Handy in St. Louis Blues (1958). He learned not only jazz and gospel music, but European classical music as well. Cole was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990, and in 1997 was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame. His family relocated to Chicago when he was very young, and both of his parents were active church members. Twin girls Casey and Timolin were born in 1961. He passed away. Without a large sponsor, NBC was unable to keep the show scheduled during prime time and had to move it to a less coveted time slot. View cart for details. This article contains a list of albums by Nat King Cole and compilations of his recordings, together with a list of his chart singles. 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. Two years later, he resumed performing, reinvented himself as a stadium act, and returned to his place at the center of American popular culture. The racist mob never showed up, resulting in the smaller-scale attack that transpired. He was criticized by some for regularly performing in segregated-audience venues in the South, for instance. 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. 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 1937, after touring with a Black musical revue, he began playing in jazz clubs in Los Angeles. What he could never have done was become a Sinatra-like cultural colossus, for he lacked Sinatras larger-than-life personality. Eddie strongly encouraged Nat to learn how to read music and become proficient in the technical side of piano playing. Despite the efforts of NBC, The Nat King Cole Show ultimately failed due to a lack of national sponsorship. 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. Suddenly, while he was right in the middle of a song, a group of white men who were associated with an "offshoot of the KKK" ran toward the stage and assaulted him. Be the first to find out about GRAMMY nominees, winners, important news, and events. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them. A Best Of album went gold in 1968. Born in Alabama on March 17, 1919, Nathaniel Adams Coles (he would later drop the "s") always had a musical streak. Marianne Ruuth writes how it was his mom who convinced his father to allow him to look for work as a jazz pianist on weeknights, so long as he continued playing for the church. In 1991, Mosaic Records released The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio, an 18 compact disc set, consisting of 349 songs. 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. Unfortunately, the cancer had spread. Here's a look into the untold truth of Nat King Cole. One cosmetics representative claimed that a "negro" couldn't sell lipstick, to which Cole angrily responded, "What do they think we use? 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. 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. In addition to being an incomparable lyricist, Mercer was also a shrewd talent scout, and he sensed that Coles singing was capable of appealing to white listeners as well as black ones (the trio had previously recorded for Deccas Sepia Series of race records that were specifically marketed to urban blacks). Police intervened and took custody of three men immediately, while three additional men were arrested in the aftermath of the attack. there was no despair in his inter-pretations. 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. In 1937, after finishing high school, he wrote his first song, Straighten up and Fly Right, which he eventually sold for $50. Booklet Volumes 1 and 2 contain 4 shellac records. This song would be a great choice if your husband was a positive person who took an upbeat approach to life and rarely let things get him down. Lost your password? It also inspired NBC to offer him his own weekly TV series, which debuted in 1956. Cole was considered a leading jazz pianist, appearing, for example, in the first Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts (credited on the Mercury Record labels as "Shorty Nadine," apparently derived from the name of his wife at the time). 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. They tried a couple of places, including Beverly Hills, but ultimately wanted somewhere away from the paparazzi and rowdy fans. Cole agreed, both because he was an ambitious man who hungered for wider popularity and because he felt that he had exhausted the creative and commercial possibilities of the trio, with which he had been working for nearly a decade. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He died on February 15, 1965, at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California and his funeral was held in Los Angeles. . Found 396 items. His father died just two weeks before he did. 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. 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. An African-American jazz pianist, pop vocalist, and balladeer, Cole's popularity is even more incredible considering the time period in which he thrived. I have not taken part in any protests. Louis Blues. During the early 60s, Cole also travelled extensively, doing highly successful concert tours of Latin America, Japan, the European Continent and England. 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"). 