he had caught one of the radio announcements on his way home from work. >> theo harris: i pulled the car over to the side of the street. i said, "this is what i've been waiting for." there. >> harris: i'm there. that's for me, yes. >> stahl: debbie bingham, 56, needed a steady job to raise her family, so she became a nurse. >> debbie bingham: i worked in pediatrics, in the trauma center, so i did a little bit of everything. >> stahl: did you ever dream of being a professional singer? >> bingham: all the time. >> stahl: renee walker, also 56, works for her local school district. >> renee walker: when i started working there, i told myself it would just be a temporary job until i made it as a singer. so, i've been there 31 temporary years. >> stahl: in some cases, the talent was obvious. in others, like a 75-year-old named matthew brown, a little less so. >> higginsen: oh, matthew brown. when he walked through the door, he came in... he was bent over, looking down, and i was thinking to myself, "what's gonna happen here?" for this show." know. i mean, look at... whew. >> stahl: she look

but have another song, just in case." ( laughs ) >> stahl: theo harris wanted to sing about his time in prison and how it was music that got him through. >> harris: they had a 10:00 quiet bell, which meant all talking ceases. so one evening, i started singing. and it was real quiet. and then when i finished, i heard somebody say, "who was that singing?" "that was me." they said, "well, keep singing." >> stahl: keep singing. >> harris: keep singing. i was their radio from that point on. >> stahl: any song you felt like? >> harris: and... well, they... and took requests. >> stahl: oh, took requests? >> harris: and took requests, yes. >> stahl: harris used his prison time to get an education-- a college degree, and then a masters in playwriting. when a musical he wrote was performed at the prison, music brought him something else-- a leading lady. >> phyllis harris: of course, they had to get somebody from the outside, because it's an all-male prison. and so my sister doris, she volunteered me. >> stahl: phyllis and her sister do volunteer work at the prison through their church. >> harr

theo harris revealed at his audition that he had spent time in prison. when he said how much time, he wasn't sure anyone heard him correctly. >> harris: greg kelly, who was the pianist, said, "wait a minute, how many years did you say?" and i said, "40." >> greg kelly: 40? >> harris: yes. >> harris: yes. >> higginsen: 40 years in prison? >> harris: in and out. >> stahl: harris told her he had committed burglaries, many in her neighborhood, harlem, to get money to feed a drug habit. vy told us she was conflicted, but when she and her husband and collaborator, director ken wydro, made their choices and assembled a cast to start creating the show, theo was sitting front and center. why did you pick him if he's this person who destroyed your neighborhood? >> higginsen: because he's part of it. he's part of the big picture. i can't ignore that. and perhaps it was necessary for him to have a second chance. perhaps he deserved it, another chance. >> stahl: and theo harris wasn't the only one they had chosen with a dramatic story, and he wasn't the only one who n

he had caught one of the radio announcements on his way home from work. >> theo harris: i pulled the car over to the side of the street. i said, "this is what i've been waiting for." >> stahl: "55 and over," i'm there. >> harris: i'm there.

theo theory i guess. >> place, wayne newton's vegas home. >> come on. >> a private jet, exotic pets. behind the walls of his $70 million home. >> this isamazing. >> now in our 35th season this is "entertainment tonight". >> samantha harrisor nancy o'dell. >> we begin the year with sad news. here i tonight's top story. >> singer natalie cole pass add way at the age of 65. ♪ unfor ggettable ♪ >> she died last night in los angeles due to complications from on going health issues. her family i this statement to "e.t." -- >> "natalie fought a fierce, couragebattle, dying how she lived with dig in any event, strength and hon our beloved mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain unforgettable in our hearts forever." she was the daughter of natt king cole, once a serious dru abuser, she battled hepatitis c and underwent a kidney transpla transplant. >> i was in denial that i was close todying. zbl natalie sang to mary hart on her fin day at "e.t." to reminisce about our dearfriend. >> thank you, natalie. >> thank you. thank you. >> now the countdown is on for big show and thepeople's choice awards air wednesday night on cbs. we're going to get you ready for the show. >> we sure are. we spent so much time with manufact