Natalie Cole's Greatest Quotes

Unfortunately, as we celebrated a new year, the world lost one of its greats. The legendary R&B singer, Natalie Cole passed away Thursday night at the age of 65. The perfect chip off her famous father's creative block, Natalie was known for such hits as "Unforgettable," "This Will Be," and "Our Love" and after struggling a bit in her personal life, became a star in her own right. Looking back at interviews with Natalie, we see a strong woman who owned her stumbles, overcame them, and was a stronger person as a result. Natalie Cole's greatest quotes are empowering and have become advice that everyone can live by.

It definitely could not have been easy to leave the shadow of her father, the great Nat King Cole but Natalie faught against the odds and managed to carve out her own legacy. Even while she was suffering through setbacks like substance abuse and Hepatitis C, Natalie still remained actively touring until very recently when she only paused due to ailing health that became too overwhelming. She is truly a loss to the music world.

It seems fitting now to take a look back at some of Cole's best quotes that paint the picture of a strong, talented woman who will surely be missed.

"I've been to hell and back. I have seen the edge. I have seen the dark side of life."

The singer opened up in her book, Angel On My Shoulder.

"Where I am at now helps me to look back on my life and realize that I've really had quite and rich life."

Another memorable cut from her memoir.

"I’m like the poster child for going through a lot of s*** and coming up smelling of roses."

The singer opened up to the Daily Mail in August 2013.

"I do believe that here [she taps her head] is where everything happens. Rather than thinking, 'Poor me,' you turn it into something positive."

Another set of wise words from her Daily Mail interview.

"You must live your life, if possible, without regret."

Cole delivered this gem while speaking to Essence about her book back in 2010.

"The gift and wonderfulness of being an artist is that you never really run out of ideas"

This is another amazing quote from her Essence interview, and something I think we should all remember her by. She will be so, so missed.

Editor's Note: A previous version of the article failed to attribute these quotes to Cole's book and her interviews with both the Daily Mail and Essence.