Natalie Cole’s Family Outraged At Grammys Tribute
The Grammys’ In Memoriam segment is always hard to watch, for numerous reasons, but this year’s was particularly hard-hitting because so many of those who were honored had died so recently. The late, great singer-songwriter Natalie Cole, daughter of Nat King Cole, died on the last day of 2015, at age 65, and the Grammys paid tribute to her with a clip of her famous duet with her father, “Unforgettable.” It’s difficult to arrange such a segment, equating an artist’s importance and impact with a certain amount of time on screen. But Cole’s family felt she should have been honored in a more meaningful way. Especially because there were onstage tributes to so many other artists including David Bowie, Maurice White, Glenn Frey, Lemmy Kilmister, and BB King. Cole’s sisters said the Grammys attempt was “Sadly a FORGETTABLE tribute to Natalie Cole,” as they told Entertainment Tonight. They went on to say:
“Words cannot express the outrage and utter disappointment at the disrespectful tribute, or lack thereof, to a legendary artist such as our sister.”
Cole was nominated 21 times for a Grammy and won nine. Many other artists have taken to social media to express their disappointment as well, including Missy Elliot, Toni Braxton, and Killer Mike among others.
Was looking forward to seeing a Natalie Cole tribute at The Grammys this year… 😞 #RIPNatalie you will NEVER be forgotten ❤️
— Toni Braxton (@tonibraxton) February 16, 2016