Wilson's long and illustrious career both on the Broadway stage, on tour and particularly in the cabaret world has garnered her numerous awards and across-the-board raves. Critics and audiences agree, for as Stephen Holden wrote in The New York Times, "...Ms. Wilson's art is an emotional balancing act in which the follies of the past are weighed against the wisdom of the present in a way that conveys a remarkable sense of a life being remembered and lived at the same time."

In a recent interview, I asked Julie Wilson ("Call me Julie, darling."), what makes a cabaret artist great--what makes people come back time and time again? Cabaret has to grow from "a deep-rooted seed" inside the performer, she replied in her deliciously husky voice. "There has to be a flame, a passion. You must be willing to say whatever is in your gut, your head, your heart."

Talking to Wilson, one can't help but to also be touched by her humanity, her humility and her willingness to share her life's experiences. She told me a wonderful story about one of her early gigs as a singer at Mother Kelley's in Miami, where she performed for seven months, seven nights a week. "I knew the audience didn't want the girl next door and that this was a great opportunity to develop a unique style and find material that clicked, so the audience would shut up," she said. "And if I didn't nail them, they'd nail me!"

She's been nailing them ever since.