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SAMANTHA COLE has been singing as long as she can remember. However, it was not until she was 15, after a significant incident, that she decided to do it professionally.
"When I was 15, my grandfather was in the hospital in a coma. I sent my mother a demo tape of me singing The Rose and when she played it, my grandfather jumped up and started looking around.
"They say you can hear when you're in a coma. You just can't respond.
"That's when I decided to do this for a living. I think if you can touch people with your music, you should go for it. It's a gift from God," says Cole, who was in Kuala Lumpur recently to promote her self-titled debut album.
From then on, Cole - who took voice lessons at the age of 12, followed by a music course - began honing her singing skills, performing wherever possible for anyone who was willing to watch.
At 16, she was invited to sing for Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun at his annual...