Nationwide — Singer Natalie Cole passed away over the 2015/16 holiday season; She reportedly died from from congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 65. She had recently cancelled several tour dates because of her health issues, which included hepatitis C and complications from a kidney transplant in 2009 that she never fully recovered from.
But the good news is that her legend lives on in many ways. Here are 10 reasons why she is and will always be “unforgettable”:
#1 – She is the daughter of the late Nat King Cole: Her dad was a singer and jazz pianist widely noted for his soft, baritone voice. Although he died back in 1965, his songs are still played today on radio stations around the world – especially around Christmas time.
#2 – Although she was the daughter of a superstar, she tried to be herself: She told Jet Magazine in a 1976 interview. “People said when I started, ‘Why don’t you just copy your father’s style?’ I had to be myself, singing my songs in my own way.” Early on, she said people had started calling her Natalie “Queen” Cole.
#3 – She achieved major, major accomplishments: Most people don’t know how big of an artist she was, but in fact, Natalie Cole sold more than 30 million albums and earned nine Grammy Awards.
#4 – Her biggest song was with her dad: She made history with her 1991 album “Unforgettable.. With Love,” in which she sang with her dad on a remake of his signature song “Unforgettable”. The song was a smash hit, and the album went on to sell 7 million copies.
#5 – She was not a one-hit wonder: Natalie Cole’s success as an artist spanned four decades, from the 1970’s to the 2010’s.
#6 – She was more than just a singer: In addition to being a successful singer, Natalie Cole made guest appearances as an actress on TV series such as “Touched by an Angel” and “Grey’s Anatomy”. She also played herself in a “Livin’ for Love: The Natalie Cole Story” directed by Robert Townsend in the year 2000. She later won an NAACP Image Award for that performance.
#7 – She was global: In 2013, Natalie Cole released an entire album in spanish called “Natalie Cole en Español”. The album was #1 on the Latin Pop Albums Chart for nine weeks, and went on to be nominated for Album of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy.
#8 – She was human: Early in her career, Natalie Cole became addicted to heroin, and nearly derailed her successful music career. But she made a determination to rehabilitate herself, and had been clean from since 1987. What an inspiration for others!
For more details about Natalie Cole, visit her official web site at www.nataliecole.com