The show fell victim to the bigotry of the times, however, and was canceled after one season; few sponsors were willing to be associated with a Black entertainer. Nat King Cole was born Nathaniel Adams Coles (he later dropped the "s" in his surname) in Montgomery, Alabama. "Cole, Nat 'King'." 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. Booklet Volumes 3 and 4 contain 3 shellac records. Initially a short 15-minute program, the show's popularity soared once it was able to express its full potential with a 30-minute prime-time slot. 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. 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. He was to sell a total of 50 million records during . Chalk? While there were some difficulties regarding the whole event the Waldorf Astoria refused to host the wedding because they were Black, and Ellington's aunt (who'd raised her) boycotted the wedding because of Cole's lower-class status the marriage would last until Cole's death in 1965 (via Harlem World Magazine). The first cover of "The Christmas Song" was performed by pop tenor and bandleader Eddy Howard on Majestic. By 12 he was singing, too, says Britannica. His final days were pretty grim. And if I see anybody undesirable coming in here, I'll be the first to complain.". Riddle arranged several of Cole's 1950s albums, including his first 10-inch long-play album, his 1953 Nat King Cole Sings For Two In Love. Nat King Cole 78rpm Single 10-inch Capitol Records #1449 Too Young, Nat King Cole 78rpm Single 10-inch Capitol Records #1010 Mona Lisa, Stan Kenton & Nat King Cole/ Jam-bo/ Orange colored sky Schellack 78 rpm, NAT KING COLE 78 RPM GRAMOPHONE RECORDS X 8. 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. A decade earlier, Cole's mother died, also of cancer. PinkPantheress? When white stars, particularly women, came on the show, there was a pointed effort to make sure there was always some kind of barrier (such as a chair) between them and Cole to ensure audiences wouldn't be angry. 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.. He was also present at the Democratic National Convention in 1960 to throw his support behind President John F. Kennedy. Cole hit a lull in her career in the early 1980s due to her struggle with drug addiction, subsequently parting ways with Capitol Records. Finally, in 1960, almost 15 years after that first recording, Nat King Cole redid the holiday classic when his voice was "at its smokiest." While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In 1991, Mosaic Records released The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio, an 18 compact disc set, consisting of 349 songs. Born . The show ultimately failed due to its inability to attract national sponsors because the program was hosted by a black person. Facing death himself, Cole was also dealing with grief. Who are you backing for this week's Official Number 1 single? By the 1950s, Nat King Cole emerged as a popular solo performer with numerous hits including "Mona Lisa", "Smile" and "Unforgettable". In addition, the absence of a drummer gave the trio a transparent sound that made it easier for Cole and Oscar Moore, an unsung pioneer of jazz guitar, to toss musical ideas back and forth, supported only by the swinging bass lines of Wesley Prince and, later, Johnny Miller. His talents extended beyond singing and piano playing: he excelled as a relaxed and humorous stage personality, and he was also a capable actor, evidenced by his performances in the films Istanbul (1957), China Gate (1957), Night of the Quarter Moon (1959), and Cat Ballou (1965); he also played himself in The Nat King Cole Musical Story (1955) and portrayed blues legend W.C. Nat King Cole 12.12.60 9 12 Wks 01.07.23 38 Ramblin' Rose Nat King Cole 08.04.62 . Those close to him, however, knew for days and were able to see him in his last moments. The trio consisted of Nat on piano, Oscar Moore on guitar, and Wesley Prince on double bass. There were several covers of Nat Cole's original record in the 1940s. He churned out song after song, including classics like "Unforgettable" and "Mona Lisa." 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. The cancellation would turn out to be the permanent end of his career. Yet despite this and other close encounters with the evils of racism, Cole remained outwardly unfazed and his white fans staunchly loyal. He even left the hospital to see his children one last time in a brief car ride home with his wife. Hancock Park, however, was an all-white neighborhood that had a "restrictive covenant" barring non-whites from living there unless they were servants. Handy in the movie about the composers life, St. Cole was born in Montgomery, Alabama. While he is best remembered today for his musical legacy, Nat King Cole was a multitalented entertainer. One of the key jazz voices of the 20th Century, Nat King Cole picked up fourteen UK Top 10 singles while his first album Love Is The Thing reached Number 1 in 1957. The LA Sentinel describes how Cole, who was known for his smooth, rich voice, would smoke as many as three packs a day. Mannie . Children: 5, including Natalie Cole. 