Natalie Cole Quotes

I think people hear the warmth in my voice and the friendliness, and they think: 'Oh, she must be a very nice person'.

- Natalie Cole

Voice, Think, Very, Warmth

The house where I grew up in the Hancock Park section of Los Angeles was like a dream - even though my family faced threats after my father bought it in August 1948.

- Natalie Cole

Like, Angeles, Though, August

I didn't realize I was still grieving for my father at 30-something.

- Natalie Cole

Father, Realize, Still, Grieving

I have been on dialysis in Istanbul, Milan, Indonesia, Manila, London. It's - it's amazing.

- Natalie Cole

Amazing, London, Been, Istanbul

I'll never totally get away from being who I am, which first, to many, is the daughter of Nat King Cole, which became even more intensified with the 'Unforgettable' album.

- Natalie Cole

Unforgettable, Away, Became, Intensified

My idols are Janis Joplin and Annie Lennox, who are neither of them from the typical pop culture.

- Natalie Cole

Idols, Them, Pop, Annie

Like my father, I don't want to see anyone mistreated, anything like that. I'm very racial-conscious because my father had a lot of, you know, challenges in the area of race. I'm very sensitive to that kind of issue.

- Natalie Cole

Race, Very, Area, Mistreated

The medication I had to take was a form of chemotherapy. You feel like death every day. No appetite. No energy. But the treatment worked. It cured my liver 80 per cent but compromised my kidneys.

- Natalie Cole

Death, Treatment, Cent, Medication

The worst I think that I ever was, when 'Unforgettable' had come out, and not long after that I was on - I was on my way to my second divorce. And that was a crushing, crushing blow.

- Natalie Cole

Think, I Think, Crushing, Blow

I've always adored my father's music, but ever since I'd started singing, whether it was while I was still a student at the University of Massachusetts or professionally, I avoided Dad's material.

- Natalie Cole

Singing, Always, Still, Massachusetts

I think that I am a walking testimony to you can have scars. You can go through turbulent times and still have victory in your life.

- Natalie Cole

Think, Through, Still, Turbulent

I've always been an extremist. Some of us have very addictive personalities, and for some of us, that mechanism gets tripped up. Mine certainly did. I'm not cured. You never are. The recovery is a day-to-day process.

- Natalie Cole

Some, Always, Mine, Addictive

As kids, we had no clue about the racial stuff that seemed to preoccupy adults. We just enjoyed our life as kids.

- Natalie Cole

About, Had, Seemed, No Clue

A lot of people want to donate a kidney, but they're not in a position to because they have health issues of their own, and a lot of people need them. That's why the list is long and it takes a long time.

- Natalie Cole

Want, Own, Need, Donate

I managed to survive the worst things any entertainer could possibly go through.

- Natalie Cole

Survive, Through, Could, Possibly

We are born with two kidneys and only need one to survive. Maybe God gave us the other one so that we could give it away.

- Natalie Cole

Give, Survive, Other, To Survive

I was pretty bad. When I first was diagnosed with kidney failure, my function - the function of my kidney was less than 8 percent.

- Natalie Cole

Bad, Pretty, Less, Diagnosed

I never got to make that transition from little girl to young woman... and that really screws you up.

- Natalie Cole

Girl, Woman, Young, Transition

When you have put all your faith in man and continue to be disappointed, don't you hope there is something out of there that is not of human element?

- Natalie Cole

Hope, Faith, Your, Human Element

I was madly in love with Elvis Presley. Dad wasn't into it at all, at least not for himself as a performer. He used to say, 'Mr. Cole does not rock n' roll.'

- Natalie Cole

Love, Performer, Mr, Madly

I loved when my dad was home. He liked to sit in the living room and watch boxing and baseball on TV. Or he'd be tinkering around or listening to records by his musician buddies - George Shearing, Oscar Peterson and the Jackie Gleason Orchestra.

- Natalie Cole

Records, TV, Tinkering, Buddies

I know that God has had my back, even when I was screwing up.

- Natalie Cole

Know, Back, Even, Screwing

It's the same girl-who-has-everything story. You know, the one where she's insecure and scared and unhappy and has marriage problems and doesn't know how to handle stardom and screws up right and left and gets in with the wrong people and goes down the drain.

- Natalie Cole

Down, How, Drain, Scared

When I did 'Unforgettable,' it wasn't appropriate for us to take liberties with that music. There had to be kind of a fine line between what had made it so great and the fact that a woman was singing it. We changed some of the arrangements, but not too much.

