Cole was born in Montgomery, Alabama. Maria also encouraged him to part with his expensive sidemen and turn the group from the King Cole Trio into Nat King Cole and His Trio, assuring him that his singing was the draw. In 1937, after touring with a Black musical revue, he began playing in jazz clubs in Los Angeles. Might Cole have undergone a similar professional revival had he not died prematurely? Gone too soon at only 45 years old, Cole still managed to leave a lasting impact on music, culture, and history. Nat King Cole (March 17, 1919 February 15, 1965), born Nathaniel Adams Coles, was a popular American jazz singer-songwriter and pianist. As if in recognition of the fact, his health began to deteriorate in the fall of 1964. Web. His birth date was on Saint Patrick's Day in 1919. Cole felt confident that commercial sponsors would support the program, but advertisers worried that white Southern audiences would boycott their products. Since many radio stations in the US adopt a format change to Christmas music each December, many holiday hits have an annual spike in popularity during the last few weeks of the year and are retired once the season is over. Each phrase is laid out with soft-spoken clarity and every syllable, even the second syllable in flower, comes through with etched but unexaggerated precision (so much so that one instantly notices his rare lapses from standard pronunciation, as when he makes mere and idea rhyme). Nat soon married a dancer, Megan Robinson, and moved to Los Angeles where he formed the Nat King Cole Trio. Cole was born in Montgomery, Alabama. eBay Money Back Guarantee. He passed away in February 1965 aged 45. The failure of The Nat King Cole Show left Cole feeling both frustrated and restless, but his options were limited. Oxford Music Online. Cole hit a lull in her career in the early 1980s due to her struggle with drug addiction, subsequently parting ways with Capitol Records. Nat King Cole 12.12.60 9 12 Wks 01.07.23 38 Ramblin' Rose Nat King Cole 08.04.62 . A fourth member of the group who had participated in the plot was later arrested in connection with the act. [12] A handful of Cole recordings have made appearances on the Holiday 100 and are noted below according to the holiday season in which they charted there. Sampled by Susan Boyle feat Nat King Cole [sampled] When I Grow Too Old to Dream. Incredibly, Coles singing was as extraordinary as his playing. He barely had visitors, as they were apparently barred from his hospital room. Their life there was riddled with threats and harassment, including someone sticking a sign in their yard that said "N*****Heaven," a shot being fired into their home, firecrackers being placed in rose bushes, and their dog being poisoned. Profiles In Jazz. Throughout his career, Cole remained extremely close to his wife, Maria, and to their five children, Carol, Natalie, Kelly, and the twins, Timolin and Casey. Apparently, his part-time efforts paid off, because by the time he was 15, he had dropped out of school and was pursuing music full-time. On March 28, 1948 (Easter Sunday), just six days after his divorce became final, Cole married singer Maria Hawkins Ellingtonno relation to Duke Ellington although she had sung with Ellington's band. While he is best remembered today for his musical legacy, Nat King Cole was a multitalented entertainer. In 1958, Cole went to Havana, Cuba, to record Cole Espaol, an album sung entirely in Spanish. The attack began at the rear of the auditorium when three men ran down the aisles towards Cole and his band. Cole praised NBC for its support and directly blamed the advertising industry. Unlike Sinatra, Cole was not a confessional performer whose interpretations reflected the dark side of his personality. His keyboarding had actually begun at age four, when he picked out Yes, We Have No Bananas, on the family piano. The next month, he underwent surgery to remove the lung, but it was too late. Before his tragic death, Cole underwent cancer surgery, which resulted in the removal of one of his lungs, per Los Angeles Times. According to police, a plan had been developed four days earlier for a group of 150 white men to attack Cole. Nathaniel Adams Coles (he changed his last name to . Congo paint? Benny would give the eulogy at Cole's funeral service a few days later, per the Desert Sun, posted at theCalifornia Digital Newspaper Collection. Coles second wife, Maria Ellington (no relation to Duke), felt the same way. Cole, who was greatly disappointed, made the difficult decision to pull the plug on the program. During the late 1930s and early 40s the trio made several instrumental recordings, as well as others that featured their harmonizing vocals. Cole, a heavy smoker who would smoke as much as three packs of cigarettes a day, died of lung cancer while still at the height of his singing career. Cole performed in many short films, sitcoms, television shows, and played W. C. Handy in the film St. Louis Blues (1958). They were also regular performers at clubs. (This special compilation also was available as a 27 high-quality LP record set.). In June 1946, the King Cole Trio cut the first record of Mel Torm's "The Christmas Song" (known for its first line, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire"). In December of 1964, Cole had a health crisis that forced him to cancel a show (via Los Angeles Times). His career as a vocalist, he told a reporter in 1945, had been an accident, going on to explain that a trio is so limited by lack of instruments that