OBITUARIES
Natalie Cole has died at 65; ‘Unforgettable’ singer was daughter of legendary Nat King Cole
By Randy Lewis and Frank Shyong | LA TIMES Staff Writers | January 01, 2016; 9:38 am
Singer Natalie Cole, the daughter of music great Nat King Cole who became a recording star in her own right with hits that spanned three decades, has died, her publicist, Maureen O’Connor, said.
She was 65 years old.
Cole is perhaps best known for her 1991 multiple Grammy-winning album “Unforgettable: With Love,” which became the biggest hit of her career — selling more than 6 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. Cole wowed audiences with a seamless duet with her late father’s voice on the title tune, one of the elder Cole’s signature numbers.
Other hits included “This Will Be,” “Our Love” and a cover of “Pink Cadillac.”
But for all of Cole’s successes, her life was also marked by years of serious health problems.
Cole’s move to singing was accidental. She was a pre-med student at the University of Massachusetts when a friend — who was singing with a local group — fell ill the night of a show and asked whether Cole would stand in for him. He had heard her sing informally at parties. She ended up taking his place in the group and setting aside a medical career.
Cole’s name helped and hurt. It resulted in a lot of club bookings, but also led to embarrassing moments like the night one club marquee read, “Appearing tonight: The daughter of Nat King Cole.”
Cole’s ace in the hole was the fact she really could sing. CONTINUE
MCRFB note: For the rest of this Los Angeles Times Natalie Cole Obituary article (January 01, 2016), please GO HERE.
For more on Natalie Cole’s death please GO HERE.
Randy Lewis and Frank Shyong| Copyright © 2016 Los Angeles Times
