Natalie Cole Biography
Summary
"Natalie Cole" (born "Natalie Maria Cole" on February 6 1950) is an influential American singer-songwriter and performer who has won eight Grammy Awards throughout her career. She achieved success in her early career as an R&B star, but smoothly changed her repertoire towards a more jazz orientated musical style in the early 90's.
Early life
Natalie Cole is the daughter of noted crooner Nat King Cole and Maria Cole, former singer with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Cole was raised in the affluent Hancock Park district of Los Angeles, just a few doors down from the California governor. She has referred to her family as 'the black Kennedys.' She was exposed to the greats of jazz, soul and blues at an early age. Cole sang on her father's Christmas album at the age of six, and she began performing at the age of 11.
Cole was 15 years old when her father died of lung cancer. Her mother then moved the family to Massachusetts, where Cole attended the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Northfield, Massachusetts. She enrolled in the University of Massachusetts Amherst and graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. Cole stated in an interview that she did not connect with her cultural heritage or 'blackness' until she attended college.
Her uncle (Nat's brother), Freddy Cole is an accomplished singer/pianist with numerous CDs and awards to his credit.
Music career
Early career
Her debut album in 1975, "Inseparable", resulted in chart success with the single 'This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)' (#1 R&B, #6 Pop). Her performance of the song won her a 1976 Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. This was a feat because Queen Of Soul Aretha Franklin had heretofore won this category 8 years in a row from 1968 - 1975. She was also awarded the Best New Artist Grammy of 1976. She gained a new generation of fans when American Idol finalists Jasmine Trias and Kimberley Locke sang 'Inseparable' on the show to extremely good reviews.
More hits followed, including 'Sophisticated Lady (She's A Different Lady), (1976), and 'Someone That I Used To Love' (1980). Her biggest pop hit, 1977's 'I've Got Love On My Mind' and 'Our Love' both earned Gold single certifications.
Career detour and resurgence
Cole's career paused in the early 1980s as she dealt with her severe drug problem. By 1985, Cole was back in good health, and began a comeback.
Her first step was with the album "Dangerous", released on the Modern label. In 1987, she released "Everlasting" (on EMI Manhattan) which sold over 2 million copies in the U.S., and won Cole a Soul Train Award for "Female Single of the Year" for the #1 R&B ballad 'I Live for Your Love'. The album garnered her three major hit singles: 'Jump Start,' 'I Live For Your Love' (#2 AC and #13 Pop as well as #1 R&B, as well as #21 UK on re-release), and a remake of Bruce Springsteen's 'Pink Cadillac' (#5 Pop, #16 AC, and #1 Dance, #5 UK). The album also included a remake of one of her father's signature hits, 'When I Fall In Love,' which did moderately well on the AC chart.
In 1989, another album, "Good To Be Back", gave her another chart success: 'Miss You Like Crazy' (#1 both R&B and AC, and #7 Pop, plus #2 UK).
"Unforgettable...with Love"
Cole may be best remembered for her 1991 album, "Unforgettable... with Love", featuring her own arrangements of her father's greatest hits. Though when she was younger, Cole was reluctant to capitalize on her father's name and wanted to forge her own identity by going after the soul market in earnest, on this album she admitted to being Nat King Cole's daughter and pledged her complete devotion to her father and his music. She said that she 'felt' his presence while recording. She sang 20 songs from Nat King Cole's collection. Singles included 'The Very Thought of You,' 'Mona Lisa,' and 'Route 66.' The most fascinating song on the album was 'Unforgettable.' With a little help from technology, Cole performed the song as a duet with her father using her father's original recording.
Her decision to record the songs was a chart success; the album sold over 7 million copies in the United States alone, and won Cole several Grammy Awards, including "Album of the Year", "Record of the Year", and "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance". The album featured a duet, the title track, with her father, created by splicing a recording of his vocals into the track. As a single, it reached #14 on Billboard Magazine's Hot 100 chart, and went gold.
Additional albums
Cole has released several more albums of pop standards in the years since, appearing in the pop singles charts occasionally (such as with 'A Smile Like Yours' in 1997). Her albums sell well and she is considered one of the core artists of the smooth jazz format, garnering frequent airplay on smooth jazz radio stations with both her classic songs and her newer material.
In 1995 she performed in "The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True" a musical performance of the popular story at Lincoln Center to benefit the Children's Defense Fund. The performance was originally broadcast on Turner Network Television (TNT), and issued on CD and video in 1996.
Her 1999 album "Snowfall On The Sahara" marked a return to the easy adult-contemporary soul that categorized her late-1980s hits. Then for 2002's critically-praised "Ask A Woman Who Knows", she turned again toward the jazz side of the spectrum, covering songs made famous by Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, and Sarah Vaughan.
In September 2006, she released "Leavin", a cover album of tracks made popular by Shelby Lynne, Kate Bush, Sting, and Fiona Apple, and others. The album is a hybrid of rock, pop music, and R&B.
