The legacies of the late and famous father and daughter music icons, Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole, are living on at Berklee College of Music.
On Tuesday, Nov. 25, Berklee announced the first awardee of its newly established Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole Scholarship Fund, Paris Pineyro, a second-year student studying music business/management and performance.
The $75,000 prize, presented alongside the Natalie Cole Foundation and the Nat King Cole Generation of Hope, was established to mark what would have been Natalie’s 75th birthday and to celebrate both Coles’ enduring legacy in music, Billboard reported.
“The Magic of Christmas” artist, whose pioneering and storied career as a multi-hyphenate broke racial barriers, died in 1965 at the age of 45 after a battle with lung cancer, his daughter died in 2015 at the age of 65.
Pineyro, who goes by the artist name Paris Dior, originally hailing from Cranston, Rhode Island, said the scholarship is the result of “every late night, every struggle, and every moment I pushed through my doubts,” and that “even when the path feels impossible, perseverance can lead to something truly ‘unforgettable,’ to quote the iconic Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole.”
She also expressed gratitude to the Natalie Cole Foundation and Nat King Cole Generation Hope for believing in her and investing in her artistry.
Expressing their excitement for the award, Casey and Timolin Cole, twin sisters of Natalie Cole and daughters of Nat King Cole, said, “Establishing the Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole Scholarship at Berklee College of Music is especially meaningful because it is a place where so many young artists find their voice.”
“We see this partnership as a way to uphold our father and sister’s belief in the power of music to educate, uplift, and unite,” the Coles continued, adding, “By supporting Berklee students, the scholarship is investing in the next generation of teachers and leaders who will keep their legacy alive.”
