WASHINGTON — (CNN) Natalie Cole, who won six Grammys for her 1991 critically acclaimed album “Unforgettable: With Love,” a jazzy tribute to her father, Nat King Cole, has died, her publicist said Friday.
Maureen O’Connor said Cole died Thursday night at the age of 65.
In a New Year’s Day Tweet, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said, “#NatalieCole, sister beloved & of substance and sound. May her soul rest in peace. #Inseparable.”
Cole underwent a successful kidney transplant at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 2009.
Her kidney troubles dated to February 2008, when she was diagnosed with hepatitis C.
Cole had said she attributed the illness to her well-publicized struggles to stop using cocaine and heroin. Cole had been sober for some time following stints in a rehabilitation clinic. Cole said she underwent aggressive chemotherapy to fight the virus.
Cole’s hits included “This Will Be” and “Unforgettable.”
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