Natalie Cole as co-host of “We Love Ella! A Tribute to the First Lady of Song,” Great Performance’s tribute in 2007.
GREAT PERFORMANCES mourns the untimely passing of Natalie Cole (February 6, 1950 — December 31, 2015), whose many GP appearances began in 1992 with the Emmy-winning Unforgettable, With Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat King Cole, a concert of jazz and pop songbook standards from her Grammy-winning tribute album to her legendary father, Nat King Cole.
Her other GP solo specials include Natalie Cole’s Untraditional Traditional Christmas in 1994 and Natalie Cole: Ask a Woman Who Knows in 2002. In 2007, Cole joined Quincy Jones to co-host We Love Ella! A Tribute to the First Lady of Song. Her GP guest star appearances included Pavarotti & Friends in 1998, Andrea Bocelli & David Foster: My Christmas in 2009, and Hitman Returns: David Foster & Friends in 2011, and Tony Bennett: Duets II in 2012.
Natalie Cole was both an unforgettable talent and a true friend to public television, and we are grateful to have been able to capture her extraordinary artistry for generations to come.