I sort of had to sing to add to the group. He stuck at first to lively, undemanding novelty songs such as Straighten Up and Fly Right, a Cole-written tune inspired by one of his fathers sermons. In Will Friedwalds well-chosen words, he could do almost anything that any other artist could do, but no one else could do what he did.. Cole struggled against racism throughout his career and on April 10, 1956, at Birmingham, Alabama, he was attacked by three white men from a white-supremacist group during a concert and sustained minor injuries to his back. After Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole is the best remembered of the singers who dominated American popular music between the end of the big-band era and the advent of rock n roll. The Weeknd? Cole's chain-smoking habits would, sadly, catch up to him. 2011. It opens with an out-of-tempo reading of the first eight bars that is sung with hushed delicacy, after which Cole slips almost imperceptibly into a very slow but nonetheless danceable tempo. All rights reserved. The second version, released in November, established the song as a seasonal standard, and three days after recording it, Cole made an even more successful trio-only record of (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons that shot to the No. 10731074, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 05:16. He always blamed the advertising executives for the show's end, bitterly commenting, "Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark.". Jazz singer Nat King Cole was best known for songs like "The Christmas Song" and "Ramblin' Rose" (via Billboard). ISBN links support NWE through referral fees. Born into Bostons black bourgeoisie, she was similarly determined to put an upper-middle-class veneer on her new husband, who in 1946 still spoke and sang with a noticeable touch of the Southern accent he had acquired from his parents. Although her father, Nat King Cole, passed away when she was just a teenager, Natalie Cole has still been able to perform duets with her father via . Soon, he graduated to playing other characters, such as his roles inIstanbulandChina Gate. Had Cole continued to lead the trio, he would be generally acknowledged as one of the most important jazz pianists of the 20th century. Mannie . 29 offers from $2.24. His father, Edward James Coles, was a Baptist minister, while his mother, Perlina Adams, was the soprano soloist and director of the choir in her husbands church. He even left the hospital to see his children one last time in a brief car ride home with his wife. By the 1950s, Nat King Cole had become a household name. First airing in November 1956,The Nat King Cole Show was the very first time that a Black man was able to host a variety program, a historic development which saw Americans all across the country turning on their televisions to welcome an African-American host into their homes. This article contains a list of albums by Nat King Cole and compilations of his recordings, together with a list of his chart singles. In his spare time, Cole also became a hot sandlot baseball player, and while he never made it to the pros, he became an ardent follower of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 - February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. With his immense popularity, his first couple of roles in the 1940s were guest appearances that had him "largely playing some version of himself," as told by Biography. With the sole exception of Louis Armstrong, he is the only major jazz musician to have been identically distinguished and influential as both an instrumentalist and a vocalist. Booklet Volumes 3 and 4 contain 3 shellac records. Sell it yourself. UK. Reportedly, the all-white audience begged Cole to continue with the show, but he fervently refused and flew to Chicago after canceling his remaining three performances in the South. and The Ed Sullivan Show (on which he appeared 14 times). Coles popularity allowed him to become the first African American to host a network variety program, The Nat King Cole Show, which debuted on NBC television in 1956. At the same time, though, Cole wasn't an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement initially. Nat King Cole recorded this for the first time in 1946 with his group The Nat King Cole Trio. He rejected it, cheekily requesting $1 million instead. Cole was only 17. He died on February 15, 1965, at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California and his funeral was held in Los Angeles. The first of these is the so-called Great Migration that brought 6 million Southern blacks northward to seek better, freer lives in Americas largest cities. But while the start of the '60s seemed very promising for Cole, he faced with some tragic news. