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Natalie Cole | |
|---|---|
 Cole performing in 2007 | |
| Born | Natalie Maria Cole (1950-02-06)February 6, 1950 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | December 31, 2015(2015-12-31) (aged 65) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1956–2015 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Nat King Cole Maria Cole |
| Relatives |
|
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels | |
| Website | officialnataliecole |
Musical artist | |
Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of singer andjazz pianistNat King Cole. She rose to prominence in the mid-1970s, with the release of her debut albumInseparable (1975), along with the song "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)", and the album'stitle track. Its success led to her receiving theGrammy Award for Best New Artist at the18th Annual Grammy Awards, for which she became the first African-American recipient as well as the firstR&B act to win the award.[1] The singles "Sophisticated Lady" (1976), "I've Got Love on My Mind", and "Our Love" (1977) followed.
After releasing several albums, she departed from her R&B sound and returned as apop singer on the 1987 albumEverlasting, along with her cover ofBruce Springsteen's "Pink Cadillac". In the 1990s, she sangtraditional pop by her father, resulting in her biggest success,Unforgettable... with Love, which was certified7× platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).Unforgettable... with Love won theGrammy Award for Album of the Year, for which Cole became the first African-American woman to win the award.[2]
Throughout her lifetime, Cole received nineGrammy Awards, was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award,[3] and sold over 30 million records worldwide.[4] She was awarded theHowie Richmond Hitmaker Award from theSongwriters Hall of Fame in 1999,[5] and has been posthumously inducted into theNational Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (2021),[6] and received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.[7]
Natalie Cole was born atCedars of Lebanon Hospital inLos Angeles, California, to American singer and jazz pianistNat King Cole and formerDuke Ellington Orchestra singerMaria Hawkins Ellington and raised in the affluentHancock Park district of Los Angeles.[8] Regarding her childhood, Cole referred to her family as "the blackKennedys" and was exposed to many great singers of jazz,soul andblues. Cole sang on her father's 1960 Christmas albumThe Magic of Christmas and later started performing at age 11.
Cole grew up with an older adopted sister,Carole "Cookie" Cole (1944–2009), her mother Maria's younger sister's daughter, adopted brother Nat "Kelly" Cole (1959–1995), and younger twin sisters Timolin and Casey (born 1961).[9] Through her mother, Cole was a grandniece of educatorCharlotte Hawkins Brown.[10] Her paternal uncleFreddy Cole was a singer and pianist with numerous albums and awards.
Cole enrolled in Northfield School for Girls (since 1971 known asNorthfield Mount Hermon School after merging with another school), an elite New England preparatory school, before her father died of lung cancer in February 1965. Soon afterwards she began having a difficult relationship with her mother. Cole attendedThe Buckley School, a private school in Sherman Oaks, California, and then enrolled in theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst. She transferred briefly toUniversity of Southern California, where she pledged the Upsilon chapter ofDelta Sigma Theta sorority. She later transferred back to the University of Massachusetts, where she majored inChild Psychology and minored inGerman, graduating in 1972.[11][12]
Cole grew up listening to a variety of music that includedAretha Franklin andJanis Joplin. After graduation in 1972 she began singing at small clubs with her band, Black Magic. Clubs initially welcomed her because she was Nat King Cole's daughter, only to be disappointed when she began singing cover versions of R&B and rock songs.
With the assistance ofChuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy, a songwriting and producing duo, she recorded some songs in a studio in Chicago that was owned byCurtis Mayfield. Her demo tapes led to a contract withCapitol,[13] resulting in the release of Cole's debut album,Inseparable, which included songs that reminded listeners ofAretha Franklin. Franklin later contended that songs such as "This Will Be", "I Can't Say No", and others were offered to her while she was recording the albumYou but she had turned them down. Released in 1975, the album became an instant success thanks to "This Will Be", which became a top ten hit and won her aGrammy Award forBest Female R&B Vocal Performance.
A second single,"Inseparable", also became a hit. Both songs reached number-one on the R&B chart. Cole wonBest New Artist at the Grammy Awards for her accomplishments, making her the first African-American artist to attain that feat.[citation needed] The media's billing of Cole as the "new Aretha Franklin" started a rivalry between the two singers. The feud boiled over at the19th Annual Grammy Awards in 1977 when Cole beat Franklin in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category, a category which Franklin had won in the first eight years of the category. Contrary to popular belief, Franklin wasn't nominated for a Grammy for the1976 ceremony, but Cole and Franklin were nominated in the following year where Cole's 1976 hit "Sophisticated Lady (She's a Different Lady)" beat Franklin's "Something He Can Feel" for that Grammy.
