It has been reported that Percy Sledge’s classic recording, “When a Man Loves a Woman,” was under consideration for a scene in CBS’s Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side. However, it was Vel Omarr’s original recording, “If I Should Get to Heaven,” that was ultimately selected.
The story began when Carl Protho received a request from his daughter, Nichelle Protho, a producer involved with the CBS production. She was searching for a recording that could capture the deep emotion and romantic feeling needed for a particular scene. Carl contacted Vel Omarr, setting in motion a series of events that would bring his original song to the attention of the show’s producers.
After speaking with Carl, Vel Omarr listened again to his original recording, “If I Should Get to Heaven,” and recognized that the song carried the emotion the scene required. He suggested it to Carl, who passed the recording along to Nichelle. She presented it to the other producers, giving them an opportunity to hear a voice and a song they had not previously considered.
When the producers heard “If I Should Get to Heaven,” they were struck by the soulful quality of Vel Omarr’s voice, which reminded them of the legendary Sam Cooke. The recording had the warmth, tenderness, and emotional depth they were seeking for the romantic scene. Vel Omarr’s original song was selected for the production.
Before the song could be used, CBS requested a small but meaningful change to its lyrics. Certain references to “God” were to be replaced with “He,” allowing the song to fit the scene and its intended audience. Although Vel Omarr initially had reservations about changing the words of his original composition, he agreed to the adjustment and worked with Carl Protho to prepare the revised recording for the production.
The revised recording of “If I Should Get to Heaven” was featured in “Romancing the Ghost,” an episode of CBS’s online companion series, Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side III. As Olivia and Marc shared a romantic moment, Vel Omarr’s voice provided the musical atmosphere for their scene. What began with a telephone conversation between friends had become a memorable placement for an independently produced original soul recording.
For Vel Omarr, the appearance of “If I Should Get to Heaven” in a CBS production became another chapter in the life of a song created from the heart. Its journey from an independently recorded soul ballad to a televised story’s online companion series demonstrated how a heartfelt melody and an expressive human voice could find their place in an unexpected setting. Years later, the recording continues to carry the same tenderness and emotion that first brought it to the producers’ attention.
