![]() ![]() ![]() They’re so good, they don’t have to, (Frank) Sinatra being the perfect example. They don’t direct attention to themselves. “Great singers, they do their showing-off inside the song. “There’s something shimmering,” Barrett said. “I’d be bowing.”īarrett used the word “transcendent” multiple times to describe Vandross’ performance of “One Shining Moment,” noting his extraordinary vocal range and ability to wring more emotion out of the already sentimental lyrics.Īlso, according to Barrett, it was the last song recorded by Vandross, who suffered a stroke in 2003 and died in 2005, making it a final reminder of his brilliance. “If you could see me, if we were FaceTiming now, you’d see me going, ‘I’m not worthy,’” Barrett said. In 2000, Barrett remastered his original recording and decided to replace Pendergrass.īarrett remembered being particularly excited when Towey, a close friend who died in 2009, told him that Vandross was on board to do the vocals. When it came time to update “One Shining Moment,” soul artist Teddy Pendergrass took over the vocals at the suggestion of Doug Towey, then CBS Sports’ creative director and the person behind the decision to pair the song with the NCAA Tournament. In the key of F, I let it rip, and next thing I know, half an hour later, I woke out of this fever dream and called up a friend of mine and said, ‘Oh my God. I sat down and started banging away at the piano, which is all I can really do, bang away. That sounds way too esoteric, but it happens to be true. “I just wrote it because I meant it,” Barrett said. As Barrett tells it, “I literally put my hands on the keys and followed them for 30 minutes.” “Simple as that.”īarrett, who penned the lyrics to “One Shining Moment” on a cocktail napkin in 1986, performed the original version that debuted after the Indiana Hoosiers’ championship win in 1987 and ran through 1993. “He was a voice for a generation,” Barrett said. It revived Vandross’ version in 2011 and has stuck with it, cementing its enduring popularity. There were fewer Duke players in there, and they rebelled.”Īfter fans revolted, CBS gave them what they wanted. Who knows how that would have played out if the visuals (would have been different). If you would have told me years before that she’d be singing, I’d pinch myself. It was inadvertent, but it had nothing to do with her performance. Unfortunately, CBS used perhaps more of her face in the actual video, and they got a lot of blowback from it. “She’s a magnificent singer, truly is, and really a pro. “I was all for changing up,” Barrett said. Much of the criticism focused on Hudson being too present in the highlight package. But CBS pivoted to Jennifer Hudson in 2010, and her rendition drew enough ire from shocked fans that the network scrapped it after one year. For the previous seven years, Luther Vandross’ unmistakable, velvety voice had soundtracked the biggest moments of March Madness. ![]()
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