Rhino Reading Room: Natalie Cole, Angel on My Shoulder

Today we celebrate the birthday of the late, great Natalie Cole, an outstanding singer who â after spending several years scoring big hits on the pop charts with contemporary material â carved out her most substantial commercial success interpreter of other peopleâs songs, particularly those made popular by her legendary father, Nat King Cole. To commemorate the occasion, we thought weâd step into the Rhino Reading Room and remind you that Ms. Coleâs memoir is still out there and available for your perusal.
Originally released in 2000, Angel on My Shoulder features the following synopsis within its Amazon listing:
âBorn to legendary Nat King Cole in the halcyon days of the 1950s, Natalie Cole grew up to become a versatile singer with Grammy Award status. But that success came with a price, where she was dragged down by depression and drugs. This is her story.â
Admittedly, Cole didnât pen this tome all by her lonesome: itâs officially credited as having been âtold toâ Digby Diehl, whoâs also worked with Bob Barker, Dan Rather, and Esther Williams. That said, it proves a look into her life and times, which â as you can tell just from that brief description of its contents â werenât always perfect. Fortunately, her music continues to stand the test of time, as a spin of our official Natalie Cole playlist will remind you.