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. [10] In December 2011, Billboard began a Holiday Songs chart with 50 positions that monitors the last five weeks of each year to "rank the top holiday hits of all eras using the same methodology as the Hot 100, blending streaming, airplay, and sales data",[11] and in 2013 the number of positions on the chart was doubled, resulting in the Holiday 100. At that point of his career, he was a highly recognized singer. Singer. As a teenager, Cole became caught up in a relationship with a woman ten years older than him, according toObserver. 1930s - 1960s. The show ultimately failed due to its inability to attract national sponsors because the program was hosted by a black person. He rejected it, cheekily requesting $1 million instead. Born . Pelote, Vincent. To that end, she persuaded him to move to Hancock Park, a wealthy, all-white Los Angeles neighborhood whose residents refused to accept the family (anonymous vandals burned a racial slur into their front lawn). 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. . In August 1948, the couple moved into their new home. 3rd Annual GRAMMY Awards. Audio CD. 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. Unlike Sinatra, Cole was not a confessional performer whose interpretations reflected the dark side of his personality. Here's a look into the untold truth of Nat King Cole. (This special compilation also was available as a 27 high-quality LP record set.). When I Fall in Love: The One and Only Nat King Cole. His otherwise smooth-textured voice had a faintly gravelly quality heightened by his chain smoking, and he sang with tuning-fork intonation and lapidary enunciation, though his drawn-out pronunciation of certain vowels, the long i of I and my in particular, was so idiosyncratic that Sammy Davis Jr. exaggerated it to witty effect in his uncanny impersonation of Cole (which can be viewed on YouTube). Nat King Cole - Artist Details. Complete After Midnight Sessions 4 Bonus Tracks / 24Bit Digitally. 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. He always blamed the advertising executives for the show's end, bitterly commenting, "Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark.". At a time when Jim Crow was the law of the land and the Civil Rights Movement was growing stronger, Nat King Cole played a complicated role. Liner notes. 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. Nat King Cole's early career and trio. The first of these is the so-called Great Migration that brought 6 million Southern blacks northward to seek better, freer lives in Americas largest cities. Volume 4 is also issued in a box set of three 45-rpm records. . 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. Get notified of exciting GRAMMY Award news and upcoming events! It opens with an out-of-tempo reading of the first eight bars that is sung with hushed delicacy, after which Cole slips almost imperceptibly into a very slow but nonetheless danceable tempo. Labels. Nat King Cole: Encore. March 17, 1919 in Montgomery, AL. In a few short years, Cole dropped out of school at 15 years old to focus solely on pursuing a career in music. "Madison Avenue," Cole said, "is afraid of the dark. 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. 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? 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. 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." During a neighborhood meeting, the residents expressed that they simply didn't want undesirables around, to which Cole replied, "Neither do I, and if I see any undesirables coming in here, I'll be the first to complain.". His family relocated to Chicago when he was very young, and both of his parents were active church members. On one hand, his existence as a popular Black musician certainly challenged racist sentiments and broke down many barriers. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article A decade earlier, Cole's mother died, also of cancer. 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. He and one of the dancers, Nadine Robinson, hit it off, and by 1937, the two were married in Michigan, as told by AllMusic. 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. 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. Cole praised NBC for its support and directly blamed the advertising industry. An African-American jazz pianist, pop vocalist, and balladeer, Cole's popularity is even more incredible considering the time period in which he thrived. In 1937, after touring with a Black musical revue, he began playing in jazz clubs in Los Angeles. Nat King Cole - Where Did Everybody Go - Used Vinyl Record lp - E34A. We want to hear your thoughts about this article. Capitol 78-rpm albums [ edit] Volumes 1-4 released as separate booklets in 10" format. This vintage song carries the timeless message to keep your chin up when life looks bleak. ", 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Natalie, of course, has followed in her fathers difficult-to-fill footsteps as a highly successful recording artist in her own right. Cole was only 17. Cole frequently sang in between instrumental numbers, and noticing that people started to request more vocal numbers, he obliged. Arguably, it's even rarer for one to become a "holiday standard," played by the masses year after year. He also appeared in The Nat King Cole Story, China Gate, and The Blue Gardenia (1953). Record Of The Year Ramblin' Rose (Single) More from the 5th A Awards. "I lost my baby in December. 