Aaron Neville f/ Linda Ronstadt "Close Your Eyes"

Originally a hit in 1955, Aaron Neville and his singing buddy Linda Ronstadt re-recorded The Five Keys signature tune in 1992. While not a hit on the radio, soft rock radio stations give it some love.

Linda Ronstadt "Adios"

I didn't intend to make my teacher cry, but it happened. Tasked with writing a paper about someone I loved and lost for my 8th grade Literature class, I quickly got to work putting my still raw feelings about my grandfather to paper. Grandpa John passed away October 29, 1989. His sudden death marked the first major loss I experienced. That date and day remains etched in my memory some 30 years later. That day in early 1991, I lowered my guard and candidly wrote about my feelings on Grandpa John and the loss it took on my family. When I walked to the front of the classroom and handed in my paper to my teacher, Mrs. Hoess, she broke down in tears.

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The 29th day of October 1989 was the final day of my school's fall break and another unseasonably warm October afternoon meant another opportunity to make a few bucks mowing the lawn of my other grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa Ganz lived two houses away while Grandma Emily and Grandpa John lived two towns away. While cutting the grass, I vividly remember seeing my parents' car speed down our block, but I thought nothing of it. A bit later while I was struggling to empty the grass clippings into a garbage bag, Grandma Ganz emerged and shared the bad news. "Your grandpa John had a heart attack," she calmly told me. Even though the news stunned me, I swallowed hard to remove the lump in my throat and tried to carry on as though I didn't hear what I was just told. Clearly recognizing this, my grandma suggested I come inside to take a break.

Four days prior,Grandpa John proudly stood next to my brother at his Confirmation ceremony at our family's church in Dyer, Indiana. A very religious man, Grandpa John was beaming to be my brother's Confirmation sponsor. Even before he retired from American Steel, Grandpa spent most of his time volunteering as an usher, commentator and parish board member at St. John Bosco Church in Hammond, Indiana. The night of my brother's confirmation, my mom baked a lasagna, and I remember my grandpa wasn't feeling well. He recall he spent some lengthy time in the bathroom after dinner while we all waited. During the Confirmation ceremony, the Bishop quizzed the ninth grade students about the Bible, Catholicism and Jesus all the while Grandpa John whispered all of the answers in my brother's ear. He proudly (and incorrectly) told my brother that he was batting 100. After the ceremony, we all said our goodbyes in the church parking lot and then walked toward our respective cars. Just before reaching his Chevy Firenza, Grandpa John turned back and yelled in my direction: "You're next!".

That fateful October 29th, my grandparents took part in Polish Heritage Days at the East Chicago Public Library. Grandpa John and Grandma Emily performed in their own Polka band known as "The Musical J.E.M.S." and took the stage that afternoon. I never knew any of the songs from the 1920s and 1930s that they played, but I remember they were entertaining and could work a room. Both dressed in these white outfits with red trim (the official Polish colors!)...Grandma with her accordion and Grandpa with his kazoo and boomba (also known as a stump fiddle). While performing one of their signature songs that afternoon, Grandpa John fell. He suffered a massive heart attack that afternoon and died instantly.

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Wiping away the tears, Mrs. Hoess shared that she knew Grandpa John and, next to her husband, loved him dearly. "A special man," she called him. Her husband and my grandpa were friends and both volunteered at church. After Grandpa John died, my grandma decided the best way to deal with her grief was to get rid of all my grandpa's belongings: clothes, landscaping, tools...they all went...the majority of it during a garage sale. Mr. Hoess attended that garage sale and purchased a bunch of my grandpa's tools...not out of necessity, but because he wanted something tangible to remember my grandfather. A few days later, Mr. Hoess died.

My literature assignment dredged up layers of painful memories both for teacher and student. I never expected to watch my teacher's tears as she read my words. It was one of the first times I realized that teachers were people too. They didn't live at the school. They didn't live to assign tests and homework -- that was their job. As much as teachers and students never cross over to being friends, I felt like that incident made Mrs. Hoess my friend. She wasn't just someone who taught me poetry, she and I shared a love of the same people...just in different ways.

