Cole, Natalie

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Natalie Cole

1950—

Singer, songwriter, actress

Inheriting a beautiful voice from her famous father, Natalie Cole has sold millions of records worldwide. During the 1970s she sang on six major albums and collected several Grammy Awards. In the midst of this successful recording career she became addicted to drugs. After a long battle, she again rose to the top of the charts in 1991 with her hugely successful album, Unforgettable… With Love It became "the most significant album of the decade," according to Earl Calloway of the Chicago Defender, and made Cole a superstar in her own right. She continued to develop as an artist; she even broke free of the jazz standards that made her famous, with her 2006 album Leavin' on which she explored classic rhythm and blues and pop favorites.

Born to Famous Singers

Natalie Cole was born to singers Maria Hawkins Cole and Nat King Cole on February 6, 1950 in Los Angeles, California. She was one of five children and although Mr. and Mrs. Cole had already adopted a niece, Carol (Cookie), Natalie was their first biological child. She was first called Stephanie, but the couple soon changed her name to Natalie. The Coles later adopted a son, Kelly, and in 1961 their twin girls, Casey and Timolin, were born. Nat Cole began calling Natalie "Sweetie," a name she is still known by among family and close friends.

Even though her parents hoped she would not go into show business, Cole developed an interest in music. Not only was her father a famous singer, her mother had been a successful singer with the bands of leaders Benny Carter, Duke Ellington, and Fletcher Henderson. Maria Cole also sang and recorded duets with her husband. Natalie's uncle, Eddie Coles, was a successful musician as well.

Cole's early life could be described as that of a princess in a musical world. Shortly before she was born, her parents had bought a house in the elite Hancock Park section of Los Angeles. They were the first black family to do so in the still-discriminatory 1950s, causing a considerable stir in the exclusive neighborhood. When Cole was growing up her parents experienced racial discrimination and her father received threats. He sometimes performed with police officers on stage. Young Natalie was unaware of the difficulties; Maria and Nat Cole successfully shielded their children from these problems.

Visitors to the Hancock Park house frequently included singers, musicians, songwriters, and other people related to music and show business. Pearl Bailey, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Carmen McRae, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie were just a few. Natalie recalled to Jet, "Not only did I meet and get to know some of these great singers and musicians, but I fondly recall addressing them as ‘aunt’ and ‘uncle.’"

When Cole was as young as three-and-a-half her father would take her and Cookie to the studio when he worked. One day he announced his intention to have her and Cookie record. But he told reporters that young Natalie often yawned while singing so he did not know if they would be successful in recording a song. Cole was six when she sang on a Christmas album, and a year later both she and Cookie sang with their father on "Ain't She Sweet."

Even though she had been singing informally since she was three Cole told David Wild in Rolling Stone, "I had a really horrid voice early on." But when she was 11 she began to practice singing and recording popular songs on a tape recorder her father had given her. She proved her ability to Nat Cole when at the age of 11 she sang Ella Fitzgerald's hit, "Undecided." Not only was her father delighted with her voice, he was also surprised that she had chosen a jazz song over what seemed to be her greatest interest, rock ‘n’ roll.

Cole's interest in music had not been restricted to her father's crooning ballads and jazz. Like many kids of the 1960s she had developed a taste for rock ‘n’ roll. Even though her father did not care for it, he brought home the records she requested, slipping jazz titles in the stack with the Beatles. Ironically, when the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" topped the pop charts, her father's "That Sunday That Summer" was also there.

In 1961 Cole made her professional singing debut with her father in "I'm With You" at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Despite her famous father she had to audition for the part. Cole enjoyed her stage experience and as an adolescent formed and sang in a jazz group, the Malibu Music Men. Even though she had made her debut she did not turn to professional singing. She attended boarding school in the East until age 15 when her father passed away. Cole and her father had enjoyed a special closeness and she took his death from lung cancer very hard. She returned home from school to be with her family. Her father had tried to steer her into medicine or law and his death served as the stimulus she needed to seriously consider medicine as a career.

Developed Her Own Musical Taste

Cole later moved to Massachusetts when her mother remarried and relocated the family. Cole worked as a receptionist and pursued her interest in rock ‘n’ roll by attending rock concerts. She enrolled in the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1968. Typical of young people during the sixties she became involved in partying and drug experimentation. Cole worked as a waitress during the summer of 1971, but found herself singing with the house band before long. She performed with Black Magic at small local clubs and although she did not like it, the club owners insisted on using "Nat King Cole's daughter" as a draw.