Natalie's latest album "Still Unforgettable" was released September 9, 2008. The first single and video is another virtual duet with her father, a cover of his 1951 hit 'Walkin' My Baby Back Home'.
Television and film
Cole has carved out a secondary career in acting. She has also appeared several times in live concerts or other music related programs, including the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute with sidemen Richard Campbell, Jeffrey Worrell, Eddie Cole and Dave Joyce. In 1990, she (along with jazz vocalist Al Jarreau) sang the song 'Mr. President' on HBO's "Comic Relief" special, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal. After Johnny Mathis appeared on a special of Cole's in 1980, the two kept in contact, and in 1992, he invited Cole to be a part of his television special titled 'A Tribute To Nat Cole' for BBC-TV in England. It had high viewer ratings and was successful. From that project, an album with the same name was released, and featured several medley and solo numbers.
Cole has made a number of dramatic appearances on television, including guest appearances on "I'll Fly Away", "Touched by an Angel", and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit". In 2006, she made a memorable guest appearance on the popular ABC show "Grey's Anatomy" as a terminally ill patient. Her character visited Seattle Grace Hospital to have a fork removed from her neck that her husband had stabbed her with during a mishap; the couple had been having sex in public.
Cole has also made several appearances in feature films, most recently in the Cole Porter biopic "De-Lovely". She has appeared in several made-for-TV movies, most notably as the lead in "Lily in Winter". Cole was featured on Macy Gray's album "Big", singing 'Finally Make Me Happy'.
She also sang the national anthem with the Atlanta University Center Chorus at Super Bowl XXVIII
On December 2, 2006, Cole performed for the first time in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, as part of the annual Cayman Jazz Fest.
On the February 5, 2007, episode of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", Cole sang 'I Say a Little Prayer' at a benefit dinner for Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson).
She can also be seen in the last scene of Nas' music video for 'Can't Forget About You'. The song uses a sample of her father's song 'Unforgettable'. Cole is sitting at a piano in a cabaret-style lounge mouthing her father's song with Nas standing beside her.
Personal life
Cole has been married three times.
With Marvin Yancy (31 July 1976 - 1980) she has son Robert Adam Yancy(Oct 1977). Robert is a musician who tours with her. Marvin was her producer and helped her become religious again as he is an ordained Baptist minister. Under his influence Cole changed from a lapsed Episcopalian to became a devout Baptist .
She next married former Rufus (band) drummer Andre Fischer (16 September 1989 - 1995). Fischer co-produced her album "Unforgettable... With Love".
She is now married to Kenneth H. Dupree (12 October 2001) but they have filed for divorce.
Drug abuse and recovery
In 2000, Cole released an autobiography, "Angel on My Shoulder", which described her battle with drugs during much of her life.
In the book, Cole admitted to using LSD, heroin and crack cocaine.
Cole said she began recreational drug use while attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
She also disclosed that she was arrested in Toronto, Canada for possession of heroin in 1975.
Cole continued to spiral out of control - including one incident where she refused to evacuate a burning building, and another where her young son Robert nearly drowned in the family swimming pool while she was on a drug binge. She did eventually enter rehab in 1983.
In concert with the release of the book, her autobiography was turned into a made-for-TV movie, "The Natalie Cole Story", which aired December 10, 2000 on NBC.
Diagnosis
On July 16, 2008 Cole announced that she was diagnosed with hepatitis C likely caused by her drug use: 'I've been so fortunate to have learned so much from my past experiences. I am embraced by the love and support of my family and friends; I am committed to my belief in myself and in my abiding faith to meet this challenge with a heartfelt optimism and determination. This is how I intend to deal with this current challenge in my life.' Dr. Graham Woolf, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA/Cedars Sinai Medical Center, said that Cole 'had a terrific response to her medication and is now virus negative. This gives her an increased chance of cure. But, she has also suffered significant side effects from the anti-viral medicine, which is the only FDA authorized treatment for hepatitis C. Her side effects include fatigue, muscle aches and dehydration but she is recovering from these. On September 19 2008 she was rushed to the hospital due to her Hepatitis C medications.
Discography
Albums
"Inseparable"
Released: May 11, 1975
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: US Pop #18, R&B #1
RIAA Certification: Gold
Singles: 'This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)', 'Inseparable'
"Natalie"
Released: April 9, 1976
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: US Pop #13, R&B #3
RIAA Certification: Gold
Singles: 'Sophisticated Lady (She's a Different Lady)', 'Mr. Melody'
"Unpredictable"
Released: February 1977
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: US Pop #8, R&B #1
RIAA Certification: Platinum
Singles: 'I've Got Love On My Mind', 'Party Lights'
"Thankful"
Released: November 16, 1977
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: US Pop #16, R&B #5
RIAA Certification: Platinum
Singles: 'Our Love', 'Annie Mae'
"Natalie...Live!"
