Jan. 11--Fans, friends and family gathered Monday to bid farewell to Natalie Cole.
Chaka Khan is among those scheduled to perform Monday at funeral services for Cole in South Los Angeles.
The services for the Grammy Award-winning singer -- who died on New Year's Eve at age 65 -- were being held at West Angeles Church of God in Christ's 5,000-seat cathedral at Crenshaw and Exposition boulevards, said Earl Jordan, the church's executive director for operations.
The Rev. Melvin V. Wade, pastor of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, will preside over the closed-casket service, Jordan said. In the 1990s, Cole was a member of West Angeles Church of God in Christ, but she left to join Mt. Moriah, where her son attended.
The singer's longtime music director and conductor, Gail Deadrick, who was coordinating the lineup for the services, said the day would focus on Cole's legacy, which was built over four decades.
"Nobody knew this was going to happen," Deadrick told The Times. "We mourn the fact that she's gone. But we are celebrating."
Deadrick declined to release a list, but said the performers, including some "noteworthy names" -- were all friends of Cole. The songs were selected from Cole's favorites, including gospel and jazz numbers, Deadrick said.
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Cole will be buried alongside her parents and other family members at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.
The daughter of crooner Nat King Cole and Maria Hawkins Cole died of congestive heart failure, according to a family spokeswoman. She had endured years of health issues stemming from a 2009 kidney transplant.
Cole carved out a career outside her father's shadow, selling more than 30 million albums and earning nine Grammy awards. Among her hits were "Inseparable," "This Will Be," and "Our Love."
Her 1991 album "Unforgettable ... With Love" wove together her voice with that of her late father, and the album sold more than 6 million copies and won six Grammy Awards, including album of the year.
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