Cole graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1972 with a bachelor degree in child psychology. Instead of pursuing a related professional career, she had found that performing was her first love. She worked at developing her own style as a solo singer, singing only a few of her father's songs, and aiming more for a combination of rock, jazz, and soul. In 1973 she debuted in New York, singing at Shepheard's, and then later at Madison Square Garden.

At a Glance …

Born on February 6, 1950, in Los Angeles, CA, daughter of Nat King Cole and Marie Hawkins Ellington Cole; married Marvin Yancy 1976 (divorced); married Andre Fischer 1989 (divorced); children: Robert Adam Yancy. Education: University of Massachusetts, BA 1972.

Career:

"I'm With You," Greek Theater, Los Angeles (debut performance), singer, 1961; solo artist 1973; Capitol Records, singer, 1975-1987; Elektra, singer 1987-1990s; Verve Records, singer, 2000(?)-.

Awards:

2 Grammy Awards, 1975; Grand Prix Award 5th Tokyo Music Festival, 1976; 1 Grammy Award 1976; Soul Train Best Single (Female) Award, 1987; Soul Train Best Single (Female) Award, 1992; NARAS MusiCares Person of the Year, 1992; 3 Grammy Awards, 1992; 3 NAACP Image Awards, 1992; 2 American Music Awards, 1992; Grammy Award, 1993; Honorary degree from Berklee College of Music, 1995; Grammy Award, 1996; Urban League, Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award, 2000.

Addresses:

Web—www.nataliecole.com.

A turning point came in 1974 when Cole connected with two songwriters and producers from Chicago—Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy. They had seen her perform at a nightclub there and sent some of their songs to Cole. After having her make a demo tape they tried to get her a recording contract, but their efforts were unsuccessful until Capitol Records made an offer. She wished to avoid comparisons to her father by signing with a label other than his. However, in 1975 she recorded her first album, Inseparable, with Capitol. It was the start of a rapid rise to stardom for Cole when it went gold, selling over 500,000 copies. Two songs from that LP, "Inseparable" and "This Will Be" were hits that reached both the pop and rhythm-and-blues charts with "This Will Be" reaching the Top 10. She received two Grammys at the 1976 awards ceremony for New Artist of the Year and for Best Female Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance. She performed "This Will Be" for the audience.

Career Blossomed

In 1976 Cole released Natalie, which had a hit single, "Sophisticated Lady." She co-wrote the rhythm-and-blues song with Jackson and Yancy, and for it she won her second Grammy for Best Female Rhythm-and-Blues Vocal Performance in 1977. It can be difficult for an artist in any genre to top a previous hit, and even though Natalie also went gold it did not receive the acclaim of Inseparable.

Cole had been raised in her mother's Episcopalian tradition, but during this time she made the decision to embrace the Baptist denomination. Cole was drawn to the church-oriented lifestyle of an aunt, Evelyn Coles, during a visit to Chicago. While there she also became better acquainted with Marvin Yancy, who was a Baptist minister, in addition to being a songwriter and producer. They married in 1976. Yancy divided his time between his congregation at the Fountain of Life Baptist Church in Chicago and his work in New York. For the most part, he did not accompany Cole when she toured. Their son Robert Adam Yancy was born in 1978.

Cole's third album, Thankful, was released in 1977. It was a resounding success and went platinum, selling over a million copies. The single from that album, "Our Love," was a hit that reached the top five of both the pop and soul charts. Cole recorded Unpredictable later that year, which also went platinum, as did her hit single, "I've Got Love On My Mind."

Natalie Cole's star continued to rise, and in 1978 she hosted an hour-long special on CBS. She also released her fifth album, Natalie Live, a two-record set that went gold. In the fall she gave a sold-out concert at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Cole had worked hard to perfect her rhythm and blues style and was successful in both the pop and blues arenas. She was often compared to Aretha Franklin, who had been considered the Queen of Soul by the music industry and fans since the 1960s. Cole was influenced by Franklin's gospel-flavored style. When she began to forge her way in the music industry she first concentrated on rock ‘n’ roll, inspired by Janis Joplin, the Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, and Stevie Wonder, but she found herself drawn to Franklin's music. However, Franklin did not have the corner on soul—Cole had grown up surrounded by great black song stylists like Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald, all of whom influenced her music tastes and eventual style. Despite comparisons many critics and writers acknowledged voice and stylistic differences as well. It was said those comparisons did not sit well with Aretha Franklin and even caused a feud between the two singers.

