable. She was – and always will be – a class act. I vividly remember her gowns that she would wear as a young woman performing. Despite her personal stumbles along the way, she is among the greats. She had huge shoes to fill whether she wanted to or not.

Her soon-to-be (at that time) husband wrote Inseparable after their first date; that must’ve been a helluva date! I also just learned that my FAVORITE song by her, Our Love, was written when she was pregnant.

She just gave great advice to an aspiring artist. Natalie was real, remarking that many in the industry today are not talented.

Follow the 10s. It’s okay to copy, music is for sharing…just make it your own. Be around people who are better at it… Get into writing.

Just now, she killed a cover of the Isley Brothers’ Don’t Say Good Night. Then performed a favorite from Sting. I regret that I never saw her live, but I’m thoroughly enjoying this exclusive.

Rest in peace to the unforgettable Natalie Cole.