Rarely do the offspring of artistic superstars go on to enjoy global acclaim themselves, but Natalie Cole is an exception. Born and raised in a family that was passionate about performing, her love affair with R&B and jazz began when she was five years old.
You’re going to do a special “duet” with your father at the Singapore Sun Festival. What was he like? My father was a great fan of sports. He was born in Alabama, which means he was always used to great cooking. He loved his work; it was most important to him. He also liked going to parties.
What have been some of your most memorable performances? There was this show I did to promote Unforgettable: With Love at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City that was huge. It was an amazing night, the stage was beautiful and I loved my outfit. I was dressed like an angel. The audience clapped so much! I’ll never forget that.
You suffered a major shock last year, when you almost died of kidney failure. How did you deal with that? Oh that was awful; that was an experience. I’m so thankful that I was given another chance to live. I just wrote a book, which will be released internationally on Nov 9. I love the story in there; it’s a story about health, about treasuring your life. I talk about receiving a kidney transplant and about my journey since that turning point in my life in this book. Writing it was a beautiful process.
You’ve sung, written and even acted in some television shows and feature films. What else is in store for the versatile Natalie Cole? I want to do more songwriting. I also want to continue working with different styles of music. At the Sun Festival, I will be going back to my R&B roots. I like to mix it up because it’s more exciting that way.
Catch Natalie Cole in Concert on Oct 31, 8pm. Esplanade Theatre, 1 Esplanade Dr., 6828-8377. $38-218 from Sistic. Check out www.singaporesunfestival.com for details.