- Natalie Cole

Fact, Some, Appropriate, Changed

I think people just want to be popular. So they're going to write lyrics that are going to get your attention. You know, sometimes, they're a little graphic, and I don't think that's so necessary.

- Natalie Cole

Think, Necessary, I Think, Lyrics

It's the subtleties of a ballad that truly make it beautiful - and it's all in the way you present it to the listener.

- Natalie Cole

Beautiful, Listener, Ballad

What's really important? That I'm an individual, I guess. I am an individual - a strong one, too. I'm Natalie Cole. I gotta be me.

- Natalie Cole

Strong, Individual, Gotta, Natalie

I've always been interested in the office. I was a secretary a long time ago, and I've always been into paperwork. My first secretarial job was 1965 or 1966.

- Natalie Cole

Office, Always, Been, Paperwork

I feel enough distance from the person I used to be. I'm not ashamed about my life anymore, because I've learnt from it.

- Natalie Cole

My Life, Distance, Ashamed, Learnt

I don't think that my parents even imagined that I would be exposed to drugs. In those days, for some reason, it was not talked about, just like sex was not talked about.

- Natalie Cole

Think, Reason, Some, Exposed

Physically, I've seen a change in my life. No, I haven't had a face lift or anything like that. I've grown. That's God's countenance.

- Natalie Cole

Change, My Life, Like, Lift

Nothing had been attempted like that, to lift Dad's voice, literally, off of that track and put it on a brand-new one, and then line it up, match it up, get the phrasing right. I remember listening - everyone listening at the end, and we were just enthralled. It was really wonderful.

- Natalie Cole

Voice, I Remember, Been, Lift

I like Kelly Rowland, I think that she's great. It's hard to come out of the group of Destiny's Child and still kick some butt.

- Natalie Cole

Destiny, Think, Some, Group

Las Vegas has the type of audience - and they haven't changed since my father's days - they're still boring and bored. And there's only that handful of artists that they really enjoy and know how to respond to.

- Natalie Cole

Audience, Still, Las Vegas, Bored

When I sang my father's songs in concert, that was all people wanted to hear. I was always asking myself, 'Can I measure up?'

- Natalie Cole

Father, Asking, Always, All People

I think that talented people really do have insecurities, and that is one of the things that kind of motivates them, because that's one thing they know they're good at. And when they're up on that stage, you can do no wrong. The audience is yours; they're there to see you.

- Natalie Cole

I Think, One Of The Things, Yours

People say I look younger than the music I'm doing just because the songs are older. Hopefully I can keep my youthful look!

- Natalie Cole

Doing, Say, Younger, Youthful

I think foreign countries really do like it when American artists sing in their language. And when you go over there and say, 'Hi, how are you?' in their language, they love it. It makes them feel like you're doing it just for them. We in America take so much for granted.

- Natalie Cole

Love, Doing, Hi, Foreign Countries

You shouldn't have regrets. I'd say instead that I've learned a lot of lessons. Yes, I could have handled some things better. But they've also made me who I am today.

- Natalie Cole

Regrets, Some, Lot, Lessons

I still love recording and still love the stage, but like my dad, I have the most fun when I am in front of that glorious orchestra or that kick-butt big band.

- Natalie Cole

Love, Big, Still, Orchestra

I'm a born-again Christian. I was raised Episcopalian - I've always been of a Christian faith, but I became much more active in it when I married my first husband, Marvin. I changed from Episcopalian to Baptist.

- Natalie Cole

Faith, Been, Became, Episcopalian

When you reach 50, what you care about is being honest, being accurate, and being an example.

- Natalie Cole

Reach, About, Accurate, Being Honest

I couldn't breathe. I - I went into - literally, my kidneys stopped functioning. They stopped, you know, processing the fluid that was starting to build up in my body.

- Natalie Cole

Body, Stopped, Literally, Fluid

I'd sometimes fly for 14 hours, then go straight to dialysis. I spent a little time being tired, but we managed. I'm not a pity-party person.

- Natalie Cole

Sometimes, Hours, Spent, Little Time

I already had high blood pressure. I have hypertension. And I think the chemo was just too much for my kidneys. And they went into failure. And that was September 12th of 2008. And the doctor rushed me right to the hospital.

- Natalie Cole

Blood Pressure, I Think, Had, High Blood Pressure

I continually acted up to get attention. My father gave me that, and once he left, I felt that I didn't have any.

- Natalie Cole

Father, Felt, Continually, Acted

We had some wonderful people raising us, but they still weren't our parents. As you get older, it gets distorted and convoluted, complicated, and, of course, you start looking for attention, affection, affinity in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways.

