Jahna Steele was a great person. And I do mean great. How few of us find the strength to truly stand up and say, "I AM WHAT I AM!"
Jahna, born John, passed away a few weeks ago. The 49 years spent on this earth must have seemed like a thousand, or at least that's what she told me, several years ago, last night, when we were young. She had Jan Carl and the Entertainment Tonight crew following her and, as she and I had decided to do a book-a real book-on her life, I was spending a lot of time with her. Late nights fueled by ambition and other substances, she and I ended up "live" on the BUCK HUNTER TV SHOW, broadcast from midnight to three from the Gold Coast here in Las Vegas. She had gone into my closet and selected a black suit (my very best Armani) and a great-looking tie that would look appropriate with her gown. Just before we went on, I remember her putting a bit of concealer under my eyes, the both of us laughing at having been up for 36 hours straight.
Straight! Ha. Then, straight into:
"Those fingers in my hair..."
I had to open the duet. as Sinatra had done on his 'Duets,' sharing the Cy Coleman song with Anita Baker. And so, Jahna and I, after singing along in my home studio, burned the track and went on the show.
After the song, we went onto the panel and I ended up kind-of interviewing her. The next day, we had an offer to host an early morning radio show. (The money was actually OK, it was the hour that was the deal-killer).
I am reaching out to Adolph or Buck Hunter himself as I sure would like to add that video here to House of H2O.
"It's such an ancient pitch: One I would never switch..."
There was nobody who ever "got me" like Jahna.
