January 11 is the birthday of a very special Capricorn – Rahsaan Ngi Patterson. PlanetSoul.com celebrates the birth of our poster child and we’d like to thank him for his generosity (did he give us the most cosmicsexyfunky theme song or what?!), his spirit, and for continuing to move and inspire so many of us through his singing and songwriting.

Thanks Rah…I know I speak for so many when I say, that as far as singers go, YOU are THE PROTOTYPE. 

In honor of his birthday, I asked Rahsaan’s mother, Paulette Waters, to share a special memory about Rahsaan as a child, and she provided this gem of a story:

“Rahsaan actually sang before he talked. Everything about music and the love of melody must have been hard wired into a special place in his brain. From the time he could sit up, he responded to everything musical. The records we played at home and especially television commercials. I started to use the tv commercials to teach him how to spell. Letting him sing the commercials and telling him the letters that were in his name. One day, he announced to me that he could spell his name. Naturally I was delighted and asked him to please spell it.

He responded by singing “R-O-L-A-I-D-S” Rolaids!! Well I must admit he got the “R” right. He also got the pitch right as well as the actual tone and voice of the person who sang the commercial. Not bad for 1 1/2 years old.”