By Stephen Pate – On the anniversary of her death, we remember the unforgettable Natalie Cole, the famed singer, actress and author who passed away December 31, 2015.
Her legacy lives on in recordings that sold more than 30 million copies and won worldwide acclaim. Natalie Cole won 13 Grammy Awards among other awards.
Her 1991 album “Unforgettable With Love” is a timeless album that thoroughly entertains. It reminds us what a fantastic performer Natalie Cole was.
“I didn’t I could have that much fun doing this kind of music,” she tells the Pasadena California audience late in the concert recorded by PBS. As a R&B and Pop singer, Natalie Cole had not explored the world of her father prior to recording the album.
Natalie Cole The Unforgettable Concert
Natalie Cole’s Unforgettable With Love was a tribute to her father Nat King Cole.
It sold over 7 million copies and won 7 Grammy Awards in 1992. The album went 7 times Platinum in the USA, 4 times Platinum in Canada, Gold in the UK and 5 times Platinum in Australia. (Discography)
In one of the first tricks of modern music video, the album producer David Foster mesmerized audiences by merging the video and music of Natalie Cole and her father in a duet. This clip from the concert tour that followed the album’s release is a classic.
The Natalie Cole – Unforgettable With Love Concert
The concert was broadcast as “Unforgettable, with Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat King Cole.” Like many PBS shows it was released as a VHS and LaserDisc.
It went out of print when the copyright reverted the the Cole family. Copies are still available from the links provided. I bought the LaserDisc this year and I love it.
You can watch the full concert on YouTube. I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s one of my favorite musical performances to watch.
Natalie Cole was a beautiful and gracious entertainer, beyond her great voice and sense of timing. She had charm and grace and could move easily from up-tempo swing songs to ballads. Her pacing is perfect.
The song order is slightly different from the CD as any live performance might be. I found the pacing of medium, fast and slow ballads perfect. She sings ballads so well, two in a row would put you to sleep.
Natalie Cole died on December 31, 2015 at age 65 from congestive heart failure. The world lost a great artist.
Notable Natalie Cole Albums
- Still Unforgettable – 2009, 1 Grammy Award
- Stardust – 1997, 1 Grammy Nomination, US Platinum
- Unforgettable… With Love – 2001, 7 Grammy Awards, multiple Platinum
For more information about Natalie Cole – see Wikipedia
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