Many people do not realize that Nat "King" Cole started his musical career as a piano player. It was while he was on a trip to California, performing in a night club, that his singing career got a jump start.

The singer who was to have performed that evening was taken ill. When Cole showed up the club owner asked about the singer. When he learned the singer was sick, the club owner responded, "No singer, no check." That's the night Nat "King" Cole launched his career. Actually, he had always been a singer but had never recognized and used that talent. Those of us who remember him as a person and as a talent consider him one of the true greats in all of entertainment. His music was spell-binding, soft, melodious and heart-warming. Unforgettable titles are "Unforgettable," "Ramblin' Rose," "The Very Thought of You," "L.O.V.E.," "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Mona Lisa," "When I Fall In Love," "Too Young," "Sweet Lorraine," "Nature Boy," "Love Letters," "For All We Know," "The Very Thought of You."

I tell this story because you might be like me, unable to carry a tune. I certainly can't, but I'm convinced that you have a song to sing, and here's hoping you will take a different view of what you can do with the talent you already possess.