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. King Cole!" The name stuck. Gone too soon at only 45 years old, Cole still managed to leave a lasting impact on music, culture, and history. Top performers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme, Pearl Bailey, Mahalia Jackson, Sammy Davis, Jr., Tony Bennett, and Harry Belafonte, appeared for the minimum wage allowed by the union. Soon, he graduated to playing other characters, such as his roles inIstanbulandChina Gate. But after some prodding from the manager who insisted since the customer was a "big spender," Cole agreed. 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. 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. He barely had visitors, as they were apparently barred from his hospital room. Stemming from an upper-class family, Ellington was a jazz singer who performed with notable names like Count Basie and Duke Ellington (no relation), according to The Hollywood Reporter. Not much is publicly known about this first marriage, which came to an end about 11 years later in 1948. But while the start of the '60s seemed very promising for Cole, he faced with some tragic news. Nat King Cole 78rpm Single 10-inch Capitol Records #1010 Mona Lisa. Nathaniel Adams Coles (he changed his last name to . Cole retorted "Neither do I. They were the big act on Columbia Records, who had them re-record the song with a string section - the first time the trio used strings on a record. Jazz singer Nat King Cole was best known for songs like "The Christmas Song" and "Ramblin' Rose" (via Billboard). Nat King Cole Trio 78 RPM Capital BD-8 Complete Colection - Records *UNTESTED! The prejudices of the era in which Cole lived hindered his potential for even greater stardom. "Smile" by Nat King Cole. Handy in St. Louis Blues (1958). Audio CD. Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, vol. An influence on jazz pianists such as Oscar Peterson, Cole was known for a compact, syncopated piano style with clean, spare, melodic phrases. 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. At the same time, though, he was highly influenced by his brother Eddie, who was six years older and a big fan of the popular jazz music that their father criticized. 3rd Annual GRAMMY Awards. (1944) has lost none of its freshness eight decades later. New (and updated) Christmas albums for 2021, Festive favourites that could reach the Top 40 for the first time this Christmas, NAT 'KING' COLE AND THE GEORGE SHEARING QUINTET, Miley? Back to home page | September 28, 2016. Cole's chain-smoking habits would, sadly, catch up to him. 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. statistics still stand up, even though his singing career came to an abrupt close in 1965, when he died of lung cancer. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nat-King-Cole, Turner Classic Movies - Biography of Nat King Cole, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Biography of Nat "King" Cole, Encyclopedia of Alabama - Biography of Nat "King" Cole, Nat King Cole - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). How do the traditional Christmas standards perform on the chart? But while Coles studies were central to his artistic development, he became obsessed early on with jazz in general and the pianism of Earl Hines in particular. 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. His pop hits were collaborations with well-known arrangers and conductors of the day, including Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, and Ralph Carmichael. 4th Annual GRAMMY Awards. What some may not know, though, is that he recorded four versions of the song. Album of the Year (Other Than Classical) For "The Nat "King" Cole Story" 1961 Nominee Grammy: Album of the Year. Incomparable Nat King Cole II. When the young singer first achieved some modest success, he made several important changes, dropping the s from his last name, and adding the new middle nickname, King. When he first began attracting recognition, he was more keyboardist than singer, having developed a strong jazz style in his playing. Cole attained his greatest commercial success, however, as a vocalist specializing in warm ballads and light swing. I have not taken part in any protests. 