- Natalie Cole

Some, Had, Convoluted, Distorted

There were so many groups that I had in college, but I was always the solo singer. But what made it so unusual back in the day was that I was a black girl playing with all these white musicians, and I was also singing rock music on top of it.

- Natalie Cole

College, Musicians, Singer, Unusual

I think it just came to a point where I made a decision to do better with my life and health. And that is only by God's grace because there are no guarantees.

- Natalie Cole

My Life, Think, I Think, Guarantees

There's inevitably something missing when you grow up in this kind of an environment when your parents travel a lot. When your father is famous, you are looked at and expected of. There are standards you need to meet.

- Natalie Cole

Grow, Famous, Looked, Missing

Aretha Franklin does not like me.

- Natalie Cole

Like, Aretha, Does, Franklin

I was determined to create my own identity. My first hits, in fact, were straight-up rhythm and blues. My voice was compared to Aretha Franklin's - though, for my money, no one compares to Aretha.

- Natalie Cole

Voice, Fact, Though, Franklin

I started saying, 'I don't want to be crazy anymore.' I need to make some changes. And the first thing I started doing was just got all the men out of my life, because that was a big problem for me. That was a crutch, if you will. You know, trying to define yourself through other people or men, in particular.

- Natalie Cole

My Life, Through, Some, Big Problem

One thing that stays the same is my passion for music. Other than that, I've become more dedicated. I think that I really work much harder than I ever did when I first started at my craft; I'm more dedicated, and I have become a perfectionist.

- Natalie Cole

Craft, Other, I Think, Perfectionist

I think that it's going to be interesting to see where Beyonce's career goes.

- Natalie Cole

Career, Think, See, Beyonce

It's hard to be in the shadow of a Beyonce.

- Natalie Cole

Shadow, Hard, Beyonce

God was going to be to me the father that I never had, the father that I didn't have enough of, enough time with.

- Natalie Cole

Father, Never, Going, Enough Time

It's remarkable what a new kidney does to your life. I have no complaints... I'm pretty amazed. I have been working on my stamina.

- Natalie Cole

New, Pretty, Been, Stamina

I think that I sound a lot better than Diana Ross.

- Natalie Cole

Think, Better, Lot, None

I'm an ordinary person under extraordinary circumstances.

- Natalie Cole

Extraordinary, Person, Ordinary Person

I imagine there are a lot of people who will never be able to accept me because they feel I've let them down, but I am a different person, and most people have welcomed me back in that spirit.

- Natalie Cole

Down, Feel, Back, Different Person

I like Babyface, but he keeps the good stuff for himself. If he's willing to give his good stuff to me, we'll talk. But it can't be any of his B-grade stuff.

- Natalie Cole

Give, Like, Willing, Keeps

I'm just really, really thankful. I'm thankful to the doctors; I'm thankful to the family that donated the kidney.

- Natalie Cole

Thankful, Doctors, Donated, Kidney

My friend was on dialysis for six years before he got a new kidney. I was on dialysis for eight months. I'm almost not even the typical person who has kidney failure.

- Natalie Cole

New, Six, Months, Kidney

I look 10 years younger than I am. Unfortunately, sometimes I act like I'm 10 years old.

- Natalie Cole

Old, Younger, Like, Unfortunately

I get hugs all the time from strangers. I do believe that people can feel your persona when you perform live, but it is one of the nicest things if you can translate that on your records.

- Natalie Cole

Records, Persona, HUGS, Translate

There are some great human beings out there. That's all I can say.

- Natalie Cole

Say, Some, Human Beings, Beings

I like to grow and experiment, and as an artist, it's about kicking the bar up a little.

- Natalie Cole

Grow, Experiment, Kicking, Bar

When I was old enough to walk home alone from school, I loved seeing our house from a distance. It sat on the corner of South Muirfield Road and West 4th Street and had this proud, majestic look. But I rarely went through the front door. The back was more dramatic.

- Natalie Cole

Door, Distance, Through, Rarely

God surrounded me with people of faith, people of strong faith, people of power, spiritual power, and I saw little miracles happen in their lives. By it happening in their lives, I started believing it could happen to me.

- Natalie Cole

Strong, Happen, Surrounded, Miracles

It's important to wallow and grieve when you have a health issue. I don't think you really get the best stuff out of life until you've had the worst stuff.

- Natalie Cole

Think, Issue, Wallow, Grieve

I thank my dad for leaving me such a wonderful, wonderful heritage.

