2015 was a wholly eventful year entertainment-wise, yet sadly it climaxed with the passing of songbird Natalie Cole.
From The Vault salutes the diva with a very special performance that saw her grace the stage alongside another premium vocalist – and one of That Grape Juice‘s favorite – Whitney Houston.
Taking on the Aretha Franklin classic ‘I Say A Little Prayer’, the two singers delivered what could only be described as a vocal masterclass. Verses were traded and sensational chemistry was displayed.
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This performance is only a brief reminder of just how much the music industry at large has lost with Natalie’s – and obviously Whitney’s – departure. Apart from shoulder pads and intricate hairstyles, what’s striking about this showing is the ladies’ raw talent and their dedication to the art of music and performance.
With social media’s influence in today’s pop culture at sky-high, we sincerely hope that Ms. Cole’s passing will encourage the next generation of vocal hopefuls to flip through her extensive catalogue and choose to focus on putting the talent at the forefront.
Ms. Cole, thank you for the music. Love always.
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Y’all stay throwing subliminal shade lol
So sad RIP Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston.
The camaraderie she and Whitney had is something that’s sadly missing among some of the leading ladies in the industry today. I’m sure everyone knows that famous GIF of them pointing at each other at the 1992 AMAs after Natalie beat Whitney in a certain category and the former playfully joked about how she was going to enjoy that win because the latter was always a shoe-in at award shows. This performance is the sort of thing I’d love to see more of. However, with the media pits women – especially those of color – against each other, I’m not going to hold my breath because TPTB will only allow one or two to dominate at a time. They brought the house down with this duet and revisiting it put a smile on my face. Rest in peace to these women with impeccable voices.
However, with *the way* the media pits women…
Thanks for posting this video, TGJ, I had never seen it before. Both ladies went to church with Natalie doing some very impressive runs at the end, and of course Whitney forever being The Voice. Not only did they sound good but it warmed my heart to see them sing together with no animosity or competition, honoring the song and their voices. The band and background singers were top notch too. I came to Natalie Cole by way of En Vogue and their cover of “Just Can’t Stay Away” on Born To Sing and always had a certain respect for her making a name/way for herself outside of her father’s career. She always seemed so caring and genuine in her interviews and will be missed and leaves a lovely legacy in music.
Can THIS lady have her moment without Whitney? All I seen was this with Whitney and it’s more of a RIP Whitney Vs Cole. Cole have classics of her own and I believe that during Franklin years of winning grammys, Cole won one, breaking her streak. Anyway, here’s a song that you all heard and prob never knew who sang it, because most of you won’t ever be married, nor invited to one.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lswB6q2t_6c
Can Anti get a release date? A year after her first single, and no album. Whitney and Natalie released their albums. When will Rih?
Her singles sold more than Ciara’s flops. And ANTi already outsold Wackie.
Bye Markeisha. Ciara will be on her tenth studio album by the time DELAYEDti is released. Stay mad sis.
And they all will flop and you know it. By time of Ciara’s 10th album, she’ll be dropped.
This just shows how sad and disgusting the c squad and be. Why would you use this post just to shade Rihanna? Smh
This is just so sad. Natalie was so special to me. She captured the true essence of jazz and soul. I will not be the same without her. RIP.
J.Lo can sing circles around Whitney and Natalie #NOT
Two lovely ladies gone too soon! I had no clue how strong Natalie and Whitney’s bond was, it’s evident in the many clips like these that I’ve seen over the weekend. As someone mentioned above, what’s absent is the sense of competition, tension or jealously. It’s nice to see Natalie display such kindness in embracing Whitney and welcoming her (when she was already a well respected veteran in the game). I think being around greats with this attitude rubbed off on Whitney because she was the exact same way! R.I.P Natalie, she really was special in every way.
R.I.P Natalie Cole. She was great in this performance
Unbelievable.
RIP Natalie
Whitney girl: she had it all.