In 1979, Cole explored another facet of recording by collaborating with soul singer Peabo Bryson. The resulting duet album We're the Best of Friends went gold. She also released I Love You So that year and it went gold. Natalie Cole seemed headed for the legendary fame her father had achieved but those very demands her parents had referred to were taking a toll on her personal life and career. Despite her achievements she was plagued by self doubt. This coupled with her intense recording and touring schedule had led to a dependence on drugs. Just as other performance artists have found through the years, chemical dependency led to self-destruction as well as the destruction of live performances. Cole had basked in fan adoration and yet she felt she was not worthy of their praise and of her success. She told Richard Harrington of the Washington Post, "As my success escalated, so did the drug problem." During this time Cole had bitter fights with her record company, and her relationships with her manager and other music professionals became strained. She remembered to Essence Her world crashed around her as album sales dropped, her performances were highly criticized, and her marriage disintegrated. She and Yancy separated in 1979, but he continued to produce her records.

Drug Addiction Nearly Ruined Her Career

By 1983 Cole's career was in ruins and she was unable to go on. She made several unsuccessful attempts to overcome her drug addiction and her mother had been put in charge of her estate by the court. Maria Cole was also caring for Natalie's son. In November of 1983 Cole entered the Hazelden drug-treatment center in Minnesota. It took her six months to recover. Later, she told Alan Carter in Redbook, "I will never get to that point again."

An album Cole had recorded during this difficult period and right before entering Hazelden, I'm Ready, was released in 1983 despite her protests over the title. She felt it was at great odds with her physical and mental condition of the time. The album sales were disappointing at only 40,000 copies sold. After her release from the clinic she set about reestablishing her career, and regaining the approval of her fans. Her next release, Dangerous, was also disappointing although it had sales of almost 150,000 copies.

It was not until 1987 that Cole's career reached the heights of success again. She had signed with a new label, and her LP Everlasting yielded three hit singles with "Jump Start," "I Live For Your Love," and "Pink Cadillac." "Pink Cadillac" was rocker Bruce Springsteen's song; Cole's rhythm-and-blues treatment sent it into the top five of the charts in the United States and England.

On another positive note, Cole married record producer Andre Fischer in 1989 and became a stepmother to his three children. Cole also hosted a talent show, "Big Break," helping new performers to break into the business.

Recorded Her Father's Music

While Cole had done a few of her father's songs in her performances, she had avoided focusing on them and his style. But later, she performed more of his songs, comfortable that she had finally established her own style and identity. Audience acceptance and favorable comparison to her father encouraged her, and in the early nineties she revealed a desire that she had had for some time—to record an entire album of her father's songs. Her desired project was met with skepticism, but the resulting album in 1991, Unforgettable… With Love, was a huge crossover success that went platinum many times over. Not only did Cole sing her father's songs, but "Unforgettable" was done with the help of technology with the original recording and Natalie's singing and orchestra accompaniment blended together to sound as if father and daughter actually sang a duet. The album and song earned Cole three Grammy awards, including Best Traditional Pop Performance, Album of the Year, and Record of the Year. It also brought Cole two American Music Awards. The album was recorded in the same Capitol studio that her father used. She toured much of 1992 promoting the album and giving performances. When she could she spent time with her family and worked with charities, including the Children's Diabetes Foundation, the Rainforests Foundation, the American Red Cross, the Minority AIDS Project, and the Permanent Charities Committee, an entertainment industry effort.

Her schedule was equally full in 1993. Early in the year Cole made her television dramatic acting debut in "I'll Fly Away," an NBC series. In March of that year, she sang at the Academy Awards show and by spring she had released a recording in the same vein of Unforgettable… With Love, except this album, Take A Look, held a collection of songs her father's friends and acquaintances had made famous. She told Jet, "This album actually is the album that I've always wanted to do and that is an album of jazz standards with great stuff that my dad turned me on to when I was about 10 or 11 years old." Take A Look, with its jazz-oriented sound sold just under 500,000 copies and appealed to a smaller consumer base than Unforgettable… With Love, which had become a multiplatinum album with more than 14 million copies sold.