After I went into high school, I kept in touch with her via Grandma Emily (who lived near her and also saw her at church). A few days after I graduated from high school, a package arrived in the mail with the return address "me". I knew it was from Mrs. Hoess. "me" was how she always signed her notes and cards to me. Tucked inside her package to me was an inspirational book coupled with a note congratulating me on finishing high school. She wished me the best in college and also shared that she also was going away to a new school. She accepted a new department head position at a different school and would be moving away from Northwest Indiana. I never heard from her again. I recognize I could Google her name, but I fear what obituary Google might return. I'd rather believe she's still busy teaching her unbridled love of literature to young minds...

George Michael "I Can't Make You Love Me"

While Bonnie Raitt make this somber ballad famous in 1991, many other artists quickly adopted the song and added it to their respective setlists. George Michael along with Bruce Hornsby, Boyz II Men and Adele are just some of the many artists who embraced the touching tune. Ironically, the song was written by two Nashville songwriters who envisioned Bette Midler, Linda Ronstadt or Bonnie Raitt performing it.

Karla Bonoff "Personally"

One listen to "Personally" from Karla Bonoff and you'd think you stumbled upon a deep cut from Linda Ronstadt. Bonoff, coincidentally, sang backup for Ronstadt but the singer-songwriter also covered many of her songs along with writing for Bonnie Raitt. "Personally" was Bonoff's one big hit (#3 on Adult Contemporary Chart, #19 on Hot 100) during the summer of 1982.

Aaron Neville "Somewhere, Somebody"

Most DJ's avoid the radio station's phone lines at all costs...instead they answer only when they're conducting a contest. I, for one, always enjoyed answering the phones because you just never knew who was going to call...especially when working the overnight shift (midnight until 5am). After the bars closed, you'd get your drunken requests for songs, sobbing teenagers who just broke up with their significant others and freaky calls from curious perverts with creepy voices who asked if I liked my back scratched by long painted fingernails (true story). Most radio stations also had their "regulars" -- folks who knew everyone by name and checked in daily. Somewhere in Chicago, somebody named Margie places daily phone calls to my radio station and (for the past 20 years) has said the same three things (usually followed by giggles):

• "Hey, good looking, thanks for the weather."
• "Are you gonna be here tomorrow?"
• "Will you play The Carpenters?"

Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby"

Linda Ronstadt once again teamed up with her go-to duet partner Aaron Neville for "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby". The ballad peaked at #5 on the Adult Contemporary Chart in 1990 and is one of four duets with Neville on Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind.

Aaron Neville "Everybody Plays the Fool"

It's a tried-and-true formula from Adult Contemporary artists: remake a classic R&B/Motown tune and then sit back and watch the money roll in. In Aaron Neville's case, he did not call on his old buddy Linda Ronstadt, but instead dusted off the sheet music to The Main Ingredient's "Everybody Plays the Fool" and watched it go to #8 on the Hot 100 (#1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart).  

Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville - "All My Life"

Stick a microphone in front of Linda Ronstadt and she'll belt out something worth hearing.  Stick a microphone in front of Linda Ronstadt AND Aaron Neville and you best just stand back and watch the magic unfold.  Heck, the duo already found success with "Don't Know Much", so they figured what the hell--Aaron Neville isn't doing anything...let's get the band back together.  The result: "All My Life"...another #1 Adult Contemporary hit in 1990.

Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram - "Somewhere Out There"

Credit Steven Spielberg for lots of things: E.T., Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, and for giving Disney its first movie-music crossover hit.  Spielberg recruited Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram to sing "Somewhere Out There"--the song performed over the closing credits to An American Tail.  Seeing the dollar signs, Disney made it a point to create music soundtracks that complement their movie counterparts.

Aaron Neville & Linda Ronstadt - "Don't Know Much"

Bill Medley and Bette Midler couldn't pull off what Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt did.  Both duos recorded "Don't Know Much" (Medley and Midler in 1981 and Neville and Ronstadt in 1989), but only Neville and Ronstadt could say that they took the song to #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts.