Natalie Cole is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has a voice that has been described as a "delicate alto" and a "gorgeously rich alto" with a "strong, graceful tone". Cole's debut album, Natalie Cole, was released in 1973 and was certified gold by the RIAA. Following several years of less visible releases, she resurfaced in 1986 with her critically acclaimed second album Unforgettable
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In 1990 she starred in her self-titled reality series on VH1, which documented her life as a recording artist. In 1991 she won the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for her single "This Will Be," and followed it up in 1992 with her second Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the song "(There's) No Way." In 1992 she signed to Capitol Records, but her third album never materialized. Cole continued to record and release solo albums sporadically over the course of the next decade—her last studio album (and only one to be released during her lifetime) was Believe (2002)—and became a favorite live act for many fans of live jazz music due to her classy stage presence and ability to improvise songs based on audience reaction.
Her final performance was at the Beacon Theater in New York City on December 31, 2007. She died on March 12, 2015 at the age of 68 after suffering heart failure while recovering from hip surgery.