Legendary songstress Natalie Cole has died of congestive heart failure, her publicist Maureen O'Dowd confirmed on Friday.

She was 65.

The daughter of music great, Nat King Cole, the soulful singer carved out a name for herself, largely based on smooth love ballads and poignant lyrics. She was best known for her 1991 Grammy-winning album "Unforgettable: With Love."

According to the Los Angeles Times, the classic tune sold more than 6 million copies and featured her father's voice on the still popular title tune. She is also known for such mega-hits as "This Will Be," "Our Love" and "Pink Cadillac."

Ironically, Natalie never intended on being a singer and actually stumbled into the vocation by accident. She was a pre-med student at the University of Massachusetts when a friend fell ill one night and Natalie stood in for him with his group.

The rest has become history, with Natalie going on win nine Grammys and managing to maintain the standard the Cole name has long represented in music circles.

Through the latter stages of her career she struggled with major health issues, undergoing a kidney transplant in May 2009 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. A year earlier, she revealed she had been diagnosed with hepatitis C. At least some of her illnesses were the result of her well-chronicled drug addiction. She was hooked on heroin for years before she successfully completing rehab in 1983.

Still, she soldiered on in her career, and is 2013 her debut Spanish-language album, "En Español," was nominated for a Latin Grammy award for album of the year.

Natalie's mom, Maria Cole, was once a vocalist for Duke Ellington's orchestra and the 1950s she and her husband traveled throughout Europe performing at various venues.

In 1990, mother and daughter accepted a Grammy lifetime achievement award in her father's honor.

In a statement released Friday Recording Academy President and CEO Neil Portnow said of Natalie's death: "We are very saddened to learn of the passing of one of music's most celebrated and iconic women, Natalie Cole. We've lost a wonderful, highly cherished artist and our heartfelt condolences go out to Natalie's family, friends, her many collaborators."