I loved my friend Natalie Cole

Natalie Cole and I: A Shared Journey Through Music and Struggles

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Natalie Cole and I shared a unique bond. We were born in the same year: she on February 6, 1950, in Los Angeles, California, and I on August 14, 1950, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The same era shaped our lives.

Our Early Years

Natalie was raised in an affluent family, while I was born into a middle-class family. As kids, we both loved music. She and I listened to jazz, soul, and blues for different reasons. She was interested in singing, while I was curious and played my mother's albums in the house. Her mother was a jazz singer. My mother studied music, learning to read sheet music and play the piano.

Crossing Paths

Our paths crossed in the early 1970s, when she was 18 and a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I was a vagabond, a college wannabe traveling around the Five College Area, which includes Mt. Holyoke College, Hampshire College, Amherst College, and Smith College.

I met Natalie at a local club where she regularly performed. I interviewed her for an article I wrote for a local newspaper. She was funny, engaging, and easy to talk with. In my article, I predicted that Natalie would have a successful career in the recording industry and encounter many challenges on her way to stardom.

Similar Struggles

Strangely, we were similar. At the same time, we both experimented with drugs. It turned out we were buying drugs from the same dealer. She was buying weed, and I was buying weed. She was taking acid, and I was trying acid with similar results.

When she graduated in 1972 from UMass, I graduated from smoking weed to snorting coke. She kicked her heroin addiction and also progressed to snorting coke. Eventually, we both moved on to smoking crack/cocaine.

The Dark Years

In 1985, when she released her ninth studio album, Dangerous, we were both 35 years old and helplessly addicted to crack/cocaine. I didn’t kick cocaine until 1994, around the same time she released her 13th studio album, Holly & Ivy.

Let me make it clear. Sharing a birth year, coming from similar families, and drug use are all things I share with Natalie Cole, except singing.

Natalie's Achievements

She won nine Grammy Awards and received several nominations. At the 18th Annual Grammy Awards, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, becoming the first African American recipient and R&B Act to win the award. Sophisticated Lady (1976), I Got Love On My Mind, and Our Love (1977) followed.

Her biggest charting album, Unforgettable, With Love, was certified 7x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. She recorded an album in Spanish that sold more than a million copies. During her lifetime, Natalie sold more than 30 million records.

The Tragic End

Although we both kicked crack/cocaine, it was too late for Natalie. In 2008, she was diagnosed with hepatitis C from intravenous drug use that went untreated for 25 years. Her kidneys failed, and she eventually died from a congestive heart attack in 2015. She was 65 years old.

I recovered from substance abuse in 1994 without any complications. The similarities between Natalie and me are chilling — even paranormal. I considered her to be my friend.

The Impact of Loss

Natalie’s passing still devastates me. She won her battles with addiction but lost her fight with health issues. Like so many others, she recovered from substance abuse but died from the effects of using drugs for far too many years. She might have lived had she quit using drugs earlier in her life.

I miss her live performances and the ways she engaged with audiences. Her family adored her, and the world admired her. I wish she had lived after kicking heroin and crack/cocaine to enjoy life as I do. She fulfilled her life calling over her 65 years, while I am still fulfilling my purpose, one day at a time.

A Personal Reflection

In reflecting on my journey, I realize how intertwined our lives were. We both faced similar challenges and fought our own battles. I often think about how different our paths could have been. I think about the power of resilience and the importance of making choices that lead to a healthier life.

I hope to inspire others through my story. I want to show that recovery is possible. My memoir, Bullet Proof Soul, captures my experiences and the lessons I've learned. It is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

Buy Bullet Proof Soul

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