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! All rights reserved. I have not taken part in any protests. 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." By the 1950s, Nat King Cole had become a household name. 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. . Louis Blues. During the early 60s, Cole also travelled extensively, doing highly successful concert tours of Latin America, Japan, the European Continent and England. Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP legal counsel at the time, even saw Cole as an "Uncle Tom." He was, without a doubt, a pioneer, but that doesn't mean his many successes came without struggles. His hits of the early 60sRamblin Rose, Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer, and L-O-V-Eindicate that he was moving even farther away from his jazz roots and concentrating almost exclusively on mainstream pop. 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. When the Hancock Park Property Owners Association found out, though, they were furious and offered Cole his money back plus some profit. Nature Boy, Mona Lisa, Too Young, A Blossom Fell, and Unforgettable were among his major hits of the period. Sold for 19.99 USD on 28 May 2022 (Buy It Now) 78 rpm. 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. 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. Later he filled in for his mother playing organ in the church. 1930s - 1960s. Sell it yourself. 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. 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, 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. Though they recorded for the same label and worked with many of the same arrangers, the two men had little in common as singers. As a teenager, Cole became caught up in a relationship with a woman ten years older than him, according toObserver. @ 2023 - Recording Academy. In 1991, Mosaic Records released The Complete Capitol Records Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio, a compilation of 349 songs available as an 18-CD or a 27-LP set. Corrections? Nat King Cole, too, fell to the allure of smoking. Booklet Volumes 3 and 4 contain 3 shellac records. You will receive a link to create a new password via email. 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. Nat King Cole 12.12.60 9 12 Wks 01.07.23 38 Ramblin' Rose Nat King Cole 08.04.62 . Instead, his most publicized relationship was his marriage to Maria Hawkins Ellington. Incredibly, Coles singing was as extraordinary as his playing. Handy and acted alongside Eartha Kitt and Cab Calloway, was the only film where he had a major starring role. The last episode of The Nat King Cole Show aired December 17, 1957. In 2007, he was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. Those close to him, however, knew for days and were able to see him in his last moments. 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. On August 23, 1956, Cole spoke at the Republican National Convention in the Cow Palace, San Francisco, California. ISBN links support NWE through referral fees. Nat learned to play the organ from his mother until the age of 12, when he began formal lessons. In 1956, Nat King Cole became star and host of his own network television variety show on NBC-TV on which such guests as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and Mel Torme were spotlighted. Finally, in 1960, almost 15 years after that first recording, Nat King Cole redid the holiday classic when his voice was "at its smokiest." 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. 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. In Cole, Nat King. Spouse (s) Nat King Cole. 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. According to NPR, he sold over 50 million records and had hit after hit during his career, including more than 30 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 (via Billboard). For a brief time when it debuted, the show had no sponsors. On February 15, 1965, Cole died at the age of 45. Basin Street Revue. When Capitol Records signed the Beatles to its roster, Cole knew that his days as a pop superstar were numbered. When they came upon a house in Hancock Park, they agreed that they had found their future home. 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. Cole was hired as the pianist for a jazz quartet that would play at the Swanee Inn nearHollywood, as told by uDiscover Music. (This special compilation also was available as a 27 high-quality LP record set.). February 15, 1957. Start your risk free trial with unlimited access. His final days were pretty grim. 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. They were also regular performers at clubs. At that point of his career, he was a highly recognized singer. 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 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. By Robert Pace 6:00 AM PDT, June 25, 2013. 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). Labels. with Love. Later, Cole was chosen by Paramount Pictures to play W.C. Nathaniel Adams Coles was born in Montgomery, Alabama on March 17, 1919. 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. 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. Nat King Cole - Artist Details. It also inspired NBC to offer him his own weekly TV series, which debuted in 1956. Nat King Cole Capitol Records LP Vinyl Records, Go Betweens LP Vinyl Records, 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. In December of 1964, Cole had a health crisis that forced him to cancel a show (via Los Angeles Times). Capitol 78-rpm albums [ edit] Volumes 1-4 released as separate booklets in 10" format. Jazz singer Nat King Cole was best known for songs like "The Christmas Song" and "Ramblin' Rose" (via Billboard). 1 spot on of the pop charts, his most successful record yet. Nat's youngest brother Freddy Cole, and his daughter, Natalie Cole are also singers. The Tragic Death Of Nat King Cole Explained. 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). He even left the hospital to see his children one last time in a brief car ride home with his wife. The Nat King Cole Story [45rpm 200g Vinyl] by Nat King Cole (Vinyl, Jan-2011, 5 Discs, Analogue Productions) Jazz king Nat King Cole registers in the heart of music lovers as the legendary jazz pianist, singer with a melodious and harmless baritone. 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. 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. 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. His deep, smooth voice remains one of the most recognizable on record, while his pop material and sentimental arrangements appealed to mainstream tastes. Noted for his warm tone and flawless phrasing, Cole was regarded among the top male vocalists, although jazz critics tended to regret his near-abandonment of the piano. By the time he worked his way from Chicago to Los Angeles, settling there permanently in 1937, his playing was already fully formed. A wholly mainstream singer and entertainer, Cole was eventually offered his own TV show, which he very much wanted. Cole reportedly carried on affairs throughout his marriage. 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