Grammy Winner Singer Natalie Cole Dies at 65

Popular American singer, songwriter and performer Natalie Maria Cole is no more with us. She died Thursday evening, on New Year’s Eve, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was 65.

The daughter of Nat King Cole canceled several events last month due to illness and on January 1 her publicist Maureen O’Connor said the singer has died out of congestive heart failure.

Her family released a statement saying the singer had ongoing health issues as beside drug abuse she also battled hepatitis C and also had a kidney transplant later.

The family added, “Our beloved mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain UNFORGETTABLE in our hearts forever.”

Cole is survived by her 38-year-old son Robert Adam Yancy.

The music industry, from top executives to stars and the era of her father to stars of her own era, too mourned Cole’s death.

The singer was born on February 6 in 1950 in Los Angeles. She grew up in the neighborhood of Hancock Park. Her father too was a widely popular crooner. At the age of just 6 she recorded a duet, “I’m Good Will, You’re Christmas Spirit” with her father. At the age of 11 she started performing on TV show alongside her father.