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Grammys execs are responding to Natalie Cole‘s family and friends, who expressed “outrage” over her In Memoriam at the show on Monday (February 15).

“Frankly, I think it was appropriate,” producer Ken Ehrlich told Billboard, adding it was “touching and emotional.” Natalie won nine Grammy awards in her lifetime and her family thought that warranted more than a short clip.

“For the record, there was an email exchange, and I told [Natalie's sister] what we were doing, and she seemed to be very happy with it. And what I told her is that we had talked about having an artist do something for Natalie; at one point I was playing around with ‘Miss You Like Crazy,’ because I love that song. But when I looked again at the Grammy show we did where she won for ‘Unforgettable,’ and I saw the last 45 seconds of that number, where her father (Nat King Cole, on the big screen) throws her a kiss, she throws him a kiss, and then she turns to the audience and throws everybody a kiss — that just was so touching and so emotional to me that that felt like it had to be the end of the whole ‘In Memoriam’ segment. I hadn’t looked at that clip in several years, but when I saw it again, I knew it was right,” Ken added.

“Natalie Cole was one where I talked to Ken 10 seconds after we both found out that she passed, and he loved her,” David Wild, co-writer of the show, added. “Before she passed, we always would have her on the show to present, and she was one of his favorites. In fact, he went to her service.” Although there were discussions about who to get to cover her — the Grammys won’t speak to whether anyone was approached — “that clip really impacted him, and he thought, he’s not gonna do better at Natalie than Natalie. When he found that clip and showed it to me, he was sort of in tears, because it meant so much to him.”

Natalie Cole‘s family is outraged that the late singer was not honored in a more appropriate way during the 2016 Grammys.

The 65-year-old singer – who passed on New Year’s Eve – was remembered in the In Memoriam tribute with other who had passed this past year.

“Sadly a FORGETTABLE tribute to Natalie Cole,” her sisters, Timolin and Casey, told ET. “Words cannot express the outrage and utter disappointment at the disrespectful tribute, or lack thereof, to a legendary artist such as our sister.”

“Here is a woman who has been in the business for four decades, had 21 GRAMMY nominations and won nine GRAMMYs. She deserves more than (to be a part of) a minute-and-a-half tribute,” Natalie‘s son Robert Adam Yancy added. “It was shameless the way they minimized her legacy. We will find solace in her legacy as well as her endless fans around the world.”

Social media immediately erupted after the In Memoriam, and many fans felt similarly.

Natalie Cole sadly passed away on New Year’s Eve and now her cause of death has been revealed.

The legendary singer died at age 65 due to heart failure brought on by idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), according to ABC News.

“This is a very serious and progressive disorder,” her family said in the statement. “[Natalie] responded well to PAH-specific agents over many years, during which she performed many concerts world-wide, but eventually succumbed to intractable right heart failure, an outcome that unfortunately commonly occurs in this progressive disorder, despite modern therapies.”

We continue to send our thoughts and condolences to Natalie‘s loved ones during this difficult time.

Natalie Cole‘s sisters, Timolin and Casey, are remembering her fondly.

The 54-year-old twins spent Christmas Eve with their late sister and family in Los Angeles before she passed away on New Year’s Eve at the age of 65 from congestive heart failure.

“Christmas Eve has always been a magical time for Natalie because she looked forward to the season and being surrounded by loved ones,” Timolin told People. “We had a wonderful evening where we reminisced about holiday traditions of the past and present, including decorating every inch of her Hancock Park home with vintage Christmas ornaments and finery.”

“We hope that her passion for music serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard and make their dreams come true,” Timolin added. “To that end, we will continue our family’s commitment to music as we provide music education to children with the greatest need and fewest resources through our nonprofit organization, Nat King Cole Generation Hope. ”

Our thoughts are still with Natalie Cole‘s family and friends during this difficult time.

Natalie Cole has sadly died at the young age of 65 and tributes to the late singer are pouring in from celebrities from around the world.

The daughter of the legendary Nat “King” Cole passed away on Thursday night (December 31) after battling multiple illnesses throughout the years.

Natalie was set to perform a concert in Kentucky next month, but the show was canceled just a couple weeks ago and Kristin Chenoweth was announced as a replacement performer.

Kristin is one of the many celebs who have taken to Twitter to send out their condolences.

Click inside to read what other celebrities are saying about Natalie Cole’s death… More Here! »

Natalie Cole, a talented singer, actress, and daughter to Nat “King” Cole, passed away Thursday evening (December 31), according to TMZ.

“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,” her family said in a statement.

The 65-year-old singer had been battling multiple illnesses over the past few years. She underwent a kidney transplant but it appears that her health continued to deteriorate despite the surgery.

The singer was best known for her R&B and jazz hits including “This Will Be” and her virtual duet with her late father “Unforgettable”.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Natalie Cole‘s family through this difficult time.