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Becoming an instant star, Cole responded to critics who predicted a sophomore slump withNatalie, released in 1976. The album, likeInseparable, became a gold success thanks to thefunk-influenced cut "Sophisticated Lady" and thejazz-influenced "Mr. Melody".
Cole released her firstplatinum record with her third release,Unpredictable, mainly thanks to the number-one R&B hit "I've Got Love on My Mind". Originally an album track, the album's closer, "I'm Catching Hell", nonetheless became a popular Cole song during live concert shows. Later in 1977, Cole issued her fourth release and second platinum album,Thankful, which included another signature Cole hit, "Our Love". Cole was the first female artist to have two platinum albums in one year. To capitalize on her fame, Cole starred on her own TV special, which attracted such celebrities asEarth, Wind & Fire, and appeared on the TV special, "Sinatra and Friends". In 1978, Cole released her first live album,Natalie Live!
In early 1979, the singer was awarded a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame. That same year, she released two more albums,I Love You So and thePeabo Bryson duet album,We're the Best of Friends.
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Following the release of her eighth album, 1980'sDon't Look Back, Cole's career began to take a detour. While Cole scored anadult contemporary hit with thesoft rock ballad "Someone That I Used to Love" off the album, the album itself failed to go gold. In 1981, Cole's personal problems, including battles withdrug addiction, began to attract public notice, and her career suffered as a result. In 1983, following the release of her albumI'm Ready, released onEpic, Cole entered a rehab facility in Connecticut and stayed there for six months.[14]
Following her release, she signed with theAtco imprintModern Records and releasedDangerous, which started a slow resurgence for Cole in terms of record sales and chart success. In 1987, she changed toEMI-Manhattan Records and released the albumEverlasting, which returned her to the top of the charts thanks to singles such as "Jump Start (My Heart)", the top ten ballad, "I Live for Your Love", and her dance-pop cover ofBruce Springsteen's "Pink Cadillac". That success helpedEverlasting reach one million in sales and become Cole's first platinum album in ten years.
In 1989, she released her follow-up toEverlasting,Good to Be Back, which produced the number seven hit "Miss You Like Crazy", which became her biggest hit in the United Kingdom by reaching number two on theUK Singles Chart. While the album failed to reach Gold certification in the US, it achieved international success by becoming her only top ten album in the UK, and later being certified Gold there.
Cole released her bestselling album with 1991'sUnforgettable... with Love onElektra Records, which saw Cole singing songs her famous father recorded, nearly 20 years after she initially had refused to cover her father's songs during live concerts. Cole produced vocal arrangements for the songs, with piano accompaniment by her uncleIke Cole. Cole's label released an interactive duet between Cole and her father on the title song, "Unforgettable". The song eventually reached number fourteen on theBillboard Hot 100 and number ten on theR&B chart, going gold.Unforgettable...with Love eventually sold more than 7 million copies in the U.S. alone and won several Grammys, includingAlbum of the Year,Record of the Year andBest Traditional Pop Vocal Performance for the top song.
Alongside signing for new material with Elektra, she transferred rights of her EMI-Manhattan catalog.
Cole followed that success with another album of jazz standards, titledTake a Look, in 1993, which included her recording of the title track in the same styling that her idol Aretha Franklin had recorded nearly 30 years earlier. The album eventually went gold while a holiday album,Holly & Ivy, also became gold. Another standards release,Stardust, went platinum and featured another duet with her father on a modern version of "When I Fall in Love", which helped Cole earn another Grammy forBest Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
In 1995, Cole was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from theBerklee College of Music.
In 1999, Cole returned to her 1980s-era urban contemporary recording style with the release ofSnowfall on the Sahara on June and second Christmas albumThe Magic of Christmas on October, which recorded with London Symphony Orchestra. A year later, the singer collaborated on the production of her biopic,Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story with Theresa Randle playing Natalie Cole. She also released the compilationGreatest Hits, Vol. 1 to fulfill her contract with Elektra. All albums she recorded for Elektra and EMI-Manhattan are no longer controlled by Warner Music Group; they were sold toConcord Music Group and are available digitally viaCraft Recordings division.
She changed toVerve Records and released two albums.Ask a Woman Who Knows (2002) continued her jazz aspirations, whileLeavin (2006) was an album of pop, rock, and R&B songs. Her version of "Daydreaming" by Aretha Franklin was a minor hit on the R&B chart. In 2008, seventeen years afterUnforgettable... with Love, she releasedStill Unforgettable, which included songs made famous by her father and Frank Sinatra. In April 2012, she appeared on thePennington Great Performers with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.
