Natalie’s music is just unforgettable

Born in Los Angeles on February 6, 1950, she hails from musical royalty, as her father, Nat ‘‘King’’ Cole, was one of the most popular and successful entertainers of the 1940s and ’50s, and her mother, Maria Hawkins, once sang with Duke Ellington’s Orchestra.

Natalie was exposed to the music of artistes like Ella Fitzgerald, Vaughan and Dinah Washington at an early age. By the time she had reached her teens, she was also listening to the soulful sounds of Aretha Franklin and the rock and roll of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

All of those influences helped inform Cole’s own musical choices. Her musical heritage, married with her love for pop, rock, R&B and gospel, combined to form her highly personal, distinctive vocal style.

She made her professional debut at the age of ten in the musical Sights and Sounds: The Merry World of Nat King Cole, starring her famous father. At 12, she was the lead singer of a teenage jazz trio called the Malibu Music Men. Natalie was shattered by her father’s death in 1965. She and her siblings relocated to Massachusetts with their mother, who had remarried.

In 1974, she signed with Capitol, the same label her father recorded for, and released Inseparable in ’75.

The record-buying public was instantly smitten: winning a Grammy as Best New Artist in 1976, she racked up an astounding 30 chart singles over a 15-year period including now-classic tunes like “This Will Be”, “I’ve Got Love On My Mind” , “Our Love”, and in the ’80s, “Pink Cadillac” and “I Miss You Like Crazy”.

The recipient of countless accolades including NAACP Image and Soul Train Music Awards, Cole has enjoyed an ongoing love affair with music buyers worldwide, resulting in major best-selling albums including 1976’s Natalie (gold), 1977’s Unpredictable and Thankful (both platinum) and 1979’s I Love You So (gold).

Natalie Cole’s career reached new heights in the early ’90s: the revered and critically acclaimed Unforgettable, With Love sold an amazing 14 million copies worldwide and earned seven Grammy Awards. In addition to its sales success, the album catapulted the internationally renowned performer to a new level of recognition and acceptance. Performing songs first made famous by her father, she appeared in concert with a full orchestra; in short measure, her audience expanded to include jazz and traditional pop aficionados who were equally impressed. Natalie will join Toni Braxton, Nagee, Patti La Belle, Johnny Gill, P Diddy, Najee and Sting along with several top TT artistes at the Plymouth Jazz Festival April 21 - 23.

You can win a VIP ticket to the Tobago Jazz Festival by answering the question below. Complete the entry form and send to Music Radio 97 / 104FM, Level 4, Long Circular Mall, St James.