Rating: 
Summary: inspiring
Review: after being a fan of nat king cole in the fifty's ibecame interested in natalie after hearing her cd "UNFORGETTABLE" i knew nothing about her life and was amazed that she shared so much of her bad times. was touced by the way she poured her heart out. i am happy that she trusts in GOD and wasn't afraid to share all he has done to keep her safe.
Rating:
Summary: Candid Book
Review: After reading Natalie Cole's autobiography ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER, I have so much respect for the woman. In this candid book, she holds nothing back. She talks about growing up as the daughter of Nat King Cole and how that affected her life, and how she tried to find her identity and often went to drugs. She started her career and was hot stuff between 1975-1980, before the drugs took over her life. She talks a fair bit about her marriage with Marvin Yancy, and her son quite a bit. Marvin died which left her to take care of her son. This was after she cleaned up her act with the drugs which were ruining her life. She has to face adversity and get her career back on track. She had a few hits in the 80s but she didn't blow up completely until she did the tribute album in 1991 to her father, which won her a considerable amount of Grammy's. In the late 80s she also married Andre, a mistake she would later regret as he abused her. She also talks about her brother who died from AIDS, and her mother keeping their share of their father's will from Natalie and her siblings and the drama that ensued there, adding fuel to the fire of an already tumultuous relationship with her mother. Quite a few times she makes a reference to how angels saved her life, and that God was watching her. It's an inspiring book, and interesting to read and realize how much she has been through in her life. A good read.
Rating:
Summary: THANK GOD FOR ANGELS!
Review: Angel On My Shoulder is a poignant autobiography of multi-talented Ms. Natalie Cole. The book covers her life past to present and let me tell ya, it's a miracle Natalie is still alive today; thanks to God's angels. Natalie candidly talks about her drug abuse, negligence as a mother, two failed marriages, finding God, and many tribulations and triumphs in her 25 year recording career. I truly admire Ms. Cole for having the courage to write her story and share it with us. This is a truly inspiring book that I got alot out of through Ms. Coles wisdom to get her life in order. God Bless you Natalie, much love.
Rating: 
Summary: More than an Angel looking over her....
Review: Boy, Natalie had Jehovah God looking over her shoulder! If everything in the book is true (and I believe it is,) then only the Almighty himself could have saved her! Her life was a complete mess and I'm glad she shared it with us. People with money and fame are not always the best off, if you don't believe it, read this book, I'm glad I did..
Rating:
Summary: More than an Angel looking over her....
Review: Boy, Natalie had Jehovah God looking over her shoulder! If everything in the book is true (and I believe it is,) then only the Almighty himself could have saved her! Her life was a complete mess and I'm glad she shared it with us. People with money and fame are not always the best off, if you don't believe it, read this book, I'm glad I did..
Rating:
Summary: Incredible Insight to Life in the Studio
Review: I didn't know what to expect out of this book when I decided to buy it. A reviewer at Black Issues magazine dissed this book because of the language he claimed she used throughout ("honey" this, "honey" that). I'm fascinated! I also conclude that that reviewer is out of his mind. I find nothing wrong with either the language used or the editing. So it's not perfect English! Communication is sometimes more important, and Ms. Cole makes her position perfectly clear on a lot of things. At least, I myself had no problem understanding what she was trying to say.That having been said, let me say that for me, the insight Ms. Cole shares of what goes into the making of a recording (can't call them "records" anymore) makes this book a bargain at twice the price. She's very detailed, but not to the point of boredom by getting overly technical. I think it's amazing the hoops a recording artist has to go through, that is, if you're not one of the up-and-comers. Now I see what it's like to have an idea for an album you really want to do, only to have your label worry about how to sell it and where, or what category they'd have to put you in. The music business is a zoo, and Ms. Cole really lets you know what kind of animals are involved throughout an album's conception. I found the "Unforgettable" chapter fascinating because I had never read that side of it before. Few recording artists who have written books really go into it; at least the ones I've read. Few listeners even think about it. If you want to know why your favorite artist doesn't do this on record or do that on record, you get some really big clues in Chapter 23. Thank you, Ms. Cole, for letting us in on that side of the business! I've noticed that my copy of this book doesn't have the purple background shown in the above picture: it makes me wonder if this book was released with different covers. My hardcover's dust jacket has the same pose but with a white background and gold lettering. A very tasteful and beautiful cover. Finally, it must have been very hard for Natalie Cole to sit down and sort of air dirty linen in public. Normally, that sort of thing wouldn't be anybody's business, but I think that because sometimes the court of public opinion can affect how many records one sells, I think Ms. Cole felt she had to be frank about her relationship with her family, especially her mother. I'm kind of glad she did so, because in a lot of ways, I can relate to it. My family's dysfunctional, too! So thanks, Ms. Cole, for letting us know what's going on.