Cole pursued a career in acting. She appeared several times in concerts or other music related programs, including the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute with sidemenRichard Campbell, Jeffrey Worrell,Eddie Cole, and Dave Joyce.[15]
In 1990, Cole hosted the TV showBig Break, a talent competition where singers and musicians competed for a $100,000 prize.[16][17] That year, she andAl Jarreau sang "Mr. President" on the television specialComic Relief special.
AfterJohnny Mathis appeared on a special of Cole's in 1980, the two kept in contact, and in 1983 he invited her to be a part of his television specialA Tribute to Nat Cole for the BBC in England. An album of the same name was released. In 1992, following the success of theUnforgettable: With Love album, PBS broadcast a special based on the album.Unforgettable, With Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat "King" Cole received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program. Cole received a nomination for Outstanding Individual Performance but lost toBette Midler.
In 1993, she was among the guests of honor attendingWrestlemania IX at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. At the 65th Academy Awards she performed a medley of two Oscar-nominated songs: "Run to You" and "I Have Nothing", both performed by Whitney Houston in the filmThe Bodyguard. Cole made a number of dramatic appearances on television, includingI'll Fly Away,Touched by an Angel,Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, andGrey's Anatomy.[18]
She had the lead role in the TV movieLily in Winter. She appeared in the Cole Porter biopicDe-Lovely. In 2001, she starred as herself inLivin' for Love: the Natalie Cole Story, for which she received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special.
On the February 5, 2007, episode ofStudio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Cole sang "I Say a Little Prayer" at a benefit dinner. She sang the national anthem with the Atlanta University Center Chorus at Super Bowl XXVIII. In 2013, she was a guest on Tina Sinatra's Father's Day Special on Sirius Radio. The program includedDeana Martin,Monica Mancini, and Daisy Torme reminiscing about their famous fathers.
On February 13, 2012, Cole was a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4 Episode 3. The episode showed DiDa Ritz and The Princess lip synching to Cole's song, "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)". DiDa Ritz looked to actually be singing the song to Cole directly. Cole herself was so impressed she can be seen cheering and chiming in during the performance.
Cole was married three times. She marriedMarvin Yancy, songwriter, producer, and former member of the 1970s R&B groupThe Independents in July 1976 inChicago.[19] She had a son, Robert Adam "Robbie" Yancy (October 14, 1977 – August 14, 2017). He was a musician who toured with her.[20]
Marvin was her producer, and an ordainedBaptist minister who helped reintroduce her to religion. Under his influence, Cole changed from a lapsedEpiscopalian to become a devout Baptist. Cole and Yancy divorced in 1980. Yancy died of a heart attack in 1985, aged 34.[20]
In 1989, Cole married record producer and former drummer for the bandRufus, Andre Fischer. They divorced in 1995. In 2001, Cole married Bishop Kenneth Dupree. They divorced in 2004. In 2017, her son Robbie died of a heart attack, aged 39.[20]
Cole was active in the Afghan World Foundation cause, supportingSonia Nassery Cole (no relation).[21]
In 2000, Cole released an autobiography,Angel on My Shoulder, which described her battle with drugs during much of her life, including heroin andcrack cocaine. At one stage of her addiction, Cole worked as a prostitute's tout in order to fund her drug habit.[22] Cole said she beganrecreational drug use while attending theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst.[23] She was arrested in Toronto, Canada, for possession of heroin in 1975.[24]
Cole spiraled out of control in this phase of her life. There was an incident in which she refused to leave a burning building, and another in which her young son Robert nearly drowned in the family swimming pool while she was on a drug binge.[25] She entered rehab in 1983. Her autobiography was released in conjunction with a made-for-TV movie,Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story, which aired December 10, 2000, onNBC and re-aired October 26, 2011, onCentric TV.
