Natalie on Larry King talk about the need for a donor, Natalie received a kidney from her nurses niece (Jessica from EL Salvador) who was “heavily pregnant” with her baby boy Lucas. During Jessica’s eighth month of pregnancy, she had a stroke but the baby lived. And the family gave all her organs away.
“I know a lady who needs the kidney. It was a perfect match. It was meant to be,’ said Esther.
Throughout her life, since the 1965 death of her famous father when she was just 15 (the legendary Nat King Cole), Natalie experienced loss of life all around her.
I was at boarding school in Massachusetts. From that moment on I can’t really tell you what happened. I was in shock. They put me on a plane and I cried all the w
ay back to LA. It was a horrible, horrible week. [I] began taking ‘a conga line of substances,’ later graduating to heroin and crack cocaine. If the pain is bad enough you’ll do anything you can to avoid it, anything to keep from feeling that way again: drugs, bad decisions with men – apart from my son’s father.
Her “son’s father” was that man whose name was all over that memorable album’s credits I will never forget: (songwriter/producer) “Marvin Yancy”—with whom she married at the age of 25 (and married and divorced two other since him).
Natalie Cole lost her brother, Nat Jr. in 1995 to a long time illness, older sister (whom she referred to as her “biggest and best cheerleader”-Cookie) in 2009 to lung cancer. Her mother (and wife of Nat King Cole-Maria) in 2012 to stomach cancer and is survived by her son and two twin sisters.
Having first, gone platinum back in 1979; Natalie Cole is a 9x Grammy winner who’s sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
In honor of the woman who died and gave her life, Natalie says she felt a compulsion to make an album in Jessica’s native tongue: Spanish. So after her kidney transplant in 2009 she released her first album which ended up being a top-selling Latino CD in the US.
“I believe everything happens for a reason. You couldn’t have told me five years ago I’d even be doing a Spanish record, let alone that it would be the No1 Latin CD. This record is a tribute to that family’s love. They gave me life. I feel more than blessed. I should have been dead a while ago, but I’m still here for a reason. I don’t know what the reason is so I just take it one day at a time” said the This Will Be singer.
Although as a little girl I’d tell my mother that I wanted to sing that very song with Natalie Cole as [from my little girl’s hearing-who, at the time thought the radio was a music box where live acts took turns playing music though listeners speakers] I also thought a total of two women sang that song, but later grew to know was just perfect harmony—sang by that one woman.
At the time, however, I told my mom I wanted to be that second voice to sing that song with her somebody.
Along with all her wonderful songs I’ve loved over the years, I’d totally (and may-one day soon) do just that…and plaster it right here—the very moment I can get through it without tearing up from the joy the song brings me (and the sadness because of the memories and the two women who brought it to me…having both gone on to glory).
R.I.P Natalie Cole (and mommy).
“You’ve given me a thrill of a lifetime and made me believe you’ve got more thrills to spare/ You brought a lot of sunshine into my life. You filled me more happiness than I never knew. You gave me more joy than I ever dreamed of. And no one. No one…can take the place of you….This will be./ You’re so deserving…”
