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| Virtually unique at the time, Cole reached out to mainstream audiences with the #1 hit "Mona Lisa" in ]. This began a new phase in his career, primarily as a pop balladeer, though he never totally ignored his roots in jazz. | Virtually unique at the time, Cole reached out to mainstream audiences with the #1 hit "Mona Lisa" in ]. This began a new phase in his career, primarily as a pop balladeer, though he never totally ignored his roots in jazz. | ||
| In ] Cole purchased a house in the all-white Hancock Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. The property owners association told Cole they didn't want any undesireables moving in. Cole retorted "Neither do I. And if I see anybody undesireable coming in here, I'll be the first to complain." | |||
| He married Maria Ellington and had several children. His daughter, ] and his younger brother, ] are both singers. | He married Maria Ellington and had several children. His daughter, ] and his younger brother, ] are both singers. | ||
Revision as of 12:20, 10 March 2003
Nat "King" Cole (March 17, 1917 - February 15, 1965) was born Nathaniel Adams Coles in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, a singer and jazz musician. His family moved to Chicago, Illinois while he was still a young child.
He began recording in 1936, working with his brother, Eddie Coles. In spite of this, Cole did not achieve widespread popularity until "Sweet Lorraine" in 1940 (see 1940 in music). During the 1940s he sang and played with the King Cole Trio, which consisted of Nat on Piano, Oscar Moore on Guitar, and Wesley Prince or Johnny Miller on Bass.
Virtually unique at the time, Cole reached out to mainstream audiences with the #1 hit "Mona Lisa" in 1950. This began a new phase in his career, primarily as a pop balladeer, though he never totally ignored his roots in jazz.
In 1948 Cole purchased a house in the all-white Hancock Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. The property owners association told Cole they didn't want any undesireables moving in. Cole retorted "Neither do I. And if I see anybody undesireable coming in here, I'll be the first to complain."
He married Maria Ellington and had several children. His daughter, Natalie Cole and his younger brother, Freddie Cole are both singers.
Nat King Cole died of lung cancer in 1965 and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California, USA.