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Natalie recorded his hit "Unforgettable" and put their vocals together as a duet. Fortunately, it is not necessary to choose between the two Nat Coles: They were two different sides of a great popular artist, one who gave fully of himself in both capacities. They tried a couple of places, including Beverly Hills, but ultimately wanted somewhere away from the paparazzi and rowdy fans. Cole's career as a jazz and pop vocalist started in the late 1930s and spanned almost three decades where he found success and recorded over 100 songs that became hits on the pop charts. Unfortunately, from the beginning,The Nat King Cole Show always struggled with one thing: sponsors. The writers pointed out that he made a grammatical error during the last line of the bridge. [10] In December 2011, Billboard began a Holiday Songs chart with 50 positions that monitors the last five weeks of each year to "rank the top holiday hits of all eras using the same methodology as the Hot 100, blending streaming, airplay, and sales data",[11] and in 2013 the number of positions on the chart was doubled, resulting in the Holiday 100. Nature Boy, Mona Lisa, Too Young, A Blossom Fell, and Unforgettable were among his major hits of the period. When they came upon a house in Hancock Park, they agreed that they had found their future home. His stature as a popular icon was cemented during this period by hits such as "The Christmas Song" (Cole recorded the tune four times), "Nature Boy" (1948), "Mona Lisa" (1950), "Too Young" (1951), and his signature tune "Unforgettable" (1951). Once a week, Americans tuned in to watch as Cole and other musicians performed on television (via Indiana Public Media). Years active. Moving to the west coast, Cole and three other musicians formed the "King Cole Swingers" in Long Beach and played in a number of local bars before getting a job on the Long Beach Pike for $90.00 per week. His final acting role would be in Cat Ballou, starring Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin, which was released after Cole's death in 1965. There, his father became a minister; Nat's mother, Perlina, was the church organist. Cole Espanol: Greatest Hits by Nat King Cole (Record, 2018) (5) $18.48 New. Nat King Cole At The Sands (1966) - Antonio Morelli - Capitol Records SMAS-2434 Recorded live 1/14/1960 at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. Perlina also gave young Nat piano lessons, and although nothing specific is known about his course of study, it is obvious from the exceptional technical finish of his jazz playing that he received thorough training in the fundamentals of classical piano. Nat learned to play the organ from his mother until the age of 12, when he began formal lessons. Royal Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II. Despite the fact that Nat King Cole is revered today as a vocal legend, he never intentionally pursued a singing career. Parts of our site will not function correctly without them. Nat King Cole was in the final stages of lung cancer. In addition to being a skilled pianist, famous vocalist, and likable stage personality, according to Britannica, Cole also spent some time acting. The six men arrested were all originally charged with "assault with intent to murder," but the charges were later changed to "conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor" for four of them. Liner notes. He was also one of the first black men to be accepted wholeheartedly by many white folks during his time, owing to his unique talent of hosting various shows. They found their greatest success, however, when Cole began doubling as a solo singer. In Cole, Nat King. Nat was piano player and leader of the combo. Record companies had previously discouraged black male vocalists from recording anything but blues and novelties, but Cole, whose affable yet dignified stage demeanor was sufficiently unthreatening not to discomfit white audiences, had already surmounted that obstacle in the romantic ballads he recorded with the trio. Cole frequently sang in between instrumental numbers, and noticing that people started to request more vocal numbers, he obliged. His daughter Natalie was also a popular singer who achieved her greatest chart success in 1991 with Unforgettable, an electronically created duet with her late father. The King Cole Trio 78rpm Single 10-inch Capitol Records #311 The Christmas Song. Unfortunately, the cancer had spread. Cole was dedicated to seeing the pioneering show succeed, not for the money but to break down barriers and disprove racial prejudices. Volume 4 is also issued in a box set of three 45-rpm records. In July 1948, Nat King Cole and his new wife began house-hunting, as described by Curbed. It also inspired NBC to offer him his own weekly TV series, which debuted in 1956. When they came upon a house in Hancock Park, they agreed that they had found their future home. "The Nat "King" Cole Show," Museum of Broadcast Communications, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Nat_King_Cole&oldid=1086902, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License, Vocal jazz, swing, traditional pop, jump blues. 78.rpm (1948), NAT KING COLE THE CHRISTMAS SONG, LAGUNA MOOD 10 INCH 78 RPM VG, Nat King Cole 78 RPM Capitol 4754 The Christmas Song My Two Front Teeth, Nat King Cole 78 RPM Capitol 4754 The Christmas Song My Two Front Teeth 1954 10", The King Cole Trio The Christmas Song 78 RPM Well-Torme Capitol 311 Dust Cover. By the start of the 1960s, Cole was only getting more popular. Nat "King" Cole. Yet despite this and other close encounters with the evils of racism, Cole remained outwardly unfazed and his white fans staunchly loyal. He was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, cut his last records on December 3, and died 10 weeks later at the age of 45, by all accounts a disappointed man. For "Wild Is Love" Best Vocal Performance Album, Male. Sold for 19.99 USD on 28 May 2022 (Buy It Now) 78 rpm. According to the Los Angeles Times, Cole was aware of his impending death. Comparatively few of Coles latter-day fans, however, know that he was more than a singer. By the time he worked his way from Chicago to Los Angeles, settling there permanently in 1937, his playing was already