Rating:
Summary: I Really Had No Idea Just How Bad It Was
Review: I found this book absolutely captivating and intriging. I had no idea the problems Natalie Cole had were so extensive. They were really able to keep most of the darkness in the dark. I particularly enjoyed seeing the photos of the past, but only wish that there could have been pictures of Natalie during her darkest days, to show the readers the actual affects drugs had on her physically and emotionally. Natalie Cole was both candid and light about her struggles. She was able to acknowledge that she was not the strength, that it was God who saved her. It saddened me when Marvin died. I so hoped that they would reunite. I was also shocked by the death of her cousin (and guardian angel) Janice. Natalie was truly blessed to have that angel on her shoulder. This is a must-read and I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a true miracle of faith.
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Summary: Thank God for Angels!
Review: I knew this was a book that would not slip by me. It is a must-read for all Natalie Cole fans. She shared honestly and openly far more than I expected her to. Her life has been a series of tremendous highs and horrifying lows. I remember the first time I heard "This Will Be" as a teenager. I was a fan hooked for life. I knew very little about her drug addiction and didn't realize she was in serious trouble until her mother took over her finances. I have always thought her to be extremely beautiful and talented (which definitely extends to her writing skills as well)and I applaud her remarkable comeback from the brink of hell. I remember the first time I heard "Unforgettable". It is still one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. If you saw the recent made for TV movie, it didn't do justice to the book. I found it to be an extremely hard book to put down. I, too pray, the same angel that has watched over her life is able to work a miracle in her relationship with her mother. Her assessment of her mother is not mean-spirited. Just brutally honest. As you can see, I loved this book!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderfully entertaining & spiritually satisfying read
Review: I love a well-written and insightful celebrity autobiography, and "Angel On My Shoulder" by Natalie Cole more than meets expectations. A good celebrity autobio will have plenty of pertinent details: family background, how they became successful, little known secets, name dropping, & cherished memories. In this book, Natalie provides humorous and sensitive detail: things that will make you laugh out loud (all the many times she was saved from tragedy via angels), things that will shock you (her darkened drug addicted days), and things that will make you think (she had a male friend who was on the brink of death, only to miraculously recover; but when he refused to acknowledge that God had healed him, the man up and died -- just like that.) I loved Natalie's candidness and her words of wisdom that she inserts in her book. She admits that everything in her life isn't perfect -- she's still learning and I admire that. I believe anyone who reads this book will come away with a greater insight into the life of a famous singer, and you'll also be more aware of the angels that may be present in your own life. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderfully entertaining & spiritually satisfying read
Review: I love a well-written and insightful celebrity autobiography, and "Angel On My Shoulder" by Natalie Cole more than meets expectations. A good celebrity autobio will have plenty of pertinent details: family background, how they became successful, little known secets, name dropping, & cherished memories. In this book, Natalie provides humorous and sensitive detail: things that will make you laugh out loud (all the many times she was saved from tragedy via angels), things that will shock you (her darkened drug addicted days), and things that will make you think (she had a male friend who was on the brink of death, only to miraculously recover; but when he refused to acknowledge that God had healed him, the man up and died -- just like that.) I loved Natalie's candidness and her words of wisdom that she inserts in her book. She admits that everything in her life isn't perfect -- she's still learning and I admire that. I believe anyone who reads this book will come away with a greater insight into the life of a famous singer, and you'll also be more aware of the angels that may be present in your own life. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
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