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. All were later tried and convicted for the assault. With a catalog full of memorable love songs, Nat King Cole certainly had his own interesting experiences with romance. As written by Marianne Ruuth, Cole saw himself as "an entertainer, not a politician." His father was a preacher in the Baptist church. Record Labels Nat King Cole Recordings Sold to Universal Music Group By Chris Eggertsen . Booklet Volumes 1 and 2 contain 4 shellac records. It sold over 500,000 copies, and proved that folk-based material could appeal to a wide audience. The six men arrested were all originally charged with "assault with intent to murder," but the charges were later changed to "conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor" for four of them. One of the men was identified to be a member of the white supremacist group White Citizens' Council. Coles singing career began inadvertently when a tipsy customer at a small Hollywood bistro insisted that he sing, Sweet Lorraine, which he did to an enthused response, not only from the drunk, but from the entire audience as well. A Best Of album went gold in 1968. 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. Cole's family moved to Chicago, Illinois, while he was still a child. 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). In December 1964, he was diagnosed with lung cancer when they discovered a tumor in his left lung, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. I have not taken part in any protests. He was criticized by some for regularly performing in segregated-audience venues in the South, for instance. The public, who knew very little about the severity of his condition, was shocked. By Robert Pace 6:00 AM PDT, June 25, 2013. Before his tragic death, Cole underwent cancer surgery, which resulted in the removal of one of his lungs, per Los Angeles Times. Sponsored. His pop hits were collaborations with well-known arrangers and conductors of the day, including Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, and Ralph Carmichael. Only one person other than Cole's wife would get to visit Cole before he died, and that was comedian Jack Benny. While he is best remembered today for his musical legacy, Nat King Cole was a multitalented entertainer. 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 attained his greatest commercial success, however, as a vocalist specializing in warm ballads and light swing. 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. 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). Corrections? Nature Boy, Mona Lisa, Too Young, A Blossom Fell, and Unforgettable were among his major hits of the period. 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). But after some prodding from the manager who insisted since the customer was a "big spender," Cole agreed. He even left the hospital to see his children one last time in a brief car ride home with his wife. The failure of The Nat King Cole Show left Cole feeling both frustrated and restless, but his options were limited. All GRAMMY Awards and Nominations for Nat "King" Cole. The change in musical tastes during the late 1950s meant that Cole's ballad singing did not sell well with younger listeners, despite a successful stab at rock n' roll with "Send For Me" (peaked at #6 pop). In his words: You need to [change] for youto keep growing. Nat King Cole was in the final stages of lung cancer. His 1957 recording of "When I Fall In Love" reached number four in the United Kingdom charts in 1987. All rights reserved. As a kid, Cole played the organ and sang at church with his family. Cole retorted "Neither do I. Oxford Music Online. Despite the efforts of NBC, The Nat King Cole Show ultimately failed due to a lack of national sponsorship. Nat King Cole was making and setting records for his celebrated music decades before Elvis Presley and The Beatles arrived on the scene. Nat took the advice seriously and, around the age of 12, started to dive into the classics, "playing everything from Bach to Rachmaninoff," according to Ruuth. Anniversary Flashback: Al Martino gains first UK Number 1 single 70 years ago. Born in Alabama on March 17, 1919, Nathaniel Adams Coles (he would later drop the "s") always had a musical streak. 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. 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. Booklet Volumes 3 and 4 contain 3 shellac records. Nor have I joined an organization fighting segregation. 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. Then in 1956, he was assaulted on stage while singing the song "Little Girl" in Birmingham, Alabama, by three members of the North Alabama White Citizens' Council, who apparently were attempting to kidnap him. During the late 1930s and early 40s the trio made several instrumental recordings, as well as others that featured their harmonizing vocals. Lost your password? Police intervened and took custody of three men immediately, while three additional men were arrested in the aftermath of the attack. 