The debut album Inseparable, released in 1975, established Natalie Cole as a prominent force in American music. As the first African-American recipient of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1976, she transitioned from performing in small clubs with her band, Black Magic, to achieving international success with over 30 million records sold throughout her lifetime.
Formative Years and Education
Born in 1950 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, Natalie Maria Cole was the daughter of Nat King Cole and Maria Hawkins Ellington. She attended the Northfield Mount Hermon School and The Buckley School before enrolling at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She briefly attended the University of Southern California, where she joined the Upsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, before graduating from the University of Massachusetts in 1972 with a major in Child Psychology and a minor in German.
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After her graduation, Cole began singing in small clubs. Her demo tapes, recorded in a Chicago studio with producers Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy, led to a contract with Capitol Records. Her initial commercial success featured hits such as 'This Will Be' and the title track of her 1975 debut, Inseparable. Following the success of her second album, Natalie, in 1976, she released platinum albums including Unpredictable and Thankful in 1977. By 1979, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and had released a live album titled Natalie Live!
Career Resurgence and Awards
In 1987, Cole pivoted from her established R&B sound to pop with the album Everlasting, which featured a cover of 'Pink Cadillac'. Her 1990s output focused on traditional pop, culminating in the release of Unforgettable... with Love, which earned a 7× platinum certification from the RIAA and secured the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Throughout her career, she accumulated nine Grammy Awards, including the 2009 Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, and received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Fast facts
- Born: 1950, Los Angeles
- Died: 2015, Los Angeles
- Grammy Award for Best New Artist: 1976
- Records sold: Over 30 million
- Buried at: Forest Lawn Memorial Park
- Education: University of Massachusetts Amherst
- MusiCares Person of the Year: 1993
- Citizenship: United States
Questions readers ask
What was Natalie Cole's first major musical honor?
She won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1976, becoming the first African-American recipient of this award.
Which album is considered her biggest commercial success?
Her album Unforgettable... with Love was her most successful, achieving 7× platinum status and winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
Achievements
- Grammy Award for Best New Artist — 1976
- Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album — 2009
- Ellis Island Medal of Honor
- Instruments: piano and voice
- Genres: pop music, soul and funk
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