Angel on My Shoulder: An Autobiography - Softcover

Cole, Natalie; Diehl, Digby

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0446612073 ISBN 13: 9780446612074

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2002

Synopsis

Born to legendary Nat King Cole in the halcyon days of the 1950s, Natalie Cole grew up to become a versatile singer with Grammy Award status. But that success came with a price, where she was dragged down by depression and drugs. This is her story.

About this title

From AudioFile:

Using the techniques learned in a quarter century on stage, Natalie Cole gives a wonderful performance of her "as told to" autobiography. The pain in her voice as she relates her life's disasters--some self-inflicted--is sincere. Her description of her father's death could move a stone to tears. But it's not all high drama; Cole also slips into delightful dialects in describing the various locales and phases of her life. An abiding faith in God, a belief in the continuing guidance of her father, and the Hazelden Foundation helped her clean up her life, but one suspects there will be further fascinating chapters to come. G.M.N. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist:

Songstress Cole's as-told-to autobiography opens with the harrowing tale of how she and her bodyguard nearly were killed in a hotel fire. As it happens, she had just "made a bargain with the Lord." If the deity let her take a hit of freebase as the room filled with smoke, "then that means I'm finished. I'm going to get high, and then I'm going to die." Fortunately, the Lord acted swiftly. As Cole readied the pipe, "the door was blown off its hinges" by "twin angel Gabriels," who turned out to be firefighters. The singer was saved! And her life changed. Besides that amazing grace, Cole mentions her famous father--one of her abiding companions--early and often, so that Nat Cole, God, and the music she considers a gift from them both could be said to dominate her life. Thoughtfully, she recalls her childhood, recounts the legal battle between her mother and her and her siblings over her father's estate, and relates the erratic behavior of an aging Frank Sinatra, whom she felt had transferred his affection for her father to her. Although she concentrates mostly on the good times, Cole isn't shy about the bad times, which makes this intriguing, engaging, and inspirational life story worthy of attention. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0446612073
• ISBN 13: 9780446612074
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448