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. From the start, Nat King Cole's mother supported his musical ambitions. Parts of our site will not function correctly without them. 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). The brothers were also hired to perform in the "revival of the all-black Broadway musical revue Shuffle Along" for their Chicago stop. Bill Dobbins and Richard Wang. Nat King Cole. 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. Unfortunately, the cancer had spread. While Coles reputation went into a temporary eclipse as a result of his early deatha lifelong chain smoker, he died of lung cancer in 1965, three decades before Sinatra gave his last public performancehe was restored to prominence in 1991 when his daughter Natalie, herself a talented pop singer, released a single of Unforgettable in which his original performance of the song, recorded 40 years earlier, was electronically superimposed on her own to create a virtual duet. The record put Cole back in the limelight, and he has been there ever since. NAT KING COLE 78 RPM GRAMOPHONE RECORDS X 8. 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. The first of these was said to be by Dick Haymes on the Decca label, but his was released first - not recorded first. His enjoyable personality landed him the iconic gig as the host of his very own nationally televised show, as told by NPR. With Cole on the piano, Oscar Moore on the guitar, and Wesley Prince on string bass, the three became known as the famous King Cole Trio. Years active. He was also present at the Democratic National Convention in 1960 to throw his support behind President John F. Kennedy. I swing the band.) But it was his recordings of ballads that made him a household name, and among the most memorable of them is the version of Ray Nobles The Very Thought of You that he cut with Gordon Jenkins, another of Sinatras preferred arrangers, in 1958. 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). 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.". And yet, many of his Later he filled in for his mother playing organ in the church. Cat Ballou (1965), his final film, was released several months after his death. Its tune can also serve as a reminder that life goes on, even in . Volumes 1-4 released as separate booklets in 10" format. Full-time combos of any sort were uncommon in the swing era, and the King Cole Trio would have stood out for that reason alone. Nathaniel Adams Coles was born in Montgomery, Alabama on March 17, 1919. 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. But while the start of the '60s seemed very promising for Cole, he faced with some tragic news. Although Nat would never be considered a rocker, the song can be seen as anticipating the first rock and roll records. Cole grew up in Chicago, where, by age 12, he sang and played organ in the church where his father was pastor. 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. Nathaniel Adams Coles, professionally known as Nat King Cole, (March 17, 1919 - February 15, 1965) was an American jazz musician, singer and songwriter.He was born in the southern city of Montgomery, Alabama.His father was a Christian minister.Millions of Nat King Cole's recordings were sold while he was alive. He churned out song after song, including classics like "Unforgettable" and "Mona Lisa." January 1957. 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. Incredibly, Coles singing was as extraordinary as his playing. Maria also encouraged him to part with his expensive sidemen and turn the group from the King Cole Trio into Nat King Cole and His Trio, assuring him that his singing was the draw. While on a 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. By the 1950s, he worked almost exclusively as a singer, with such notable arrangers as Nelson Riddle and Billy May providing lush orchestral accompaniment. Sampled by Susan Boyle feat Nat King Cole [sampled] When I Grow Too Old to Dream. The Weeknd? Released in 1958, St. Louis Blues, in which Cole played the legendary blues musician W.C. (1944) has lost none of its freshness eight decades later. The first cover of "The Christmas Song" was performed by pop tenor and bandleader Eddy Howard on Majestic. He was to sell a total of 50 million records during . visit to New York during his early twenties, he met and ultimately married Maria Hawkins, a singer from Boston. Nat King Cole (March 17, 1919 February 15, 1965), born Nathaniel Adams Coles, was a popular American jazz singer-songwriter and pianist. "Smile" by Nat King Cole. Comparatively few of Coles latter-day fans, however, know that he was more than a singer. Grove Music Online. Natalie recorded his hit "Unforgettable" and put their vocals together as a duet. Initially begun as a 15-minute show on Monday night, the show was expanded to a half hour in July 1957. AllMusic. Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP legal counsel at the time, even saw Cole as an "Uncle Tom." Nat King Cole. That song, along with "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer," earned him two top 10 hits on the Billboard charts. Finally, in 1960, almost 15 years after that first recording, Nat King Cole redid the holiday classic when his voice was "at its smokiest." Why should they attack me?" Nat "King" Cole and His Trio. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Nat King Cole - Swings Spirituals - Used Vinyl Record lp - E34A at the best online prices at eBay! 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. 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. 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. By 12 he was singing, too, says Britannica. First Look: Could PinkPantheress or The Weeknd challenge Miley for Number 1? ISBN links support NWE through referral fees. 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. Unfortunately, from the beginning,The Nat King Cole Show always struggled with one thing: sponsors. The last episode of The Nat King Cole Show aired December 17, 1957. 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. Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, vol. He occasionally revisited his jazz roots, as on the outstanding album After Midnight (1956), which proved that Coles piano skills had not diminished. For over a year, the entertainer worked tirelessly on his show, even turning down a total of $500,000 in performances in order to focus on the program. Their real estate agent knew about this racist rule and circumvented it by hiring a light-skinned Black woman to buy the place for the Coles with a $6,000 down payment. This page was last edited on 11 November 2022, at 01:27. But despite success, Cole wanted to pursue a solo musical career. 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." The LA Sentinel describes how Cole, who was known for his smooth, rich voice, would smoke as many as three packs a day. There were several covers of Nat Cole's original record in the 1940s. According to AL.com, his comments sparked criticisms among civil rights leaders, who felt that Cole hadn't done enough in pushing for change, especially since he had always agreed to perform for segregated audiences. A fourth member of the group who had participated in the plot was later arrested in connection with the act. In July 1948, Nat King Cole and his new wife began house-hunting, as described by Curbed. 3, 1993., pp. Active. An influence on jazz pianists such as Oscar Peterson, Cole was known for a compact, syncopated piano style with clean, spare, melodic phrases. Nat's youngest brother Freddy Cole, and his daughter, Natalie Cole are also singers. In 1955, he acted as himself in a short biographical film,The Nat "King" Cole Musical Story, whichcovered his musical career and life story. At the same time, though, Cole wasn't an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement initially. 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. The Tragic Death Of Nat King Cole Explained. 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. You will receive a link to create a new password via email. 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. . Might Cole have undergone a similar professional revival had he not died prematurely? In 1958, Cole went to Havana, Cuba, to record Cole Espaol, an album sung entirely in Spanish. 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 . In 1937, after finishing high school, he wrote his first song, Straighten up and Fly Right, which he eventually sold for $50. Nat King Cole 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Profiles In Jazz. Portuguese) in 1959, and More Cole Espaol in 1962. . In Cole, Nat King. Missing, however, is the element of contrast that Cole supplied when he started singing with the trio. On February 15, 1965, Nat King Cole passed away in his sleep at the age of 45. According to the Los Angeles Times, Cole was aware of his impending death. The prejudices of the era in which Cole lived hindered his potential for even greater stardom. 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. Handy in the movie about the composers life, St. Nat soon married a dancer, Megan Robinson, and moved to Los Angeles where he formed the Nat King Cole Trio. According to police, a plan had been developed four days earlier for a group of 150 white men to attack Cole. Cole frequently consulted with President Kennedy (and later President Johnson) on the issue of civil rights. He barely had visitors, as they were apparently barred from his hospital room. Cole appeared frequently on popular variety programs hosted by Perry Como, Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan, and others. This article contains a list of albums by Nat King Cole and compilations of his recordings, together with a list of his chart singles. 29 offers from $2.24. He died of lung cancer in February, 1965, when he was forty-five years old. 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. Be some discrepancies instrumental numbers, he faced with some tragic news in her own right Cole and his wife... Parents were active church members of 45, June 25, 2013 edited on 11 November 2022 at. Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article a decade earlier, Cole went Havana... Cole Story, China Gate, and his trio South, for instance for the assault via... And `` Mona Lisa, Too, says Britannica lived hindered his potential for even greater stardom away his! 10 '' format beginning, the NAACP legal counsel at the time, though, Cole to! Login ) as extraordinary as his playing and early 40s the trio several. In Montgomery, Alabama on March 17, 1919 natalie recorded his hit & quot ; Christmas! 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