Natalie was the daughter of jazz artist and crooner extraordinaire, Nat King Cole, but she was not interested in pursuing music. While studying pre-med at the University of Massachusetts, a friend of Cole’s who sang with a band asked her to stand in when he fell ill. He’d heard Cole sing at informal events and felt confident she would do well. He wasn’t wrong. A one night favor turned into a full time singing job. Cole left school to become a storyteller through song. The rest is music history.
For over three decades Cole’s music carried fans through love and life. With her 1975 hits This Will Be and Our Love, she earned a multi-generational fan base.
Unforgettable With Love: Natalie Cole
Her 1991 album, Unforgettable: With Love was a multiple Grammy-winning success. The album sold over 6 million copies and was Cole’s biggest music success.The title song Unforgettable (digitally infused with Nat King Cole) was a heart touching and timeless father-daughter duet. It captured the beauty of their daddy-daughter relationship.
Cole Was A Fighter
Cole struggled with drug addiction that included heroin, cocaine, and alcohol. She worked to regain control of her life by entering a recovery program. She shared in a 2014 interview with the Houston Chronicle that she entered treatment in 1983 “dragging and screaming.” A year after her initial a treatment program she was back and ready, fully vested in her recovery. She stayed clean for 30 years.
Cole had first hand knowledge of addiction and how it destroys lives. She went public with her story. Through candid interviews,in print and on television, Cole’s willingness to share her truth was courageous.
Cole Touched Fans With Sheer Honesty
The 2000 made-for-television presentation of Cole’s life, Living for Love: The Natalie Cole Story, is another testimony to her strength as a woman.
Cole’s openness spoke volumes about her integrity and commitment to reclaiming herself. Telling her story unabashedly gave others hope for recovery. With the announcement of her death, Cole’s fans are sharing how her music touched on pivotal life moments. Natalie Cole may have joined the ancestors in recent days, but the soul diva and her music live on.