Enjoyed Newfound Success

Cole branched into new performance venues in 1994. In January she sang the national anthem, accompanied by the Atlanta University Center chorus, at the Super Bowl and received much acclaim. In February she traveled to Sun City, South Africa, to perform in her own show. She was the first African American to perform since the country was desegregated.

Her jazz-flavored Christmas album, Holly and Ivy, was also released in 1994. Although she had not been planning to do a holiday album, she received a song from a friend that started the process. She told Jet, "Michael [Masser] called and said, ‘I've got this beautiful Christmas song I wrote just for you.’ He played it for me, and it was beautiful and then we thought, why not put out a whole album.…then I was running around in April, looking for Christmas songs." The album received favorable reviews, and Cole performed songs from it when she starred on an episode of PBS TV's "Great Performances." Also in 1994 Natalie played the title role in the USA cable network movie, Lily In Winter. It was her television movie-acting debut. Of the experience Cole revealed to Jet, "Acting is probably one of the least glamorous jobs in Hollywood."

Seeking the huge success of Unforgettable… With Love, Cole released Stardust in the fall of 1996. Once again and with the help of technology, Cole sang with her late father on "When I Fall In Love." (The song won Cole another Grammy Award for best pop collaboration.) Not wanting the album to be another version of Unforgettable… With Love, Cole and her producers Phil Ramone, David Foster, and George Duke chose songs recorded by various artists, and not just her father. Of the songs, Cole told J.R. Reynolds of Billboard, "The songs are more sculpted than those on Unforgettable, and vocally, they have more drama." Her label, Elektra, sought to not only reach the massive audience appeal of Unforgettable… With Love, but to also appeal to international consumers and broaden her fan base. Selected tracks on the album were recorded in several different languages, including Portuguese, Italian, and French. Cole told Reynolds, "I'm just lucky that I pick up foreign languages fairly easily." Several television guest shots, and an international tour schedule in 1997 followed the album's release.

Searched for New Direction

By the late 1990s Cole had found herself pigeonholed as a performer. "People seem to always think of me as a jazz performer," Cole told the Seattle publication, the Skanner. "But I've always said I sing jazz, but I'm not a jazz singer." She explained that with Unforgettable… she had been attempting "to make a transition to jazz there, not stay in it for the rest of my life." While she acknowledged that the success of Unforgettable… had given her "the kind of opportunities that few artists ever get to have," as she told Rita Charleston of the Philadelphia Tribune, Cole wanted to "keep reinventing myself." To try to break out of the pigeonhole in which she had found herself, Cole recorded "the kind of pop and R&B I did when I was starting out" for her 1999 album Snowfall on the Sahara, as she told the Skanner. The album included renditions of songs from such different artists a Roberta Flack and Taj Mahal.

Cole published her autobiography, An Angel on my Shoulder, in 2000. The book was a long time in coming. Before writing it, Cole had to gain a perspective on her life that only time could give. Written after 15 years of sobriety and recovering from her second failed marriage, Cole offered readers a candid look at her life. Yet the writing was not easy. "Even after all these years, I had many moments of anxiety, anger and grief when I recalled certain things. It's almost like you're back to the day it happened," Cole explained to Melba Newsome of HealthQuest.

But Cole had clearly moved on, and with her personal life in order, she continued to nurture her career. She released a jazz album in 2002 called Ask a Woman Who Knows, with covers of music by Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan, among others. She also branched into acting, appearing episodes of Grey's Anatomy, Touched by an Angel, and Studio 60.

For her 2006 album, Leavin', Cole again signaled her interest in moving on. Again moving away from the jazz that made her famous, Cole worked to put her own stamp on others' pop and rhythm-and-blues songs. She also involved herself in all aspects of production—"up to my hairline," as she said on her Web site—making critical decisions to create an album that introduced her new direction. For the album Cole covered such disparate artists as Fiona Apple, Etta James, Neil Simon, and Sting. She also covered Aretha Franklin's "Day Dreaming," the first of Franklin's songs that Cole had ever recorded. Citing Franklin as her "musical mentor," Cole expressed hope that Franklin approved of her rendition of the song, which earned Cole a Grammy nomination. Cole's intentional approach to Leavin' seemed to signal that she knew exactly where she was going and that her fans might want to join her.