- Natalie Cole

Me, Dad, Thank, Leaving

I think we need to be sexy and kind of mysterious and still pretty and beautiful. I like to hear that when a man sings. I don't really want to hear about taking my clothes off.

- Natalie Cole

Think, Still, Sings, Clothes

Even when I had no money, I spent everything I had on clothes.

- Natalie Cole

Money, Even, Spent, Clothes

My father led by example. He wasn't much of a talker - he walked life.

- Natalie Cole

Father, Walked, Led, Talker

Being my dad's daughter has allowed me to do a lot of things that maybe another artist might not be able to do or wouldn't be necessarily embraced doing.

- Natalie Cole

Doing, Artist, Maybe, Daughter

I would never do an album with 10 songs like 'Jump Start' on it. I'll only go so far to please fans.

- Natalie Cole

Start, Album, Like, Jump

I don't think anyone can measure up to what my father had achieved. I'm just happy to at least play some of his music, but he is really the one who was the pioneer, the one who started all this. He's really The King.

- Natalie Cole

Father, Play, Some, Pioneer

My father was a pioneer in so many ways. He was fearless, and I think that I kind of picked that up from him as well.

- Natalie Cole

Fearless, Think, I Think, Pioneer

I have been to hell and back. I have seen the edge. I have seen the dark side of life.

- Natalie Cole

Edge, Been, Side, Dark Side

I'm the type of person who won't cancel a show even if I don't feel my best.

- Natalie Cole

Best, Feel, Show, Cancel

My first trip to Mexico was with my dad because of his Spanish records. That was back in 1958. I found a picture of me when I was eight dressed as a little senorita.

- Natalie Cole

Records, Spanish, Dad, Picture

The dialysis is to wash my blood, to keep my kidneys functioning.

- Natalie Cole

Blood, Keep, Wash

I was pretty young, but because of that first record, 'Cole Espanol,' we took our first trip - well, my first trip - to Mexico.

- Natalie Cole

Young, Pretty, Took, Trip

By the time I approached my forties, I had the self-assurance to approach all the genres I love so deeply: R & B, rock, jazz, and pop.

- Natalie Cole

Love, Jazz, By The Time, Pop

I felt that if I'm serious about acting, I would like people to see me as an actress. It's less of a stretch if I'm singing, unless I'm playing a character who sings.

- Natalie Cole

Singing, Actress, Sings, Serious

I can laugh at myself because I've had to. Everything would have been much worse if I'd been the singing son of Nat 'King' Cole.

- Natalie Cole

King, Singing, Been, None

People said when I started, 'Why don't you just copy your father's style?' I had to be myself, singing my songs in my own way.

- Natalie Cole

Father, Singing, My Own, Copy

If you don't shop smart, you get a little trendy.

- Natalie Cole

Get, Trendy, Shop, Smart

One of these days, I'd like to put together a revue of all my music, which would probably turn into a marathon. There's a couple of hit songs from almost every phase of my career. At the same time, visually, if you don't handle it properly, it could be a cacophony of craziness, because there's just so many different kinds of music.

- Natalie Cole

Career, Couple, Almost, Handle

When you make your living as a singer, you have to go where the gigs are.

- Natalie Cole

Living, Singer, Go, Gigs

We used to have to arrange things around the dialysis. I would have to plan where to play so I could be back in time, and couldn't go too far.

- Natalie Cole

Play, Go, Could, Arrange

Life is such a gift, I just say thank you all day.

- Natalie Cole

Gift, Thank You, Thank, All Day

Losing people is dark, but some things you just have to accept.

- Natalie Cole

Dark, Some, Things, Accept

As miserable as I was, once I started singing, I felt better.

- Natalie Cole

Singing, Better, Once, Miserable

We have to stop rewarding bad behavior.

- Natalie Cole

Bad, Stop, Rewarding, Bad Behavior

There are a lot of great artists with great voices who aren't singing what they should be singing.

- Natalie Cole

Singing, Artists, Lot, Voices

I would hate to look back on my life and go, 'You know, I wanted to do a rock n' roll album. I should have, and I never did.'

- Natalie Cole

My Life, Go, Album, Rock N Roll

I've always loved Spanish. I love my father's Spanish records.

- Natalie Cole

Love, Always, I Love, Spanish

I was going to college to be a doctor.

- Natalie Cole

College, Going, Doctor

I love what I do so much. I just keep going. Not much can bring me down.

- Natalie Cole

Love, Going, I Love, Bring

If you don't have dialysis, absolutely, you will die. Dialysis is actually keeping me alive.

- Natalie Cole

Die, Will, Actually, Alive

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