Cole announced in 2008 that she had been diagnosed withhepatitis C, aliver disease spread through contact with infected blood. Cole attributed having the disease to her pastintravenous drug use. Cole explained in 2009 that hepatitis C had "stayed in [her] body for 25 years, and it could still happen to addicts who are fooling around with drugs, especially needles."[26]
Four months after starting treatment for hepatitis C, Cole experiencedkidney failure and requireddialysis three times a week for nine months. In May 2009, following her appeal for akidney onThe Larry King Show, she was contacted by the organ procurement agency One Legacy. The facilitated donation came from a family requesting that, if there were a match, their donor's kidney be designated for Cole.[26]
Cole canceled several events in December 2015 due to her illness. Her last musical performance was a short set of three songs inManila.[27] She died atCedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on December 31, 2015 (New Year's Eve), at the age of 65.[28] Cole's publicist said the singer's death was the result ofcongestive heart failure,[29] which her family said was a complication ofidiopathicpulmonary arterial hypertension, which she had been diagnosed with after herkidney transplant in 2009.[30] Her family said in a statement, "Natalie fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived ... with dignity, strength and honor. Our beloved mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain unforgettable in our hearts forever."[31]
Cole's funeral was held on January 11, 2016, at theWest Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles.David Foster,Stevie Wonder,Smokey Robinson,Lionel Richie,Chaka Khan,Eddie Levert,Mary Wilson,Gladys Knight,Ledisi,Jesse Jackson,Angela Bassett,Denise Nicholas,Marla Gibbs,Jackée Harry andFreda Payne were among the mourners at the funeral. After the funeral, she was buried atForest Lawn Memorial Park inGlendale, California. Her grave is located in the central lawn area of the "Court of Freedom" section, Garden of Honor; there is no public access to her grave.[32][33]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Comic Relief | Herself (performing) | HBO special |
| 1992 | A Tribute to Nat King Cole | Herself (performing) | BBC special |
| 1997 | Cats Don't Dance | Sawyer (singing voice) | Animated movie |
| 1998 | Always Outnumbered | Lula Brown | |
| 1999 | Freak City | Eleanor Sorrell | |
| 2004 | De-Lovely | Musical performer | |
| 2006 | Grey's Anatomy | Mrs. Booker | Season 2 episode: "Band-Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" |
| 2006 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Defense Attorney Serena Waldren | Season 7 episode 20: "Fat" |
| 2007 | Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Musical performer | Episode 14: "The Harriet Dinner" (Pt. 2) |
| 2011 | Real Housewives of New York City | Herself | Season 4 episode 16: "L.O.V.E." |
| 2012 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself/Judge | Season 4 episode 3: "Glamazons vs. Champions" |
| 2012 | Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark | Herself | STARS/ENCORE |
TheGrammy Awards are awarded annually by theNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Cole received nine awards from 21 nominations.[34]
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Best New Artist | Natalie Cole | Won |
| Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female | "This Will Be" | Won | |
| 1977 | Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female | Natalie | Nominated |
| Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female | "Sophisticated Lady" | Won | |
| 1978 | "I've Got Love on My Mind" | Nominated | |
| 1979 | "Our Love" | Nominated | |
| 1980 | I Love You So | Nominated | |
| 1988 | Everlasting | Nominated | |
| 1990 | Good to Be Back | Nominated | |
| Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | "We Sing Praises"(withDeniece Williams) | Nominated | |
| 1992 | Album of the Year | Unforgettable... with Love | Won |
| Record of the Year | "Unforgettable"(with Nat King Cole) | Won | |
| Best Traditional Pop Performance | Won | ||
| Best Jazz Vocal Performance | Long 'Bout Midnight | Nominated | |
| 1994 | Best Jazz Vocal Performance | Take a Look | Won |
| 1997 | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals | "When I Fall in Love"(with Nat King Cole) | Won |
| Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance | Stardust | Nominated | |
| 2003 | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals | "Better Than Anything"(withDiana Krall) | Nominated |
| Best Jazz Vocal Album | Ask a Woman Who Knows | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | "Day Dreaming" | Nominated |
| 2009 | Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album | Still Unforgettable | Won |
Latin Grammys
TheLatin Grammy Awards are awarded annually by theLatin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Record of the Year | "Bachata Rosa"(withJuan Luis Guerra) | Nominated | [35] |
| Album of the Year | Natalie Cole en Español | Nominated | ||
| Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album | Nominated |
| Year | Association | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | American Music Awards | Favorite Female Artist – Soul / Rhythm & Blues | Won | |
| 1978 | Won | |||
| 1991 | Favorite Artist – Adult Contemporary | Won | ||
| 1992 | NAACP Image Awards | Best Jazz Artist | Won | [36] [37] |
| 1993 | George & Ira Gershwin Award | Lifetime Musical Achievement | Won | [38] |
| 1999 | Songwriters Hall of Fame | Hitmaker Award | Won | [39] |
| 2000 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress – Television Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special: Livin for Love: The Natalie Cole Story | Won | |
| 2001 | Outstanding Album | Nominated | ||
| 2003 | Best Jazz Artist | Won | ||
| 2010 | Society of Singers | Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | [40] |
| 2014 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding World Music Album:Natalie Cole en Español | Won | [41] |
| 2021 | National R&B Hall of Fame | Herself | Inducted | [42] |
After dating a boy named Jimmy, she began singing and rehearsing with his band – and also experimenting with drugs.
...and her young son, Robert, nearly drowned in the family pool when she was on a drug binge. Cole hit rock bottom when she refused to leave a burning building because she needed to score.
