Soul singer Natalie Cole, the daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole and singer Maria Hawkins, has died at age 65

STAR2.COM
Soul singer Natalie Cole, the daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole and singer Maria Hawkins, has died at age 65, reports said.

“It is with heavy hearts that we bring to you all the news of our Mother and sister’s passing. Natalie fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived … with dignity, strength and honour,” Cole’s sisters, Timolin Cole and Casey Cole, and her son, Robert Yancy, said in a statement to NBC News.

“Our beloved Mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain unforgettable in our hearts forever.”

The statement said that Cole died on Thursday evening at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles due to complications from her illness. Celebrity gossip website TMZ reported that she had died from heart failure.

Cole had battled drug addiction for many years and suffered from Hepatitis C. Because of this, she was forced to undergo a kidney transplant in May 2009.

Cole began her career at a young age as an R&B singer but later moved on to perform jazz standards and soul music just like her father. In 1991, she released Unforgettable…With Love, a compilation of re-worked tracks made popular by her father.

The album received critical acclaim, winning several Grammys including Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year. To date, it has sold over 14 million copies worldwide.

Natalie Cole