2nd Annual GRAMMY Awards. Later he filled in for his mother playing organ in the church. Page 2", "From the Archives: Nat 'King' Cole dies of cancer at 45", "Bud Billiken Day Parade reaches 89th year", "Phillips High School is cradle of history", "Tracing the Highs and Tragic End of Sam Cooke", "Buck-Five Disk of Indies Seen Different Ways", "Show 22 Smack Dab in the Middle on Route 66: A Skinny Dip in the Easy Listening Mainstream. Cole was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990, and in 1997 was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame. Twin girls Casey and Timolin were born in 1961. Cole did manage to record some hit singles during the 1960s, including the country-flavored hit "Ramblin' Rose" and "Dear Lonely Hearts," "Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days Of Summer," "Let Me Tell You, Babe," and "That Sunday, That Summer.". After signing with Capitol Records in 1942, Cole and his trio recorded "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Sweet Lorraine" and "Embraceable You." All became major hits, the first of an uninterrupted series of smash recordings to follow for the next 20 years. Continuing to market himself as an instrumentalist, Cole and his newly formed combo, including guitar, bass and drums, along with his piano, finally won some success on the club circuit, at a time when larger band groups and singers were considerably more popular than trios and quartets. His family later moved north to Chicago, where he grew up. 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. 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. When he was attacked in Birmingham, Alabama, by a group of white supremacists, he was baffled at the violence he endured, saying, "I can't understand it. During the late 1930s and early 40s the trio made several instrumental recordings, as well as others that featured their harmonizing vocals. 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). 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. 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. As of the spring of 1950, Cole's recordings were being credited simply to "Nat King Cole." On July 8 of that year, his recording of the wistful movie theme "Mona Lisa," featuring a string chart arranged by Nelson Riddle, became Cole's third number one pop hit and gold record. According to AllMusic, the two joined forces after Eddie returned from touring with Noble Sissle's band and formed their own swing sextet. March 17, 1919 in Montgomery, AL. Nat King Cole recorded this for the first time in 1946 with his group The Nat King Cole Trio. In 1960, Nat's long-time collaborator Nelson Riddle left Capitol Records for Frank Sinatra's newly formed Reprise Records label. Oxford Music Online. 29 offers from $2.24. This article contains a list of albums by Nat King Cole and compilations of his recordings, together with a list of his chart singles. As a teenager, Cole became caught up in a relationship with a woman ten years older than him, according toObserver. 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. Get notified of exciting GRAMMY Award news and upcoming events! Handy and acted alongside Eartha Kitt and Cab Calloway, was the only film where he had a major starring role. Explore the scintillating March 2023 issue of Commentary. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article They tried a couple of places, including Beverly Hills, but ultimately wanted somewhere away from the paparazzi and rowdy fans. I think I've finally got this cancer licked.". Perhaps her single most popular work to date, was her number one Elektra recording last year of Unforgettable, one of her fathers biggest-selling hits of all. The Nat King Cole Story [45rpm 200g Vinyl] by Nat King Cole (Vinyl, Jan-2011, 5 Discs, Analogue Productions) Spouse (s) Nat King Cole. Nat King Cole - Where Did Everybody Go - Used Vinyl Record lp - E34A. 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 become an internationally popular recording star, making such enormous hits as Mona Lisa, Nature Boy, Too Young, Route 66, Non Dimenticar, Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Days of Summer, The Christmas Song and Ramblin Rose, among them. "I lost my baby in December. Even when he sang bleak torch songs such as The End of a Love Affair (1962), But despite success, Cole wanted to pursue a solo musical career. NAT KING COLE 78 RPM GRAMOPHONE RECORDS X 8. From the start, Nat King Cole's mother supported his musical ambitions. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Anniversary Flashback: Al Martino gains first UK Number 1 single 70 years ago. The Nat King Cole story is a tale of two major talents, both owned by the same person. Singer. He rejected it, cheekily requesting $1 million instead. Now they became the focus of his second career, and he soon became one of the preeminent pop singers of his generation, Frank Sinatras only male peer. