He had always looked for work as a pianist and "played piano at almost every beer joint from San Diego to Bakersfield" before he finally landed a residency. The attack began at the rear of the auditorium when three men ran down the aisles towards Cole and his band. Cole, who was greatly disappointed, made the difficult decision to pull the plug on the program. Born on March 17, 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama, Cole's first introduction to music was in the church. 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. Children: 5, including Natalie Cole. Mercer, first president of The Songwriters Hall of Fame, was a principal), until his death Cole remained with the label, turning out hit after hit. I think I've finally got this cancer licked.". Sampled by Susan Boyle feat Nat King Cole [sampled] When I Grow Too Old to Dream. His revolutionary lineup of piano, guitar and bass in the time of the big bands became a popular set up for a jazz trio. Unfortunately, the cancer had spread. In August 1948, the couple moved into their new home. Cole was hired as the pianist for a jazz quartet that would play at the Swanee Inn nearHollywood, as told by uDiscover Music. By the start of the 1960s, Cole was only getting more popular. Cole would form a few jazz music groups before creating the King Cole Trio. 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. eBay Money Back Guarantee. The diagnosis would cut Cole's life very short, because he died not long after the discovery. Basin Street Revue. Unlike Sinatra, Cole was not a confessional performer whose interpretations reflected the dark side of his personality. Song Year: 1954. When Capitol Records signed the Beatles to its roster, Cole knew that his days as a pop superstar were numbered. View cart for details. 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. Died 10731074, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 05:16. It sold over 500,000 copies, and proved that folk-based material could appeal to a wide audience. PinkPantheress? The last episode of The Nat King Cole Show aired December 17, 1957. A fourth member of the group who had participated in the plot was later arrested in connection with the act. Cole was also among the dozens of entertainers recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the Kennedy Inaugural gala in 1961. But despite success, Cole wanted to pursue a solo musical career. 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. We want to hear your thoughts about this article. His rendition of "Sweet Lorraine" was so well-received that he continued to sing, and his pure musical talent, both vocally and on the piano, began to get the attention it deserved. In July 1948, Nat King Cole and his new wife began house-hunting, as described by Curbed. 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. 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. 1930s - 1960s. Capitol 78-rpm albums [ edit] Volumes 1-4 released as separate booklets in 10" format. Before his tragic death, Cole underwent cancer surgery, which resulted in the removal of one of his lungs, per Los Angeles Times. 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. 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. 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. What some may not know, though, is that he recorded four versions of the song. Arguably, it's even rarer for one to become a "holiday standard," played by the masses year after year. How do the traditional Christmas standards perform on the chart? . 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. According to police, a plan had been developed four days earlier for a group of 150 white men to attack Cole. 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. 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. Booklet Volumes 1 and 2 contain 4 shellac records. The Guardian reported how someone came at Cole's knees and knocked him to the ground, injuring his back. The prejudices of the era in which Cole lived hindered his potential for even greater stardom. Even when he sang bleak torch songs such as The End of a Love Affair (1962), Jenkins arranged Love Is the Thing, #1 on the album charts in April 1957. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays, The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You), Put 'em in a Box, Tie 'em with a Ribbon (and Throw 'em in the Deep Blue Sea), "American certifications Nat King Cole", Recording Industry Association of America, "British certifications Ozzy Osbourne", "Kent Music Report No 341 5 January 1981 > Platinum and Gold Albums 1980", "Billboard Hot 100 (Week of January 7, 2023)", "Jingle bell rock: Why lots of radio stations go all-Christmas in December", "Andy Williams Hits New High, The Ronettes 'Ride' Back After 52 Years & More Hot 100 Chart Moves", "Holiday 100: The week of December 24, 2011", "Holiday 100: The week of December 8, 2012", "Holiday 100: The week of January 4, 2014", "Holiday 100: The week of December 20, 2014", "Holiday 100: The week of December 12, 2015", "Holiday 100: The week of December 10, 2016", "Holiday 100: The week of December 16, 2017", "Holiday 100: The week of January 5, 2019", "Holiday 100: The week of December 7, 2019", "Holiday 100: The week of December 12, 2020", "Holiday 100 (Week of December 11, 2021)", "Holiday 100: The week of December 13, 2014", "Holiday 100 (Week of December 10, 2022)", "Holiday 100: The week of December 19, 2015", "Holiday 100: The week of December 21, 2019", "Holiday 100: The week of December 19, 2020", "Holiday 100 (Week of December 31, 2022)", "Holiday 100: The week of January 4, 2020", "Holiday 100: The week of December 26, 2020", "Nat King Cole Chart History (Holiday 100)", "Holiday 100: The week of January 2, 2021", "Holiday 100 (Week of December 18, 2021)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nat_King_Cole_discography&oldid=1132283049, "You Call It Madness (But I Call it Love)", "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)". By Robert Pace 6:00 AM PDT, June 25, 2013. Cole hit a lull in her career in the early 1980s due to her struggle with drug addiction, subsequently parting ways with Capitol Records. Click here to send a letter to the editor. Congo paint? In 1956, Nat King Cole was a superstar, selling millions of records and touring all over the country. He was also present at the Democratic National Convention in 1960 to throw his support behind President John F. Kennedy. (As Cole himself said when asked to compare himself to Sinatra, the band swings Frank. Be the first to find out about GRAMMY nominees, winners, important news, and events. The writers pointed out that he made a grammatical error during the last line of the bridge. 1st Annual GRAMMY Awards. His family later moved north to Chicago, where he grew up. By the 1950s, Nat King Cole had become a household name. "Cole, Nat 'King'." New Releases. 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). By the summer of 1957, it was New York City's top-rated variety program. Cole frequently consulted with President Kennedy (and later President Johnson) on the issue of civil rights. January 1957. His remains were interred inside Freedom Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. 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. 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. Nat was piano player and leader of the combo. Web. Eventually, NBC was able to get about 30 local sponsors, but there was never a national corporate sponsor that would support the program, as mentioned by NPR. In his words: You need to [change] for youto keep growing. This vintage song carries the timeless message to keep your chin up when life looks bleak. 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. Cole was only 17. Nat King Cole, too, fell to the allure of smoking. 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. Nat "King" Cole and His Trio. Only one person other than Cole's wife would get to visit Cole before he died, and that was comedian Jack Benny. Who are you backing for this week's Official Number 1 single? On November 5, 1956, The Nat King Cole Show debuted on NBC-TV. Nat King Cole was born Nathaniel Adams Coles (he later dropped the "s" in his surname) in Montgomery, Alabama. Coles second wife, Maria Ellington (no relation to Duke), felt the same way. 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 . Completed in 1956, it was the world's first circular office building and became known as "the house that Nat built.". According to the Los Angeles Times, Cole was aware of his impending death. Though they recorded for the same label and worked with many of the same arrangers, the two men had little in common as singers. "[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. Legend has it that, one night, a drunk customer demanded that the group sing. 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 jazz roots never quite disappeared, especially when he recorded up-tempo tunes such as Almost Like Being in Love (1953) with arrangers such as Nelson Riddle and Billy May, sailing effortlessly atop the beat with the irresistible swing of the nonpareil instrumentalist he had been. 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