David Campbell Issues Statement on Passing of Natalie Cole

BroadwayWorld previously reported that that Grammy Award-winner Natalie Cole passed away on December 31, 2015 from congestive heart failure at age 65.

David Campbell, one of Australia's foremost entertainers, who formerly served as the Adelaide Cabaret Festival's artistic director, has now issued a statement reflecting on the passing of Natalie Cole.

My grandmother was obsessed with Nat King Cole. It was like a religion. One of the greatest singers who ever lived. He was hers.

Natalie was ours.

This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)", "Wild Women Do," "Miss You Like Crazy," "Pink Cadillac" and of course those duets with her father. Her voice was unstoppable. It soared above her addictions and loss.

My wife Lisa and I were running the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2010 and we needed a headliner. Someone who we knew would deliver a concert that would connect audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Our dream was to get Natalie.

She was a star but she was approachable. Old school in her style and manner but could still be fierce on stage. The audience was in the palm of her hand from the start. When the screen came down from the roof and the opening chords to "Unforgettable" started, you could hear 2000 people hold their breath. Wedding dances played across their minds, hands were held, tears were shed and she blew a kiss to my grandmother's favorite singer as the last notes played. She then did more rock, gospel and swing music and left the audience baying for more. She came out, asked them what they wanted to hear and when someone said "Mona Lisa" she smiled and gave it to them.

Off-stage she wanted to meet everyone. She thanked all the crew. She entertained and had photos with many local fans (including myself). She even met my then 3-day-old son, Leo.

It was a shock to hear of her passing and that wonderful generous spirit has left the stage.

She will always be Unforgettable.

Yesterday, BroadwayWorld reported that the Recording Academy had published their own condolences as well. "We are very saddened to learn of the passing of one of music's most celebrated and iconic women, Natalie Cole," writes Recording Academy president and CEO Neil Portnow in an official statement. Read Portnow's full statement here.

Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 - December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and performer. The daughter of Nat King Cole, Natalie rose to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be", "Inseparable", and "Our Love". After a period of failing sales and performances due to a heavy drug addiction, Cole re-emerged as a pop artist with the 1987 album Everlasting and her cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Pink Cadillac". In the 1990s, she re-recorded standards by her father, resulting in her biggest success, "Unforgettable... with Love," which sold over seven million copies and also won Cole numerous Grammy Awards. She sold over 30 million records worldwide.

Click here to read her full obituary.

David Campbell is the co-host of Mornings with Sonia Kruger on Australia's Nine Network. His most recent recording David Campbell Sings John Bucchino was released in 2014.