James Ingram "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?"

"How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" came from the soundtrack to Best Friends -- a Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn rom-com from 1982. The film also co-starred Audra Lindley fresh off her four-year run as Mrs. Roper on Three's Company and later The Ropers.

Stacy Lattisaw "I Found Love on a Two-Way Street"

While just 15 years young, Staci Lattisaw found her music all over the radio. Her remake of "I Found Love on a Two-Way Street" made its way onto Adult Contemporary radio in 1981. That song followed a handful of other songs that made their way onto the music charts. The same year James Ingram released "I Don't Have the Heart", Lattisaw also released her take on the song. Unlike Ingram's #1 chart topper, Lattisaw's did not chart.

James Ingram "I Don't Have the Heart"

James Ingram passed away last week, but leaves my generation with some of the smoothest R&B ballads from the '80s and '90s. In particular, I'll always remember Ken Cocker on Chicago's 100.3 WPNT-FM on the air one afternoon sharing the meaning behind Ingram's signature tune, "I Don't Have the Heart". The song encapsulates what some of us may have struggled with at one point.

What set Ingram apart among most of his contemporaries is he sang about love as it really is -- not how it's imagined to be in all those Hallmark Channel movies. Love is as dangerous as it is wonderful. As warm as it could be cold. For love to be complete, it must be reciprocated. The love you give has to be received back. Ingram knows he's not in love with a woman who loves him in "I Don't Have the Heart". He painfully recognizes he cannot return this love. With both a heart that can't love her and a heart that doesn't want to hurt her, Ingram sings of his struggle as gently as he can. The song clearly struck a chord as it went to #1 in 1990 (#2 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Chart).

James Ingram & Michael McDonald "Ya Mo B There"

"Nothing against him [Michael McDonald], but if I hear 'Yah Mo B There' one more time, I'm gonna 'yah mo' burn this place to the ground!"

-Taken from The 40-Year-Old Virgin

John Tesh w/ James Ingram "Forever More"

(phone rings)
"Hello?"

"John Tesh is kicking your ass!"

"What?"

"John Tesh is kicking your ass. I'm listening to him tell a story about overcoming your greatest fears and then I turn over to you and you're talking over an Elton John songs and telling me how you play the most music in the morning."

My former colleague Rob used to call the radio station's hotline each Sunday morning to tell me two things:
1. He was running late.
2. John Tesh's radio show (which aired on a suburban radio station) had content that far exceeded mine.

At first, Rob's comment bothered me. Wait, you're telling me that John Tesh, the Yanni-wannabe who was the butt of every Jay Leno joke, is putting on a better radio show than me reading liners four times an hour?!? Bull.

In reality, Tesh was not only kicking my ass, he was about to turn his little weekend radio show into a full-time job. His friendly and inspirational style won him legions of fans and, ultimately, his weekend show turned into a daily syndicated radio show heard on more than 150 stations. Damn you, John Tesh.

Quincy Jones "The Secret Garden"

Quincy Jones enlisted some heavy-hitting voices for "The Secret Garden" -- Barry White, James Ingram, El DeBarge, and Al B. Sure all perform in what may be the greatest example of audio seduction. One listen to this song and your windows start to steam...

Kenny Rogers with Kim Carnes & James Ingram "What About Me?"

The year 2017 saw Kenny Rogers wave goodbye to touring with the conclusion of his world farewell tour. Rogers remarkable career spans nearly 60 years...beginning with "That Crazy Feeling" in 1957. By the 1970s, Rogers etched his name in the history books as his music dominated the Country Music, Hot 100, and Adult Contemporary Charts. The list of artists connected to his 1984 hit "What About Me?" also spans multiple formats, genres and generations. Rogers originally enlisted Barbara Streisand and Lionel Richie to be part of the song, but both dropped out. Then came Jeffrey Osborne and Olivia Newton-John, who both had scheduling conflicts. Rogers settled on Kim Carnes and James Ingram, and the trio turned the ballad into Rogers final #1 hit on the Adult Contemporary Chart.

James Ingram - "One Hundred Ways"

James Ingram's "One Hundred Ways" featured Quincy Jones and came from Ingram's awesomely-titled album The Dude.

James Ingram - "Just Once"

These days, album titles no longer seem to matter (unless you're Taylor Swift or Adele).  Back in 1981, James Ingram released The Dude--an R&B album that contained the ballad "Just Once".

James Ingram & John Tesh - "Give Me Forever (I Do)"

Don't you feel like certain songwriters write songs solely with the hope that their song gets played at wedding receptions?  I'm sure the folks behind "The Hokey Pokey" didn't think that way, but part of me believes that "Give Me Forever (I Do)" was intended for that reason.  Plus, John Tesh is behind this song, so you got that to deal with...

Toto - "I'll Be Over You"

When it's 1980-something and you needed some backing vocals to your Adult Contemporary song, who ya gonna call?  MICHAEL McDONALD!  Patti LaBelle, Kenny Loggins, and even James Ingram (Mr. Ya Mo Be There) picked up the phone and dialed Mr. Michael McDonald when their song needed some smooth vocals.  Thankfully, someone passed Michael's phone number to Toto and they speed dialed him in 1986 for some help on "I'll Be Over You".  Obviously, the song shot to #1 and became their second #1 Adult Contemporary hit.

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.

Patti Austin & James Ingram - "Baby, Come To Me"

General Hospital first featured this duet that generated so much buzz that the song eventually was released as a single.  Patti Austin and James Ingram's "Baby, Come to Me" quickly shot to the #1 spot in 1983 and showed the power of the once almighty soap opera.