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. As written by Marianne Ruuth, Cole saw himself as "an entertainer, not a politician." [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. Cole felt confident that commercial sponsors would support the program, but advertisers worried that white Southern audiences would boycott their products. 2011. First Look: Could PinkPantheress or The Weeknd challenge Miley for Number 1? Facing death himself, Cole was also dealing with grief. The Songwriters Hall of Fame's ongoing mission is to celebrate and honor the contributions and legacies of songwriters of all genres of music while developing and nurturing the next generation of songwriters through Master Sessions, songwriting craft forums, scholarships and digital initiatives. Parts of our site will not function correctly without them. Nat King Cole Capitol Records LP Vinyl Records, Go Betweens LP Vinyl Records, He was to sell a total of 50 million records during . Handy in the movie about the composers life, St. You also need to do it for the public.. There were several covers of Nat Cole's original record in the 1940s. Nat King Cole: Encore. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. In the 1960s, he became the first nationally known black artist to host a television show, but it was canceled after one year because a national sponsor could not be found. 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. Evan Tyrone Martin's homage to the late beloved singer continues with a holiday tribute show, "An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas," which Martin will perform at the Marriott Theatre on . For a brief time when it debuted, the show had no sponsors. Nat was piano player and leader of the combo. The trio specialized in swing music with a delicate touch in that they did not employ a drummer; also unique were the voicings of piano and guitar, often juxtaposed to sound like a single instrument. Sold for 32.24 USD on 22 Mar 2022 (4 bids) 78 rpm. The album was so popular in Latin America as well as in the United States that two others in the same vein followed: A Mis Amigos (sung in Spanish and Coles piano style would have made an impression under any circumstances, but it was the setting that he now created for himselfa drummerless trio consisting of piano, electric guitar, and bassthat showed it off most advantageously. Inspired by the playing of Hines, Cole began his performing career in the mid-1930s while he was still a teenager, and adopted the name "Nat Cole." Genealogy profile for Nat King Cole. 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. On August 23, 1956, Cole spoke at the Republican National Convention in the Cow Palace, San Francisco, California. Updates? Cole hit a lull in her career in the early 1980s due to her struggle with drug addiction, subsequently parting ways with Capitol Records. In London, he performed at a Cole was born in Montgomery, Alabama. His enjoyable personality landed him the iconic gig as the host of his very own nationally televised show, as told by NPR. Sell it yourself. November 23, 2019. Cole, who was greatly disappointed, made the difficult decision to pull the plug on the program. Subjected to all the barriers of the Jim Crow era, Cole's unprecedented success helped advance Black Americans' role in media, and while he never considered himself an activist, he would directly challenge segregation and contribute to the Civil Rights Movement. As Cole described, while they "didn't bend over backwards" to please white audiences, they certainly did not want to offend them (viaReel Rundown). All rights reserved. Nat "King" Cole: Soundies & Telescriptions. 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. 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. 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. They were also regular performers at clubs. Natalie recorded his hit "Unforgettable" and put their vocals together as a duet. Cole retorted "Neither do I. He rejected it, cheekily requesting $1 million instead. Born . 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. A wholly mainstream singer and entertainer, Cole was eventually offered his own TV show, which he very much wanted. September 28, 2016. To speculate about what might have been is obviously fruitless, though it is possible that he might have taken up the piano again and become the elder statesman of jazz that he had it in him to be. Arguably, it's even rarer for one to become a "holiday standard," played by the masses year after year. The success of these recordings led to Coles becoming a regular guest on the most widely viewed TV programs of the 50s, including Person to Person, This Is Your Life, Whats My Line? 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 . "I lost my baby in December. and The Ed Sullivan Show (on which he appeared 14 times). Initially, Cole refused, replying, "We don't sing." Song Year: 1954. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). At the same time, though, Cole wasn't an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement initially. Privacy Policy. (1944) has lost none of its freshness eight decades later. The LA Sentinel describes how Cole, who was known for his smooth, rich voice, would smoke as many as three packs a day. 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. 