Natalie Cole

The daughter of Nat King Cole, Natalie eschewed a career in music and got a degree in child psychology from the University of Massachussetts in 1972. During her senior year, she decided to try singing along with her studies, and pursued both interests after graduating. When her first album, Inseparable, was released in 1975, it was a huge hit and music became her full time job.

Her famous father was an influence on Natalie's phrasing and vocal style, but she says her main influences were Jazz artists like Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy Wilson.

She grew up in a wealthy, mostly white community in Los Angeles, and when she went to college, she joined the Black Panthers and was active in protesting the Vietnam War. "When I went to college I realised I was a black person too. It was a great eye-opener for me, which is why I got involved," said Cole.