http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT5x2E6oJ4s

American actress and singer Della Reese talks about her time touring with Nat King Cole. Reese explains how she was utterly and outwardly smitten with the famous jazz musician to the point where Cole’s band would tease her about her crush. She delights in her memory of Cole standing up for her one night after a show–telling his band to cease teasing her: “He had recognized me. It was wonderful.”

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Della Reese’s Crush on Nat King Cole appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgcuk_R51HQ

Nat King Cole’s daughter, widow, and others explain what Cole’s “The Christmas Song” means to them and their relationship with the beloved icon. They also touch on the challenges the singer had to experience in his personal life with his health and the racism he endured throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

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The Christmas Song appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlnGZyZuozI

Dizzy Gillespie is considered to be one of the greatest trumpeters of all time. He is credited, along with Charlie Parker, with creating Bebop and Modern Jazz. In this interview, Gillespie talks about how Bebop got his name, and explains why his trumpets are all bent at a seemingly bizarre angle, saying: “This has a sense of… this is about the closest you can get to yourself. This bell and your ear are on the same level.” Gillespie also talks about how the trumpet gets harder to play as time goes on, saying: “If you live to be a thousand years old, you would never master this boy.”

The post Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie On The Birth of Bebop appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZseBlzhMKF8

American singer-songwriter Etta James talks about how she sees herself as more than just a r&b singer and discusses the female singers that have inspired her. James says she personally knew Diana Washington and Billie Holiday, claiming, “They led the life they sang about.” She unapologetically explains how her music’s ability to connect with people have a lot to do with her own life being a “roller-coaster” with many highs and lows.

The post Billie Holiday
Etta James on Her Jazz Idols Like Billie Holiday appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0QWBoBzMN4

Ray Charles discusses his drug addiction on the Dick Cavett show. He explains that making up your mind to quit is the first and most important step to overcoming any kind of addiction.

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Ray Charles Discusses Drug Use on the Dick Cavett Show appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88x5vdh8nQY

Billie Holiday explains how she went from a casual singer to a professional on the stage and she discusses her personal life along with husband, Louis McKay. Holiday was born on April 7, 1915.

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The Start of Her Singing Career appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orsRIRtR180

Eartha Kitt describes exactly what happened the day of her first solo performance in Paris and explains how she succeeded without bringing any sheet music with her.

The post Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt Recalls Her Solo Debut in Paris appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY6hHmwSpQo

The late singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse is interviewed after the release of her 2006 album, “Back to Black,” which won five Grammy Awards in 2008. Hear what Amy thought about when people talked about her addictions and behavior; why she considered herself a “very lucky girl”; and how writing songs about bad experiences helped her to deal with the emotions. Winehouse died on July 23, 2011.

The post Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse on Her Successful Album, 'Back to Black' appeared first on Witnify.