Welcome to a special edition of Music Friday, when we bring you memorable songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today we bend the rules a bit to pay tribute to the incomparable Natalie Cole, who passed away last week at the age of 65.



Anybody who has attended a wedding over the past 40 years has surely danced to one of Cole's romantic hits, starting with 1975's "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)," and continuing with "Inseparable" and "Unforgettable."

Wedding DJs love "This Will Be" because the song is ideal for the wedding entrance, cake cutting or bridal party introductions. The song was famously used during the final credits of The Parent Trap (1998), and is prominently featured in the current series of eHarmony commercials.

This is what Cole had to say about her everlasting love: "You brought a lot of a sunshine in to my life / You filled me with happiness I never knew / You gave me more joy then I ever dreamed of / And no one, no one can take the place of you."

Written by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy, "This Will Be" was Cole's debut single and one of her biggest hits, earning her a Grammy Award for the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The song also helped secure her Grammy Award for Best New Artist. "This Will Be" reached #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 list and #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles list. Later, the song's three-word title would be appended with "(An Everlasting Love)."

Cole, the daughter of famous crooner Nat King Cole, was born in Los Angeles in 1950. At the age of 6, Natalie sang on her father's Christmas album and later began performing at age 11. Cole was only 15 years old when her dad passed away in 1965 at the age of 45.

In 1991, Cole recorded a duet of "Unforgettable" with her dad by mixing her track with the original he recorded in 1951. The result was so successful that it won three Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year.

We invite you to check out Cole's spectacular live performance of "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)." We know you'll be tempted to dance, or at least sign into your eHarmony account. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)"
Written by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy. Performed by Natalie Cole.

Oooh.....

This will be an everlasting love
This will be the one I've waited for
This will be the first time anyone has loved me.

I'm so glad you found me in time
And I'm so glad that you rectified my mind
This will be an everlasting love for me

Loving you is some kind of wonderful
Because you showed me just how much you care
You've given me the thrill of a lifetime
And made me believe you've got more thrills to spare, oh!

This will be an everlasting love
Oh, yes it will now!

You brought a lot of a sunshine in to my life
You filled me with happiness I never knew
You gave me more joy then I ever dreamed of
And no one, no one can take the place of you

This will be,
you and me,
yes sir-ee
eternally
Hugging and squeezing, and kissing and pleasing,
Together forever throughever whatever.
Yeah yeah yeah you and me

So long as I'm living true love I'll be giving
To you I'll be serving cause you're so deserving
Hey, you're so deserving, you're so deserving
yeah yeah yeah Whoooaaah
Love [x18]
From now on [repeat till fade]


Credit: YouTube screen capture.