15 S5- You're All I Need to Get by with Salisha Thomas Weiss

Salisha Thomas Weiss didn’t need a perfect plan. In 2014, she was working at Disneyland in California when her schedule suddenly dropped to just one shift per week. The timing lined up with a recent breakup and a long-standing pull to try New York City. So she booked a one-way ticket, packed a few essentials, and moved in with a friend for a one-month trial run.

Each day, she wandered the city solo, riding the trains, exploring neighborhoods, and getting a feel for whether this could really be her new home. Then, in a subway station one day, a homeless man sat beside her and said something that would stay with her forever: “I don’t know who you are, but you need to move here. And you need to do it now.” That moment—unexpected and unexplainable—pushed her into motion. She gave her notice at Disneyland, packed up her apartment, and returned to New York a few weeks later. This time, for good.

Within days of arriving, she won the lottery for Motown the Musical on Broadway. She reached out to an old college acquaintance in the cast, and he invited her backstage. It was during that show that she heard You’re All I Need to Get By, the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell duet from 1968. Something about the way it was performed, and how it landed in that moment of her life, made it stick. It wasn’t just a beautiful song—it felt like it was meant to find her.

That backstage meeting also opened a new door. Her friend mentioned he was auditioning for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and casually told her, “You should be in that.” She asked her agents to get her an audition, and though the role had been casting for months, she booked it almost immediately. It was her first national tour, and it all happened within weeks of that chance encounter and that one song she couldn’t shake.

Years later, You’re All I Need to Get By took on an even deeper meaning. In 2021, Salisha met Andrew at Podfest—virtually at first—and what started as a creative collaboration turned into a relationship. When they got married in 2022, she had a decision to make about the music for her walk down the aisle. She had narrowed it down to two contenders: Beyoncé’s Love on Top, or the song that had quietly followed her through so many pivotal life moments.

She chose You’re All I Need to Get By.

It wasn’t just nostalgia. The lyrics and the energy of the song captured something real about their love—steady, soulful, and supportive. The same song that played during the moment her life pivoted toward Broadway became the soundtrack to another major chapter: her wedding day. It was never even on her “mind movie playlist”—a list of songs she used to visualize her dream life—but somehow it became the theme anyway.

Originally recorded in 1968, You’re All I Need to Get By was one of the last duets Marvin Gaye recorded with Tammi Terrell before her death in 1970. At the time of the session, Tammi was still recovering from brain tumor surgery. Marvin gently coached her through the vocals, supporting her every step of the way. That vulnerability and closeness are felt in the recording—it’s not just harmony, it’s care. Tammi passed away at only 24 years old, making the track even more meaningful to fans who knew the story behind the music.

For Salisha, the song became more than a beautiful Motown ballad. It became a marker—of change, of trust, of knowing when to leap. From a couch in New York to a Broadway tour, from backstage moments to a wedding aisle, You’re All I Need to Get By quietly wove itself through the most defining parts of her story. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

🎵 Listen to the full episode to hear Salisha’s adventure packed story.

You're All I Need To Get By (the song)

To Connect with Salisha Thomas Weiss: @theSalishaShow

Salisha's Podcast: The Salisha Show

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