I am very saddened by the news that longtime Las Vegas headliner, singer Lou Rawls is suffering from lung cancer. When the Blue Note jazz club (currently the location of Krave) opened in 2000 at Desert Passage the mall at the Aladdin, Lou Rawls co-headlined with Nancy Wilson. Rawls will forever be known for his hit "Natural Man" and for his giant Philly soul hits like "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" and "Groovy People" But after his performance at the Blue Note he talked to me about his early years working in groups with childhood friend Sam Cooke. It is Rawls who offers the commanding background voice on the Cooke classic "Bring It On Home to Me." I wish him well in this difficult time. I highly recommend the 2 disc set Anthology (Capitol 2000) for those who have yet to fully enjoy the range of Rawls' talents.

(photo by Rose Prouser/Reuters)