"" Life is filled with so many exciting twists and turns. Hop off the straight and narrow whenever you can and take the winding paths. Experience the exhilaration of the view from the edge. Because the moments spent there, that take your breath away, are what make you feel truly alive."
— Stacey Charter

For the next several days I’m channeling Motown singer Tammi Terrell .  It’s preparation work actually for a duet I’m performing with Wayne Free. He’s the multi-talented lead vocalist for the The Embers.

Sometime this spring and summer we’ll be singing "For Your Precious Love".  It goes something like this:

[Marvin:]
Oo-hoo-oo.
Every day there’s somethin’ new,
(Oo-oo-oo, baby.)
Honey, to keep me lovin’ you.
(Oh-oh-oh, honey.)
And with ev’ry passin’ minute.
(Wo-oh-oh, sugar.)
Ah, baby, so much joy wrapped up in it.

[Tammi:]
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have
Sent you from above.
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have,
[Both:]
Sent your precious love.

Really, what serious music lover DOESN’T know that song?  Come on! It’s among his all time greatest hits!

I’ve been a Marvin Gaye fan since the 1970′s. My love for his music has grown stronger over the years.  I mean, I can listen to one of his hits today, and hear something new!  The musical arrangements were just genius. Thank the Funk Brothers.

But back to Miss Terrell.  What an amazing singer/song writer.  She was just 24 years old when she died.  It was a brain tumor. She collapsed into Gaye’s arms onstage during a performance.

I have googled her.. I have watched You Tube Videos of Tammi and Marvin.. I’ve done the wikipedia thing.  I’m just doing my homework. She was a stunningly beautiful young woman.  So much promise.. The future looked so bright for her.

I will be thinking of this strong and talented young woman when I sing For your Precious Love.  I will have to sweep the cobwebs off my heart and recall all those tingly, romantic feelings when love was new– when I thought I had met the man of my dreams, blah, blah, blah. That’ll be a challenge, but memory does serve me well when I need it to.

Marvin Gaye scored duet hits with Mary Wells and Kim Weston but those hits paled compared with his successes with the late Tammi Terrell.

She’s the real deal. I am beyond happy to sing her song.

"IF WE’RE GROWING, WE’RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE."

–JOHN MAXWELL

I am in a good position to blog about experiencing fear, and going on with the show anyway. Read on friends, and you’ll understand why.

I was out of my comfort zone Thursday night at the Durham Performing Arts Center.  The Triangle Community Foundation was celebrating its 25th anniversary that night. I was invited to open the program…  singing GOTTA BE THIS OR THAT , and GET HAPPY .  The latter song was one that I had NEVER sang in public. The former, I’d done once in my life.

I know there has to be a first time for everything..  But this was not the group to be in front of– "trying out" a song.

This particular audience included some of the big movers and shakers in the community.  Everyone who contributed to the anniversary celebration needed to bring his or her "A" game.  Don’t get this twisted:  I got through my two songs, and though I may have looked happy and gay.. I was not in reality moving and grooving with the greatest of ease and comfort.

That is a feeling I hope not to feel again any time soon.

Just before I was scheduled to take the spotlight.. I revealed to my accompanist and voice coach that I had forgotten some of the words to GET HAPPY during the rehearsal.  I told her it was the reason I left her hanging during one verse of the song.  I tried to play it off… said I did not hear my cue during the practice run.  She closed the door on me saying, "Forget your troubles."

So there was that .  Here’s something else that didn’t help:

The group of wonderful people I was supposed to entertain, sat up perfectly straight and and just stared at me.  They never clapped a hand, tapped a foot, or popped a finger during my performance. Not that I could see anyway.

Boy, I could have used that kind of support from somebody, anybody– but it was not to be.

So I danced between the tables.. Touched a few shoulders and ended up on the stage for the big finish to GET HAPPY.

I am happy that I got a warm round of applause and then later some fine fine compliments about my performance.

Many said they were stunned to find out that I sang, and perhaps that helps to explain some of the blank stares.

I don’t mind being outside my comfort zone… I get that that’s growth.  I just want to feel 100 percent comfortable with my songs when I sing, that’s all. Always.