Released: June 13, 1978
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: US Pop #31, R&B #9
RIAA Certification: Gold
Singles: 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds'
"I Love You So"
Released: March 19, 1979
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: US Pop #52, R&B #11
RIAA Certification: Gold
Singles: 'Stand By', 'Sorry', 'The Winner'
"We're the Best of Friends"
Released: November 15, 1979
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: US Pop #44, R&B #7
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'Gimme Some Time', 'What You Won't Do For Love'
"Don't Look Back"
Released: May 15, 1980
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: US Pop #77, R&B #17
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'Someone That I Used To Love', 'Hold On'
"Happy Love"
Released: August 13, 1981
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: US Pop #132, R&B #37
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'You Were Right Girl', 'Nothing But A Fool'
"I'm Ready"
Released: August 12, 1983
Label: Epic
Chart Peak: US Pop #182, R&B #54
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'Too Much Mister', 'I Won't Deny You'
"Dangerous"
Released: May 23, 1985
Label: Modern / ATCO
Chart Peak: US Pop #140, R&B #48
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'Dangerous', 'A Little Bit Of Heaven', 'Secrets'
"Everlasting"
Released: June 14, 1987
Label: EMI-Manhattan / Elektra (Re-issue)
Chart Peak: US Pop #42, R&B #8, UK #62
RIAA Certification: Gold
Singles: 'Jump Start', 'I Live For Your Love', 'Everlasting', 'Pink Cadillac', 'When I Fall In Love', 'Urge To Merge'
"The Collection"
Released: July 7, 1987
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: N/A
RIAA Certification: N/A
"Good to Be Back"
Released: May 2, 1989
Label: EMI-Manhattan / Elektra (Re-issue)
Chart Peak: US Pop #59, R&B #21, UK #10
RIAA Certification: Platinum
Singles: 'Miss You Like Crazy', 'I Do', 'Starting Over Again', 'As A Matter Of Fact', 'Rest Of The Night'
"Unforgettable... with Love"
Released: September 10, 1991
Label: Elektra
Chart Peak: US Pop #1 (5 weeks), R&B #5, Jazz #1, UK #11
RIAA Certification: 8x Platinum
Singles: 'Unforgettable', 'Route 66', 'The Very Thought Of You'
"Take a Look"
Released: June 8, 1993
Label: Elektra
Chart Peak: US Pop #26, R&B #14, Jazz #1, UK #16
RIAA Certification: Gold
Singles: 'Take A Look', 'As Time Goes By'
"Holly & Ivy"
Released: October 25, 1994
Label: Elektra
Chart Peak: US Pop #36, R&B #20
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'No More Blue Christmas'
"Stardust"
Released: September 24, 1996
Label: Elektra
Chart Peak: US Pop #20, R&B #11
RIAA Certification: Platinum
Singles: 'When I Fall In Love'
"This Will Be - Natalie Cole's Everlasting Love"
Released: June 3, 1997
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: N/A
RIAA Certification: N/A
"Snowfall On The Sahara"
Released: June 22, 1999
Label: Elektra
Chart Peak: US Pop #163, R&B #64
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'Snowfall On The Sahara', 'Say You Love Me'
"The Magic of Christmas"
Released: September 21, 1999
Label: Elektra
Chart Peak: US Pop #157, R&B #84
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'The Christmas Song'
"Greatest Hits Vol. 1"
Released: November 7, 2000
Label: Elektra
Chart Peak: US Pop #154, R&B #86
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'A Smile Like Yours', 'Angel On My Shoulder', 'Livin' For Love'
"Love Songs"
Released: July 24, 2001
Label: Elektra / Rhino
Chart Peak: N/A
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'A Smile Like Yours', 'Angel On My Shoulder', 'Livin' For Love'
"Ask a Woman Who Knows"
Released: September 17, 2002
Label: Verve
Chart Peak: US Pop #32, R&B #24, Jazz #1
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'Tell Me All About It', 'Better Than Anything (with Diana Krall)'
"Anthology"
Released: April 8, 2003
Label: Capitol
Chart Peak: N/A
RIAA Certification: N/A
"Leavin'"
Released: September 26, 2006
Label: Verve
Chart Peak: US Pop #97, R&B #16
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'Day Dreamin", 'Leavin"
"Still Unforgettable"
Released: September 9, 2008
Label: Atco Records
Chart Peak: US Pop #19, R&B #8
RIAA Certification: N/A
Singles: 'Walkin' My Baby Back Home', 'Coffee Time'
References
Fink, Mitchell and Rubin, Lauren. (Natalie Cole's Secret Drug Peril.) "Daily News (New York)". October 16, 2000. Retrieved January 29, 2006.
External links
(Natalie Cole biography and updates at Soul Tracks)
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Natalie Cole.
