The classic "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" was popularized by Cole in the late 1940s. Not much is publicly known about this first marriage, which came to an end about 11 years later in 1948. Nat "King" Cole and His Trio. Nat King Cole was born Nathaniel Adams Coles (he later dropped the "s" in his surname) in Montgomery, Alabama. . Capitol. He churned out song after song, including classics like "Unforgettable" and "Mona Lisa." 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. Cole mastered this style as a teenager, adding to it an idiomatic feel for the blues that Hines lacked, along with a forward-looking harmonic vocabulary that prefigured bebop, the avant-garde jazz style of the 40s. Luckily, the young Cole had his older brother Eddie to guide him. 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). In 1955, he acted as himself in a short biographical film,The Nat "King" Cole Musical Story, whichcovered his musical career and life story. 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. 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. Jazz singer Nat King Cole was best known for songs like "The Christmas Song" and "Ramblin' Rose" (via Billboard).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. His last album, L-O-V-E, was recorded in early December 1964just a few days before entering the hospital for treatmentand released just prior to his death; it peaked at number four on the Billboard Albums chart in the spring of 1965. Before his tragic death, Cole underwent cancer surgery, which resulted in the removal of one of his lungs, per Los Angeles Times. 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 . Active. 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. But the ballads he sang with his trio were so enthusiastically received by the public that he started cutting vocal records accompanied by studio orchestras, and these proved even more successful than their jazz-oriented predecessors. 4th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Nat King Cole, too, fell to the allure of smoking. The first of these was said to be by Dick Haymes on the Decca label, but his was released first - not recorded first. Spouse (s) Nat King Cole. Despite the efforts of NBC, The Nat King Cole Show ultimately failed due to a lack of national sponsorship. Cole appeared frequently on popular variety programs hosted by Perry Como, Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan, and others. 49, no. He also performed as a pianist on sessions with Lester Young, Red Callender, and Lionel Hampton. 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. This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 04:04. 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. His mom, an amateur piano player herself, gave him piano lessons when he was as young as four years old, with "Yes, We Have No Bananas" being the first song he ever learned to play. All rights reserved. The next month, he underwent surgery to remove the lung, but it was too late. 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. 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. and The Ed Sullivan Show (on which he appeared 14 times). It also inspired NBC to offer him his own weekly TV series, which debuted in 1956. By the time he contracted lung cancer, he was estranged from his wife Maria while in a relationship with actress Gunilla Hutton, best known as Nurse Goodbody of Hee Haw fame. He passed away in February 1965 aged 45. The cancellation would turn out to be the permanent end of his career. Nat King Cole: Encore. Back to home page | 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). Cole frequently sang in between instrumental numbers, and noticing that people started to request more vocal numbers, he obliged. 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. Gone too soon at only 45 years old, Cole still managed to leave a lasting impact on music, culture, and history. 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. We want to hear your thoughts about this article. Grove Music Online. His family later moved north to Chicago, where he grew up. [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. He formed his first jazz group, the Royal Dukes, five years later. 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. Riddle and Cole recorded one final hit album Wild Is Love, based on lyrics by Ray Rasch and Dotty Wayne. Revenues from Cole's record sales fueled much of Capitol Records' success during this period, and are believed to have played a significant role in financing the distinctive Capitol Records building on Hollywood and Vine, in Los Angeles. By the time he worked his way from Chicago to Los Angeles, settling there permanently in 1937, his playing was already fully formed. The show ultimately failed due to its inability to attract national sponsors because the program was hosted by a black person. Shop with confidence. Singer. 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. However, he was with his wife during his illness and she stayed with him until his death. In 1956, "The Nat King Cole Show" was the first of its kind for a known Black performer. Cole was also among the dozens of entertainers recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the Kennedy Inaugural gala in 1961. (via NewsOne). 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. 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. 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. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy and its Affiliates lies with the story's original source or writer. Cole was dedicated to seeing the pioneering show succeed, not for the money but to break down barriers and disprove racial prejudices. By the start of the 1960s, Cole was only getting more popular. The first was in 1946 with the King Cole Trio. Volume 4 is also issued in a box set of three 45-rpm records. For "Wild Is Love" 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? Later he filled in for his mother playing organ in the church. 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). Record Of The Year Ramblin' Rose (Single) More from the 5th A Awards. The day before he died, he did a radio interview, stating: "I am feeling better than ever. 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 article contains a list of albums by Nat King Cole and compilations of his recordings, together with a list of his chart singles. Incredibly, Coles singing was as extraordinary as his playing. Start your risk free trial with unlimited access. 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. His show only lasted for one season, but in one year Cole had filmed some 53 episodes, per IMDb,paving the way for other Black television hosts. Later, Cole was chosen by Paramount Pictures to play W.C. Cole was only 17. "I lost my baby in December. 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.". 1930s - 1960s. Lost your password? . Feb. 28, 2023 2 PM PT. 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. 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. Cole's first marriage, to Nadine Robinson, ended in 1948. 1st Annual GRAMMY Awards. Oxford Music Online. Though they recorded for the same label and worked with many of the same arrangers, the two men had little in common as singers. By the 1950s, Nat King Cole had become a household name. In 1956, "The Nat King Cole Show" was the first of its kind for a known Black performer. It sold over 500,000 copies, and proved that folk-based material could appeal to a wide audience. 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. Portuguese) in 1959, and More Cole Espaol in 1962. In 1948, Cole purchased a house in the all-white Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. there was no despair in his inter-pretations. with Love. It became a hit instantly, but Cole was unsatisfied. Nat King Cole 78rpm Single 10-inch Capitol Records #1010 Mona Lisa. Featured New Releases . When singing "To see if reindeer really know how to fly," he mistakenly sang "reindeers." Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy and its Affiliates. Cole learned songs in languages other than English by rote. 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 Mis Amigos contains the Venezuelan hit "Ansiedad," whose lyrics Cole had learned while performing in Caracas in 1958. Natalie recorded his hit "Unforgettable" and put their vocals together as a duet. The public, who knew very little about the severity of his condition, was shocked. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.