Natalie Cole’s Family Slams Grammys for ‘Disrespectful’ Tribute to the Late Singer
There were plenty of honorary tributes to late music icons at the 2016 Grammy Awards on Monday night (Feb. 15). Deceased artists like David Bowie, B.B. King and Maurice White were celebrated with musical tributes. However, the family of the Natalie Cole are angry that the late singer didn’t get a proper tribute.
Cole's sisters, Timolin and Casey, slammed the Grammy producers for not giving the soul singer a great tribute just like the other artist during the telecast. Cole was remembered during the "In Memoriam" tribute with archive footage of her memorable 1992 Grammy performance of "Unforgettable," which was a posthumous duet with her late father Nat "King" Cole.
"Words cannot express the outrage and utter disappointment at the disrespectful tribute, or lack thereof, to a legendary artist such as our sister,” they told ETOnline.
"Here is a woman who has been in the business for four decades, had 21 Grammy nominations and won nine Grammys. She deserves more than (to be a part of) a minute-and-a-half tribute," added Cole's son Robert Adam Yancy. "It was shameless the way they minimized her legacy. We will find solace in her legacy as well as her endless fans around the world."
We can’t blame them for being angry. Honestly, the Grammys should have paid tribute to Cole in a much bigger way. Unfortunately, the awards telecast is only three hours long and they simply can’t give everybody a tribute.
Several celebrities and fans have also expressed outrage.
"We lost so many greats but Natalie Cole 1st African American to win Best New Artist deserved a tribute #Gmmys #BHM," Holly Robinson Peete wrote on Twitter. A fan also commented, "I still listen to Natalie Cole every year. She introduced me to so many amazing, classic songs. She deserved a much bigger #GRAMMYs tribute."
What do you think? Did the Grammy producers dropped the ball on giving Natalie Cole a proper tribute? Tell us in the comments below.