Natalie's Causes
Natalie is or has been involved with numerous organizations and causes including:
The Children Diabetes Foundation
Breast Cancer Research at
The Rainforests Foundation
Save the Heart Foundation
The American Red Cross
AIDS Project LA
The Minority AIDS Project and the Entertainment Industry’s Permanent
Charities Committee
Ms. Cole was named the 1992 NARAS MusiCares person of the year
Natalie was the 1994 Spokesperson for
Natalie was the 1999 honorary Chairperson for the 100 Black Men of
America, Inc.'s, Miracles of Mentoring Campaign
NATALIE COLE GIVES BACK: Singer sponsors student's trip to see 'Akeelah'
By Kenya M. Yarbrough
May 3, 2006
*Natalie Cole has been making music since her 1975 Grammy-award winning debut album “Inseparable.” Not surprising, as she is the daughter of the legendary Nat King Cole. Nonetheless, her twenty-year career has produced the classic hits "This Will Be," "I've Got Love On My Mind," "Our Love," and the '80s tracks ”Pink Cadillac" and "I Miss You Like Crazy" among others.
With a new solo album expected to hit in September and acclaimed television appearances on “Grey's Anatomy” and last night's “Law & Order,” Cole is continuing her stride as a superstar.
“I really hope to do some more acting,” she said. “I've kind of been away from it for five or six years. It's still fun. It's a kick for me, I love it.”
Next up for the singer-actress, though, was the big screen – at least when she took time out to talk with EUR's Lee Bailey. Yesterday morning, Cole hosted a screening of the film “Akeelah and the Bee” for some Los Angles students. The singer helped bring 4th and 5th graders from the Angeles Mesa Elementary School to the Magic Johnson theaters in L.A. to follow-up on the student's first spelling bee.
“When this movie came out, it was perfect timing for them to see a real spelling bee,” Cole said. “Some of these kids have never been involved in or never knew what a spelling bee was. This was really a great opportunity for us to bring them to see this movie. I think that we were excited about this kind of a movie coming out because it promotes the mind. Instead of promoting being a celebrity or being an athlete. It's very exciting and very positive that these kids get to understand that at the end of the day, your mind is a very powerful thing.”
This powerful thing was an idea of one of Cole's friends who suggested that the singer helped bring some local children to the movie, just days before. Fortunately, for the children, she was able to call a close friend for a favor.
“So I said, ‘Let me see if I can call Magic,'” Cole explained. “I was prepared to cover all the costs because I thought it was such a fantastic idea. But Magic – he's such a loving guy and loves his community – he said he would cover all the costs. So the kids came in, we gave them some popcorn. It was a perfect situation and worked out really well. The teachers were very excited and the kids didn't sleep for two days (when we told them about it).”
With the excited preteens tucked away in the theater, Cole spoke about the importance of motivational movies like “Akeelah and the Bee.”
“I want to also inspire teachers to do this, too. If the parents don't have the time to do it, wouldn't it be great if the other schools in other districts could get the 4th and 5th graders – because that's what this film focuses on – bring them out to see this movie. [We should] make a real conscious effort because we don't get inspirational films like this very often, and plus with Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett in the key roles – I think it's really great to uplift our people and each other. It's something that's rare and it shouldn't be.”
Along with some moviegoers, Cole was a little disheartened at the paltry ticket sales for the film this past weekend, but admits that it is not that surprising.
“The numbers weren't what we wanted them to be,” she said. “I think that's it's partially the media's fault and our own fault and that's what we've come to. The funny movies and the comic movies and so many black films where we make fools of one another are the popular ones. We are uncomfortable with getting serious about expanding our minds on a subject that takes a little more time to think about. It's a lazy mentality that has permeated society.”
Singer/actress Natalie Cole poses with some of the kids she brought to the Magic Johnson Theaters in LA to see a special screening of 'Akeelah and the Bee' Tuesday, May 2nd. (photo: Malcolm Ali / www.finaimage.com )
Another project for Cole is the upcoming “The World of Nat King Cole,” a retrospective 28-song CD and DVD/documentary companion commemorating the 40th anniversary of Nat King Cole's death in 1965. The documentary can be viewed initially on May 17 on PBS' "American Masters" series.
“There are wonderful interviews with Whoopi Goldberg, Andre Benjamin of OutKast, and just a whole lot of cool people that gave their time to talk about dad and what they felt they learned from him – for those that didn't know him, but were influenced by him, as well as those who knew him,” she described.
Now who woulda thunk it? OutKast's Andre 3000 influenced by Nat King Cole? According to Natalie, it's not so far-fetched.
“Dad wasn't just a musical influence, he was a persona influence – the way he dressed; the way he handled himself,” she said. “He was cool. I think Isaac Hayes said, ‘He was cool before anyone knew what cool was.'”
To keep up with the latest on Natalie Cole, check out her website at www.nataliecole.com and stay tuned for more on her upcoming album at EUR.