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. ", Singer and actress Eartha Kitt, one of the program's guest stars, later reflected that Cole's sophisticated image, elegance, and interaction with white performers as equals "was dangerous" in an era when blacks appearing on television regularly were only in comic or subservient roles. Jenkins arranged Love Is the Thing, #1 on the album charts in April 1957. 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 . Instead, he was content to be nothing moreor lessthan a first-rate popular singer, and the reissue in 1991 of an 18-CD boxed set of the King Cole Trios recordings for Capitol triggered a revival of interest in his earlier work as a jazz pianist. But despite success, Cole wanted to pursue a solo musical career. Cole would form a few jazz music groups before creating the King Cole Trio. Contents 1 Childhood and Chicago 2 Los Angeles and the King Cole Trio 3 Early singing career 4 Challenging racial barriers 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. This article contains a list of albums by Nat King Cole and compilations of his recordings, together with a list of his chart singles. The song and the album of the same name won seven Grammy awards in 1992. By Robert Pace 6:00 AM PDT, June 25, 2013. The failure of The Nat King Cole Show left Cole feeling both frustrated and restless, but his options were limited. Hittin The Ramp: The Early Years 1936-1943 by Nat King Cole (Record, 2019) $148.99 New. The last episode of The Nat King Cole Show aired December 17, 1957. The diagnosis would cut Cole's life very short, because he died not long after the discovery. Nat King Cole - Artist Details. He would later be known as Nat King Cole, the "Unforgettable" singer out of Montgomery, Alabama, whose other hits would include "Love" and, in 1946, the instant classic "The Christmas Song." Audio CD. The female solo artists with the most Number 1 albums, Miley Cyrus reigns at Number 1 for a sixth consecutive week with Flowers, NAT 'KING' COLE SINGS AND THE GEORGE SHEARING QUINTET PLAYS. Adapting his style, however, was one factor that kept Cole popular up to his early death from lung cancer in 1965. In the summer of 1991, Natalie and her deceased father had an unexpected hit when Natalie mixed her own voice with her father's 1961 rendition of "Unforgettable," as part of her album paying tribute to her father's music. This page was last edited on 11 November 2022, at 01:27. Although Nat would never be considered a rocker, the song can be seen as anticipating the first rock and roll records. He became a popular crooner in the 1950s, and made history when he became the first Black man to host a regular TV variety show. 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. Nat King Cole 78rpm Single 10-inch Capitol Records #1010 Mona Lisa. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. But while the start of the '60s seemed very promising for Cole, he faced with some tragic news. Nat King Cole albums and discography on AllMusic including all best, old, and new album information. Cole was hired as the pianist for a jazz quartet that would play at the Swanee Inn nearHollywood, as told by uDiscover Music. 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. It sold over 500,000 copies, and proved that folk-based material could appeal to a wide audience. That song, along with "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer," earned him two top 10 hits on the Billboard charts. His family later moved north to Chicago, where he grew up. Cole's chain-smoking habits would, sadly, catch up to him. His older brother, Eddie Coles, a bassist, soon joined Nat's band and they first recorded in 1936 under Eddie's name. His pop hits were collaborations with well-known arrangers and conductors of the day, including Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, and Ralph Carmichael. Victor Young, Jeri Southern with Victor Young and His Orchestra. "[1] The program featured some of the most acclaimed artists,who performed at a fraction of their usual rate to help keep the show on the air. Cole also appeared in many movies, his last one being Cat Ballou (1965), starring Lee Marvin. A decade earlier, Cole's mother died, also of cancer. The Nat King Cole Story [45rpm 200g Vinyl] by Nat King Cole (Vinyl, Jan-2011, 5 Discs, Analogue Productions) The Guardian reported how someone came at Cole's knees and knocked him to the ground, injuring his back. 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. But fame doesn't negate racist sentiments and violence. In 1956, "The Nat King Cole Show" was the first of its kind for a known Black performer. 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." When the Hancock Park Property Owners Association found out, though, they were furious and offered Cole his money back plus some profit. Capitol. with Love. NAT KING COLE Vinyl Records and CDs Nat King Cole's great piano work with his jazz trio got overshadowed by his massive vocal success in the 1950s yet each phase of his career offers up so many riches that it proves that the lines between jazz and popular music just don't matter. 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. Something went wrong. The attack began at the rear of the auditorium when three men ran down the aisles towards Cole and his band. Nature Boy, Mona Lisa, Too Young, A Blossom Fell, and Unforgettable were among his major hits of the period. 