Natalie Cole released from hospital

LOS ANGELES, May 26 (UPI) -- Natalie Cole's publicist says the U.S. singer has been released from a Los Angeles hospital following her kidney transplant surgery.

Cole has from hepatitis C and had been undergoing kidney dialysis three times a week when she received a call from doctors last week saying a kidney was available from a donor and she should head to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles immediately for transplant surgery.

The singer's representative told People.com the 59-year-old Grammy Award winner left the hospital Sunday and had planned to attend a private family memorial service Monday for her sister Carol "Cookie" Cole.

Cookie Cole died of lung cancer while Natalie was having her kidney transplant surgery.

"Natalie is continuing to do well under the circumstances," her publicist told People.com, adding the recording artist is expected to spend the next three to four months recovering from her operation.