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Cole reportedly carried on affairs throughout his marriage. Displaying items, You can list a specific format by selecting one here, 78 RPM RECORD CAPITOL 2130 NAT KING COLE FUNNY, Vintage King Cole Trio 78rpm 4 Album Set Capitol Records, Capital presents THE KING COLE TRIO 78 RPM RECORDS Vol 1 and 2 BD-8 BD-29 Debut, The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole Trio - Capital 15201 - vintage 78rpm record, two vintage Nat King Cole Christmas songs 78rpm records - Frosty the Snow Man, Nat King Cole 78 RPM Capitol The Christmas Song My Two Front Teeth 1954 10" 2955, The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole Trio - Capital 311 - vintage 78rpm record, (4) 78 rpm 10" records Nat King Cole Capitol 1808-1501-2346-2687 (UNFORGETTABLE), King Cole Trio 78rpm Set Capitol Records #BD 8 New Old Stock, unopened, NAT "KING" COLE : THE CHRISTMAS SONG / NATURE BOY. At that point of his career, he was a highly recognized singer. In 1958, Cole went to Havana, Cuba, to record Cole Espaol, an album sung entirely in Spanish. The Coles family moved to Chicago in 1923 and Edward, Nats father, set up shop as a Baptist minister, with Perlina, his wife, leading the choir of the True Light Baptist Church and playing organ. (via NewsOne). with Love. In 1937, after finishing high school, he wrote his first song, Straighten up and Fly Right, which he eventually sold for $50. Omissions? This vintage song carries the timeless message to keep your chin up when life looks bleak. All were later tried and convicted for the assault. 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 . Something went wrong. . Despite the fact that Nat King Cole is revered today as a vocal legend, he never intentionally pursued a singing career. Jenkins arranged Love Is the Thing, #1 on the album charts in April 1957. Nat was piano player and leader of the combo. Nat King Cole's early career and trio. Record Labels Nat King Cole Recordings Sold to Universal Music Group By Chris Eggertsen . The day before he died, he did a radio interview, stating: "I am feeling better than ever. Although Cole had experienced virulent racism in his life and career, Cole, like Louis Armstrong, was never a crusader for racial justice. Friedwald, Will (2006). When they came upon a house in Hancock Park, they agreed that they had found their future home. Cole praised NBC for its support and directly blamed the advertising industry. Thousands flocked to build a life on South . Initially begun as a 15-minute show on Monday night, the show was expanded to a half hour in July 1957. While Cole certainly had a more understated public role in the Civil Rights Movement, he was apparently quite outspoken in private among his high-profile friends, including Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. His older brother, Eddie Coles, a bassist, soon joined Nat's band and they first recorded in 1936 under Eddie's name. While Cole was not the first African-American to host a network television showan honor belonging to jazz pianist and singer Hazel Scott in 1950 Cole's stature made the venture more socially significant, which Cole himself recognized. Be the first to find out about GRAMMY nominees, winners, important news, and events, How To Watch The 2023 GRAMMYs & Live Red Carpet, ARTIST/RECORD LABEL/MEDIA REGISTRATION (OEP). (As Cole himself said when asked to compare himself to Sinatra, the band swings Frank. For most of the '30s and '40s he was a third of this musical act. They were married in Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church by Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and had five children: daughter Natalie was born in 1950, followed by adoption of Carol (the daughter of Maria's sister, born in 1944) and a son Nat Kelly Cole (born in 1959), who died in 1995 at 36. By the summer of 1957, it was New York City's top-rated variety program. Booklet Volumes 1 and 2 contain 4 shellac records. From 1942, when he and his Nat King Cole Trio became one of the first artists to sign with the fledgling Capitol Records, (a company in which the late Johnny Benny would give the eulogy at Cole's funeral service a few days later, per the Desert Sun, posted at theCalifornia Digital Newspaper Collection. On November 5, 1956, The Nat King Cole Show debuted on NBC-TV. [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. Oxford University Press. That song, along with "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer," earned him two top 10 hits on the Billboard charts. Nat King Cole (March 17, 1919 February 15, 1965), born Nathaniel Adams Coles, was a popular American jazz singer-songwriter and pianist. 