Vanessa Marquez Singing, "Fly Me to the Moon"

It was three years ago today that the mother of Vanessa Marquez, a few friends, and myself gathered atop Mount Lee in Los Angeles to scatter Vanessa's ashes. It is for that reason that Vanessa has been on my mind a lot today. I have listened to songs I identify with her and taken note of every butterfly I have seen (Vanessa always said her name meant "butterfly.").

Among the songs I identify with Vanessa Marquez is "Fly Me to the Moon." It was many years ago that she got the chance to sing "Fly Me to the Moon" with jazz singer Rick Blessing at Jax Bar & Grill in Glendale, California. Some of her friends sprung it on Vanessa as a surprise, so she was not expecting it at all and as a result she was nervous. It might seem odd for an actress who had appeared on stage and screen, but Vanessa did suffer from stage fright. It is for that reason she forgot the words, "Baby, kiss me." I think she handled very well. In fact, when I first saw the video I thought it was simply part of the act. Regardless, Vanessa had a beautiful singing voice. It is a shame that she didn't get to utilize it as an actress. The only time she got to sing on television, much less film, was on the classic sketch comedy show Culture Clash. At any rate, if I hadn't loved Vanessa before seeing this video, I certainly would have fallen in love with her afterwards!

Anyway, in memory of my dearest Vanessa Rosalia Marquez, here she is singing, "Fly Me to the Moon" in duet with Rick Blessing.