Nat King Cole (1919-1965)

Nat King Cole is one of America’s most beloved cultural icons.  Beginning in the 1930’s his elegant piano style defined the jazz piano trio.  When he took up a microphone to sing, Cole set a standard that made him a world-famous entertainer.

Nathaniel Adams Cole was born in Montgomery, AL.  When he was four, the family moved to Chicago where his father became the minister of a Baptist church.  He learned to play piano from his mother, the church’s organist.  He began formal lessons at age 12 learning jazz, gospel, and classical piano.

After attending Wendell Phillips Academy, where Sam Cooke would later attend, he dropped out at age 15 to pursue a career in music.  A 1936 tour with his brother Eddie’s group landed him in Los Angeles where he married and formed the King Cole Swingsters.  Legend had it that while performing in a club, a drunken patron demanded he sing a song which he did.  As people gradually discovered his vocal talent, he soon began a recording career.

His star status was cemented in the 1940’s with hit records including “The Christmas Song,” “(Get Your Kicks) On Route 66,” “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons,” “There, I’ve Said it Again,” “Nature Boy,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Mona Lisa,” “Orange Colored Sky,” and “Too Young.”

On November 5, 1956, The Nat ‘King’ Cole Show debuted on NBC—the first show on television to be hosted by an African-American man.  It lasted a year and featured star performers Sammy Davis Jr, Harry Belafonte, Eartha Kitt, and Peggy Lee.

He continued to have hits in the 1960’s with “Let There Be Love,” “Ramblin’ Rose,” and “The Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer.”

Nat King Cole died on February 15, 1965.  Among his honorary pall bearers were Robert F. Kennedy, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, and Johnny Mathis.

In 1991, his daughter Natalie recorded a posthumous duet with her father titled “Unforgettable.”

Nat King Cole recorded 28 gold records, won 2 Grammy awards, and was nominated 5 times.