fully formed. He was to sell a total of 50 million records during . Capitol 78-rpm albums [ edit] Volumes 1-4 released as separate booklets in 10" format. Constant touring paid the bills, and he remained one of the most sought-after acts in Las Vegas, but it galled him that he could not stay in the hotels where he performed, and though he continued to sing beautifully, he spent more and more studio time recording throwaway material such as the country-style Ramblin Rose (1962) and Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer (1963), as well as a sour-grapes novelty called Mr. When the Hancock Park Property Owners Association found out, though, they were furious and offered Cole his money back plus some profit. When the drummer never showed up, the quartet became a trio. Maria Cole [1] ( ne Hawkins; August 1, 1922 - July 10, 2012) was an American jazz singer and the wife of singer Nat King Cole; mother of the singer Natalie Cole. Cole first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist, then switched his emphasis to singing, becoming one of the most popular and best-known vocalists of all time. Booklet Volumes 1 and 2 contain 4 shellac records. 4th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Moreover, his appeal, like that of Armstrong, crossed racial lines, and did so at a time when much of America was still segregated, a fact that led to his being assaulted on stage by a group of white supremacists during a concert he was giving in Birmingham in 1956. But despite success, Cole wanted to pursue a solo musical career. Incomparable Nat King Cole II. Nat King Cole, byname of Nathaniel Adams Cole, family name originally Coles, (born March 17, 1919, Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.died February 15, 1965, Santa Monica, California), American musician hailed as one of the best and most influential pianists and small-group leaders of the swing era. Explore the scintillating March 2023 issue of Commentary. Record Labels Nat King Cole Recordings Sold to Universal Music Group By Chris Eggertsen . There he formed the King Cole Trio (originally King Cole and His Swingsters), with guitarist Oscar Moore (later replaced by Irving Ashby) and bassist Wesley Prince (later replaced by Johnny Miller). Featured New Releases . Copyright Songwriters Hall of Fame 2023. Nat King Cole. Spouse (s) Nat King Cole. He was survived by his wife, Maria, and five children; three biological and two adopted. When Cole was on tour that spring, he traveled to the South, including his birth state of Alabama, and performed for an all-white audience in Birmingham. In 1956, Nat King Cole became star and host of his own network television variety show on NBC-TV on which such guests as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and Mel Torme were spotlighted. Feb. 28, 2023 2 PM PT. 1930s - 1960s. Always a perfectionist, Cole put full effort into re-recording the entire song, and that first rendition has now become something of a collector's edition. PinkPantheress? 34. His family later moved north to Chicago, where he grew up. That year Cole released his memorable song "L-O-V-E," but at the close of 1964, the beloved entertainer also learned that he had lung cancer. As a toddler, he learned to play the piano (via Biography). In the days leading up to Cole's death, he was able to go on short drives with his wife and visit his children at their family home in Hancock Park. One cosmetics representative claimed that a "negro" couldn't sell lipstick, to which Cole angrily responded, "What do they think we use? Jazz king Nat King Cole registers in the heart of music lovers as the legendary jazz pianist, singer with a melodious and harmless baritone. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Nat King Cole. For a number of these recordings, the orchestral accompaniment was directed and arranged by the gifted Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins during the early 60s. On February 15, 1965, Nat King Cole passed away in his sleep at the age of 45. His remains were interred inside Freedom Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Privacy Policy. with Love. Two years later, he resumed performing, reinvented himself as a stadium act, and returned to his place at the center of American popular culture. Born on March 17, 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama, Cole's first introduction to music was in the church. 2nd Annual GRAMMY Awards. On February 15, 1965, Cole died at the age of 45. He learned not only jazz and gospel music, but European classical music as well. In 1948, Cole purchased a house in the all-white Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Cole appeared frequently on popular variety programs hosted by Perry Como, Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan, and others. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here: The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia: Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed. "Cole, Nat 'King'." 16.57. It is tragically ironic that a talented singer would partake in an activity that damages one's lungs and vocals. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. In 1939, he formed the King Cole Trio in Southern California and became an immensely popular recording artist for Capitol Records, helping to make the company's fortune as well as his own. Initially begun as a 15-minute show on Monday night, the show was expanded to a half hour in July 1957. 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