Natalie Cole was a singer, songwriter, actress, and voice artist from the United States. Her successes in “This Will Be,” “Our Love,” and “Inseparable” helped her become well-known in the 1970s. She is the daughter of the renowned singer Nat King Cole. She returned to the music scene as a pop singer a few years later with her 1987 album “Everlasting.” Cole’s biggest hit, “Unforgettable… with Love,” which sold over 7 million copies and earned her seven Grammy Awards, was released in the 1990s. Natalie Cole was raised in the exclusive neighborhood of Hancock Park in Los Angeles and was exposed to a sophisticated musical environment. She deliberately stepped out of her famous father’s shadow and achieved phenomenal success on her own. Her father, who broke numerous barriers for people of color during his own musical career, unfortunately passed away from lung cancer just after Cole turned 15 and did not survive to see his daughter’s accomplishment. Music assisted in her emotional healing after her father’s premature passing. Before temporarily attending the University of Southern California, Cole attended the University of Massachusetts and majored in child psychology. After graduating, she started her incredible musical career. Cole passed away in December 2015 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Early Childhood & Life
Nat King Cole, a well-known singer, and his wife Maria Hawkins Ellington, a former orchestra vocalist, welcomed Natalie Cole into the world on February 6, 1950, in Los Angeles, California, the United States. She was the niece of the well-known pianist and vocalist Freddy Cole and the grandniece of the well-known educator Charlotte Hawkins Brown.
Her younger twin sisters, Casey and Timolin, younger twin sister Carole “Cookie,” who was the daughter of her mother’s younger sister, and adoptive brother Nat “Kelly” Cole were her childhood friends.
Cole began performing when she was 11 years old after singing for her father’s holiday CD at the age of six.
Before her father’s passing in 1965, she attended Northfield School for Girls (now Northfield Mount Hermon School).
Later, Cole enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She later spent a brief time studying at the University of Southern California. She was once more changed schools majored in child psychology at the University of Massachusetts, and received her degree there in 1972.
The career of Natalie Cole
Following graduation, Natalie Cole and her band Black Magic began performing in nightclubs. She subsequently started singing R&B and rock songs in different settings. Producers Marvin Yancy and Chuck Jackson contacted her during this period and expressed an interest in working with her.
Cole and Yancy then started recording tunes, which Yancy eventually delivered to other record labels. Except for Capitol Records, the label owned by Cole’s father, almost every label turned them down.
She finally decided to join Capitol Records, and in 1975, she released her first studio album, entitled “Inseparable.” The tracks “This Will Be” and “Inseparable” from the album both went on to become hits.
The musician debuted her album “Natalie” in 1976. Like “Inseparable,” this album was a great smash thanks to the songs “Sophisticated Lady” and “Mr. Melody.” She then released her platinum-selling album, “Unpredictable,” which featured the R&B smash song “I’ve Got Love on My Mind.”
‘Thankful,’ Cole’s second platinum album from 1977, featured the popular song “Our Love” and was certified platinum. She soon launched her own TV program. ‘Natalie Live!’, her debut live album, was published in 1978.
She put out two albums in 1979, “I Love You So” and “We’re the Best of Friends.” Both of these albums achieved gold status in the USA, maintaining her standing.
Then, in 1980, the American singer released her album, “Don’t Look Back.” Even though the song “Someone That I Used To Love” became popular, the album as a whole didn’t do much for me.
Natalie Cole’s career saw a slew of setbacks in the early 1980s. She was dealing with serious drug addiction issues in addition to other personal problems. After the album ‘I’m Ready’ was released in 1983, Cole checked himself into a treatment center and spent around six months there.
She secured a contract with the Atco subsidiary Modern Records after leaving treatment, released her album “Dangerous” in 1985, and started the process of restoring her career.
She joined EMI-Manhattan Records in 1987, and with the assistance of the label’s management, she released the album “Everlasting.” The smash singles “Jump Start,” “I Live For Your Love,” and “Pink Cadillac” were included on the album.
Cole followed up “Everlasting” with the album “Good to Be Back,” which featured two successes, including “Miss You Like Crazy.” The record has had a mediocre amount of success abroad.
She published the album “Unforgettable… with Love” in 1991, which reached the top of many international charts. She participated in the BBC-TV television program “A Tribute To Nat Cole” in 1992.
Take a Look (1993) and Holly & Ivy (1994), albums by Natalie Cole, both eventually achieved gold status. ‘Stardust,’ another one of her releases, reached platinum and assisted in her winning a Grammy.
In 2000, she issued her compilation ‘Greatest Hits, Vol. 1′. Later, she switched to Verve Records and released the albums “Leavin” (2006) and “Ask a Woman Who Knows” (2002).
Cole appeared in a lot of television shows as a guest star, including “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “I’ll Fly Away,” and “Touched by an Angel.” She performed in a few TV movies and feature films as well, most notably playing the lead in “Lily in Winter.”
In the miniseries “Livin’ for Love: the Natalie Cole Story” from 2001, she played herself. She made an appearance on “The Real Housewives of New York City” on July 22, 2011. Cole made an appearance as a guest judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” the following year.
Bigger Works of Natalie Cole
Through Elektra Records, Natalie Cole released her album ‘Unforgettable… with Love’ in 1991. She covered several of the well-known songs that her father had previously recorded for this CD. The album garnered numerous Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Album of the Year, and sold more than 7 million copies only in the USA.
The reconstructed duet of the beloved song “Unforgettable,” which included Natalie Cole’s voice and Nat Cole’s recorded vocals, was a huge success. The song received a gold certification, peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, and debuted at #10 on the R&B chart.
Individual Life of Natalie Cole
In her lifetime, Natalie Cole was married three times. Marvin Yancy, a songwriter, and producer, was her first husband. Robert Adam, the son of the couple, passed away in 2017. After Cole and Yancy’s divorce in 1980, she later wed record producer Andre Fischer. In 1995, her second marriage also ended in divorce.
She wed bishop Kenneth Dupree in 2001. They split up, nevertheless, in 2004.
She acknowledged that she had hepatitis C in 2008. Over the years, her health rapidly declined. She passed away from congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on December 31, 2015. Her age was 65.
Natalie Cole’s Net Worth
Trivia
Natalie Cole underwent a kidney transplant on May 19, 2009. Her sister Carole also passed away on that day.