Natalie Cole: 10 Essential Songs
R&B singer and daughter of Nat King Cole passed away at 65


THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO -- Episode 1002 -- Pictured: Musical guest Natalie Cole performs on September 26, 1996 -- (Photo by: Margaret C. Norton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Margaret C. Norton/NBC/Getty
Natalie Cole had music in her blood — her father was the legendary baritone Nat King Cole. But over the course of her career, Cole, who died Thursday at age 65, proved herself to be a sterling performer who blended pop, rock, and soul influences into a refreshing mix, and her crystal-clear voice handled spunky tracks like "Sophisticated Lady (She's a Different Lady)" as deftly as it did the standards popularized by her father.