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.