Like...The First Time You Heard Chaka Khan!: A Collection of Soulful Poetry

Like...The First Time You Heard Chaka Khan! is the first published collection of poems by music historian and author David Nathan.

The 22 pieces reflect London-born Nathan's lifelong passion and love for soul music over six decades, starting when he formed the first UK appreciation society for Nina Simone as a teenager in 1965. Known by his nickname 'The British Ambassador Of Soul,' award-winning and industry respected music journalist David Nathan (who spent over three decades in the U.S. writing and interviewing many of soul music's legends and icons) describes this highly personal selection of what he calls 'soulful poetry' as a journey through his 'as lived' experiences during his 34 years of exposure to African-American culture. As an openly gay man since 1967, Nathan has chosen to include specific poems, mostly written in 2007 in Los Angeles, about inclusion and acceptance, loneliness, fame, sex and what he calls "the wonderful, glorious, passionate, satisfying, joy-and-pain, love-and-happiness that is soul music."With poem titles such as "I'm Just A Soul Whose Intentions Are Good...Ode To Dr. Nina Simone," "Would You Make Aretha Wait," Pink Skin MaskOr Teena Marie In A Man's BodyAnd Thank You Ms. Franklin R-E-S-P-E-C-T! " and "Loneliness: Or I Get Lonely Or Gigolos Get Lonely TooMaybe(Or Maybe Not)" give an insight into what readers can expect - a provocative, intimate, often vulnerable, edgy and frequently witty and humorous glimpse into Nathan's life as a soul music scribe and vivid storyteller. Included are references to Nathan's direct experiences with many of the artists - such as Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire, Roberta Flack, Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson among others - who have inspired him along with photographs from his personal collection.