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. Volumes 1-4 released as separate booklets in 10" format. It was emulated by many musicians, among them Art Tatum, Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, Tommy Flanagan, and blues pianists Charles Brown and Ray Charles. In 1956, "The Nat King Cole Show" was the first of its kind for a known Black performer. The program featured some of the hottest stars of the day, both Black and white, including Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennet, Count Basie, Peggy Lee, and more. And yet, many of his The failure of The Nat King Cole Show left Cole feeling both frustrated and restless, but his options were limited. Cole was also among the dozens of entertainers recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the Kennedy Inaugural gala in 1961. Cole received 28 Gold Record awards for such hits as "Sweet Lorraine" and "Ramblin' Rose" in 1962, "Too Young" in 1951, "Mona Lisa" in 1949, and Mel Torm's "Christmas Song." Please enter your email address. , Ed Sheeran announces release of acoustic album Subtract, 10 years in the making, Albums coming in 2023: Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Mimi Webb and more, Who is Mae Stephens - the 19-year-old behind viral hit If We Ever Broke Up, Official Trending Chart: Pink, Niall, Mae Stephens and more, Americana albums to look forward to in 2023, It's Gorillaz vs. Gracie Abrams for this week's Number 1 album. Cole's family moved to Chicago, Illinois, while he was still a child. He first recorded with a full orchestra (the trio serving as rhythm section) in 1946 for The Christmas Song, a holiday standard and one of Coles biggest-selling recordings. The invasion of the stage was quickly contained by local law enforcement but in the ensuing mele Cole was toppled from his piano bench and injured his back. There, his father became a minister; Nat's mother, Perlina, was the church organist. On February 15, 1965, Nat King Cole passed away in his sleep at the age of 45. As written by Marianne Ruuth, Cole saw himself as "an entertainer, not a politician." Nat "King" Cole and His Trio. Still later, in high school, he organized a 14-piece band with himself as leader and pianist. Cole did not finish the concert and never again performed in the South. Song Year: 1954. He could not act well enough to launch a secondary film career like that of Sinatra or appear in a Broadway musical, his other thwarted ambition, and the fast-growing popularity of rock n roll was making him sound old-fashioned by comparison with Elvis Presley and the other teen-oriented acts who had come to dominate Americas airwaves. The oldest of the five was his daughter Natalie, who would also become a singer later in life and revitalized the popularity of some of her father's songs. When they came upon a house in Hancock Park, they agreed that they had found their future home. He and one of the dancers, Nadine Robinson, hit it off, and by 1937, the two were married in Michigan, as told by AllMusic. 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. According to Reel Rundown, Nat King Cole never planned to be the first Black man to host his own television program, but when he was offered the gig, he knew its significance. Cole voluntarily gave up the show with a simple commentary: Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark.. Equally skilled as a jazz pianist and a middle-of-the-road pop crooner, Cole would still be remembered with affection today if he only had one of those musical identities. It also inspired NBC to offer him his own weekly TV series, which debuted in 1956. . A multi-talented musician who played piano, bass, and tuba, Eddie would sneak out in the night to perform at various gigs around town, and it wasn't too long before young Nat started following him around, too. The first was in 1946 with the King Cole Trio. All GRAMMY Awards and Nominations for Nat "King" Cole. One of the greatest vocalists of the 20th century, Nat King Cole has given the world countless classics, from timeless love songs like "Unforgettable" and "L-O-V-E" to the holiday standard "The Christmas Song." Democratic National Convention in 1960 to throw his support behind President John F. Kennedy relationship with a commentary... 1960, Nat King Cole 78 RPM GRAMOPHONE Records X 8 himself, Cole to! 10-Inch Capitol Records # 1010 Mona Lisa. a half hour in July 1957 record in the...., according toObserver, there may be some discrepancies four versions of day... 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