Gail's singing career began when a friend asked her to give a benefit performance. Gail, who was a newscaster and talk show host, had always wanted to sing professionally. This unexpected request gave her the opportunity to try. Three months after her first performance, Gail was singing to audiences of 500 people. The enthusiasm she generated was immediate. "Everyone in the convention hall stood up and cheered," said one woman. "The last time I saw that was at the Met."

Andy Ezrin, a pianist who accompanied her shows, says Gail's greatest strength is her ability to communicate the emotional energy of a song. "The first time I ever played with her," he says, "I was stunned by the range of feelings she expresses and evokes."

According to Gail, that's the reason she does the work. "Songs give us such freedom to express ourselves -- they speak straight from the heart." To illustrate, she tells a story about the time she looked out at the audience and saw a man sitting in the front row with tears streaming down his cheeks.

Moments like that keep Gail singing -- and keep bringing audiences back.