Ray Charles And Diana Ross Honor Nat 'King' Cole And Billie Holiday

03/07/2000 1:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(3/7/00, 1 p.m. ET) - One of the great things about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is that it provides a venue for legendary performers to honor their peers. Such was the case last night (March 6) in New York when Ray Charles honored Nat "King" Cole.

"When I began to really understand a little bit about music, one of the people that had the main influence on me at an early age was Nat Cole,"he said. "I have to be honest and tell you I used to sleep Nat Cole, Iwould drink Nat Cole, eat Nat Cole...'"

After three of Cole's daughters spoke on his behalf, Charles performed Cole's "Nature Boy." Diana Ross followed with the induction of Billie Holiday. Ross, who received and Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Holiday in Lady Sings The Blues, performed an a cappella version of a Holiday song, then stepped to the podium. "To be a part of tonight's ceremonies is a tremendous honor for me. It's one that I willcherish forever," she said. "It gave me a chance to touch Lady Day's incredible life story, to be sensitive to her pain, her grief, andalso her genius."

Ross then sang another Holiday song - the staple "God Bless The Child."

-- Darren Davis, Gary Graff, and Bruce Simon, New York

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