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. He was, without a doubt, a pioneer, but that doesn't mean his many successes came without struggles. Carlos Gastel, Coles manager, now started thinking of him not as a singer-pianist but as a stand-up vocalist who played piano on the side. Cole had greater success with concert performances during the late 1950s and early 60s and twice toured with his own vaudeville-style reviews, The Merry World of Nat King Cole (1961) and Sights and Sounds (1963). Soon, he graduated to playing other characters, such as his roles inIstanbulandChina Gate. Cole did not finish the concert and never again performed in the South. 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. Although Cole had experienced virulent racism in his life and career, Cole, like Louis Armstrong, was never a crusader for racial justice. Nat would continue playing piano with the revue for the rest of the tour, performing all across the country until the show, unfortunately, ran out of money in Long Beach in 1937, as described by the Orlando Sentinel. His father was a preacher in the Baptist church. 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. PinkPantheress? All that remained was for Cole to fully realize his potential as a vocalistsomething that happened sooner than anyone, even Mercer, could possibly have expected. These critiques hurt the musician, who would eventually take a more active role in the movement, including participating in the 1963 March on Washington and regularly performing at benefit concerts for civil rights groups. 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. King Cole!" The name stuck. Cole praised NBC for its support and directly blamed the advertising industry. 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. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy and its Affiliates. 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. According to theOrlando Sentinel, after his time with Shuffle Along came to an end in Long Beach, Cole and his wife at the time decided to settle in California. Nat King Cole (March 17, 1919 February 15, 1965), born Nathaniel Adams Coles, was a popular American jazz singer-songwriter and pianist. Sold for 23.50 USD on 11 Mar 2022 (4 bids) 1. Spouse (s) Nat King Cole. Cole performed in many short films, sitcoms, television shows, and played W. C. Handy in the film St. Louis Blues (1958). It was with this band named after and led by Eddie that Nat King Cole made his first recording: "Eddie Cole's Swingsters" recorded two singles for Decca Records in 1936. 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 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. By the summer of 1957, it was New York City's top-rated variety program. Omissions? Even when he sang bleak torch songs such as The End of a Love Affair (1962), Labels. He and his first wife, Nadine Robinson,. 29 offers from $2.24. While he is best remembered today for his musical legacy, Nat King Cole was a multitalented entertainer. Personal Life Cole married for the first time when he was only 17. His remains were interred inside Freedom Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. When I Fall in Love: The One and Only Nat King Cole. As a toddler, he learned to play the piano (via Biography). Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 - February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Five years after Coles death, Frank Sinatra announced his retirement from singing. Benny would give the eulogy at Cole's funeral service a few days later, per the Desert Sun, posted at theCalifornia Digital Newspaper Collection. Royal Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II. (This special compilation also was available as a 27 high-quality LP record set.). 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. Copyright Songwriters Hall of Fame 2023. 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). Pelote, Vincent. The resulting broken rhythms disrupted the squared-off regularity of James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, and the other Harlem-based stride pianists of the period. Apparently, he felt that smoking gave his voice the unique quality it had and would smoke "several cigarettes in rapid succession before a recording for that very purpose.". Nor have I joined an organization fighting segregation. Born Nathaniel Adams Coles on March 17, 1919 (although 1916 and 1917 have also been cited), in Montgomery, Alabama, Cole was born into a family with a . For Cole, who was greatly disappointed, made the difficult decision to pull the on. The Republican national Convention in the aftermath of the Nat King Cole Show ultimately failed due to a audience. And New album information because he died not long after the discovery he and his Orchestra also was available a... Of any artist or music by the Recording Academy and its Affiliates was more keyboardist singer... 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Nat King Cole ( record, 2019 ) $ 148.99 New Lawn how many records did nat king cole sell Park in Los Angeles: Early. Thing, # 1 on the program, but advertisers worried that white Southern would... Efforts of NBC, the song and the Ed Sullivan Show ( on which he appeared 14 )! A Sinatra-like cultural colossus, for he lacked Sinatras larger-than-life personality, San Francisco, California had no sponsors wide! Mob never showed up, resulting in the technical side of piano playing that does n't negate racist and... Of the Nat King Cole! & quot ; Cole: Soundies & how many records did nat king cole sell!