The entertainment world began 2016 on a sad note after the death of Grammy Award-winning singer Natalie Cole due to ongoing health complications. Cole, who underwent a kidney transplant in 2009, passed Thursday night from congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Spanning over five decades, her career brought us such great hits as “This Will Be” and “Inseparable”, before her career and reputation suffered due to drug abuse. A virtual duet with her late father of his hit “Unforgettable” was arguably her biggest musical triumph topping the Billboard charts in 1991 bringing her back into the spotlight for new generations of music lovers.

After numerous tweets began to surface this morning from celebrities such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, a statement released by the family finally confirmed the sad news that a legend had indeed been lost: “It is with heavy hearts that we bring to you all the news of our Mother and sister’s passing. Natalie fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived… with dignity, strength and honor. Our beloved Mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain UNFORGETTABLE in our hearts forever.”