Deborah Cox was probably one of the best R&B singers to take the 90s by storm. With timeless hits like “Where Do We Go From Here,” “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” and “We Can’t Be Friends” no one could forget about the Canadian-born singer. But, apparently, there’s one singer she’ll never forget. For those who don’t know, Deborah Cox credits Patti LaBelle for the major breakthrough in her career.

The Song That Got Away:

During an interview with Pride Source, Patti revealed “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” was the song that got away. Montell Jordan actually wrote the song and presented it to Patti, but Patti felt it just wasn’t for her. When she passed on the song, it fell into Deborah Cox’s hands and the rest is history. When Patti spoke with the publication, details about the song were revealed.

“Speaking of Deborah Cox,” Pride Source’s Chris Azzapardo said, “a lot of people don’t know that Montell Jordan wrote ‘Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,’ but you didn’t love it and then it went to Deborah.”

Patti explained, “Deborah always says I’m her reason for being in show business because I let the song go and she got it. That’s her start.” She added, “But I’m happy it did because I love her.”

Literally…History:

“Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” catapulted Deborah Cox to a whole new level of stardom. The 1998 hit dominated the Billboard charts for a full 14 weeks and held the record for longest-running number one single on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. It took a full eight years for another single to beat Deborah Cox’s record. The song was featured on the singer’s sophomore album One Wish, now an RIAA-certified Platinum album that also topped the Billboard charts.

Over the years, Patti also adopted the song and added it to her performances. Patti said, “After that, I started performing that song at my show and told the audience, “This is the song that got away.”

Check out Patti’s performance of “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” at the 6:25 mark: