History Music / NatKingCole

Cole's piano playing inspired a generation of jazz pianists, including Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, Horace Silver, and Music/BillEvans. He was also instrumental to the early success of Creator/CapitolRecords, a fact acknowledged by the nickname given to the label's famous Capitol Tower building in Hollywood: "The House That Nat Built".

Cole's piano playing inspired a generation of jazz pianists, including Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, Horace Silver, and Music/BillEvans. He was also instrumental to the early success of Creator/CapitolRecords, a fact acknowledged by the nickname given to the label's circular Capitol Tower building in Hollywood: "The House That Nat Built".

Cole's piano playing inspired a generation of jazz pianists, including Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, Horace Silver, and Music/BillEvans. He was also instrumental to the early success of Creator/CapitolRecords, a fact acknowledged by the nickname given to the label's Capitol Tower building in Hollywood: "The House That Nat Built".

Cole's piano playing inspired a generation of jazz pianists, including Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, Horace Silver, and Music/BillEvans. His daughter Natalie Cole (1950–2015) was a highly successful pop and R&B artist in her own right.

He was also the first African American to host [[Series/TheNatKingColeShow his own TV variety show]], and one of the earliest black actors and entertainers to headline in television at all -- especially without stereotypical behavior. Nat himself was a big supporter of other black entertainers of the time, and was close with contemporaries such as Music/HarryBelafonte and Creator/SammyDavisJr, as well as outspoken about subjects like performing in front of segregated audiences (which he was against).

Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), better known as [[StageNames Nat King Cole]], was a famous American jazz musician, whose career stretched from the late 1930s to his untimely death in 1965.

You'll see more kissin' (WolfWhistle) in the cars than on the screen''

* ChristmasSongs: He recorded quite a few of them. Of particular note is the Mel Tormé–Robert Wells composition "The Christmas Song", which he first introduced in 1946 and recorded several other times; his 1961 version in particular is widely regarded as definitive and continues to be one of the most-played holiday tracks on radio each December.

* ChristmasSongs: He recorded quite a few of them. Of particular note is the Mel Tormé–Robert Wells composition "The Christmas Song", which he first introduced in 1946 and recorded several other times; his final, 1961 recording of the tune is widely regarded as definitive and continues to be one of the most-played holiday tracks on radio each December.

You'll see more kissin' (WolfWhistle) in the car than on the screen''

Right from the moment that those lovers start arrivin'\\

-->''Don't hafta tell a girl and fella about a drive-in\\
Or some romantic moon it seems\\

You'll see more kissin' (WolfWhistle) in the cars than on the screen''

* ChristmasSongs: He recorded quite a few of them. Of particular note is the Mel Tormé–Robert Wells composition "The Christmas Song", his 1961 recording of which is widely regarded as definitive and continues to be one of the most-played holiday tracks on radio each December.

* ChristmasSongs: He recorded quite a few of them. Of particular note is the Mel Tormé–Robert Wells composition "The Christmas Song", his 1961 recording of which continues to be one of the most-played holiday tunes on radio each December.

-->-- "Unforgettable"

Cole's piano playing inspired a generation of jazz pianists, including Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, Horace Silver, and Music/BillEvans.

* ProjectedMan: One of the first late musicians to be made into a ProjectedMan[=/=]VirtualGhost in a video performance, in a 1991 {{posthumous| collaboration}} duet of "Unforgettable" with daughter Natalie Cole. (Though not ''the'' first, as Music/HankWilliamsJr's 1988 recording of [[Music/HankWilliams his father's]] "There's a Tear in My Beer" featured this in its video.[[labelnote:*]]The video featured Hank Sr. in shadow through a door, followed by Hank Jr. electronically inserted into footage of a televised performance by his father.[[/labelnote]])

* {{Jazz}}: His genre.

* ChristmasSongs: He recorded quite a few of them. Of particular note is the Mel Tormé–Robert Wells composition "The Christmas Song", which Cole recorded several times and continues to be one of the most-played holiday tunes on radio each December.
* DriveInTheater: A verse from his 1963 hit "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer":

* ChristmasSongs: He recorded quite a few of them. Of particular note is his 1961 recording of "The Christmas Song", which continues to be one of the most-played holiday tunes on radio each December.

He was also the first African American to host [[Series/TheNatKingColeShow his own variety show,]] and one of the earlier black actors and entertainers to headline in television at all -- especially without stereotypical behavior. Nat himself was a big supporter of black entertainers of the time and was close with contemporaries like Music/HarryBelafonte and Creator/SammyDavisJr, and was outspoken about subjects like performing in front of segregated audiences (which he was against).

Cole had been a heavy smoker for most of his life, and it was this that would eventually do him in. After a period of illness, he got diagnosed with lung cancer in September 1964. He continued to work for some time against his doctors' wishes, wanting to finish what would turn out to be his last studio album ''L-O-V-E''. Despite undergoing heavy treatment thereafter, Cole eventually passed away of complications from cancer in February 1965, at the age of 45.

Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), better known as Nat King Cole, was a famous American jazz musician. His mainstream popularity endures thanks to his [[StealthPun unforgettable]] smooth, mellow vocals. However, it was his groundbreaking piano style that created a new standard for other jazz pianists, whereas his singing was relatively unimportant in the development of jazz singing. That said, several of Cole's vocal recordings went on to become massive hits and highly-remembered standards, like "Straighten Up and Fly Right", "Route 66", "Unforgettable", "Mona Lisa", and "The Christmas Song".

Cole had been a heavy smoker for most of his life, and it was this that would eventually do him in. After a period of illness, he got diagnosed with lung cancer in September 1964. He continued to work for some time against his doctors' wishes, wanting to finish what would turn out to be his last studio album ''L-O-V-E''. Despite undergoing heavy treatment thereafter, Cole eventually passed away from complications from cancer in February 1965.

Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), better known as Nat King Cole, was a famous American jazz musician. His mainstream popularity endures thanks to his [[StealthPun unforgettable]] smooth, mellow vocals. However, it was his groundbreaking piano style that created a new standard for other jazz pianists, whereas his singing was relatively unimportant in the development of jazz singing. That said, several of his vocal recordings went on to become massive hits and highly-remembered standards, like "Straighten Up and Fly Right", "Route 66", "Unforgettable", "Mona Lisa", and "The Christmas Song".

Nat "King" Cole (born Nathaniel Adams Coles; March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965) was a famous 20th century jazz musician. His mainstream popularity endures thanks to his [[StealthPun unforgettable]] smooth, mellow vocals. However, it was his groundbreaking piano style that created a new standard for other jazz pianists, whereas his singing was relatively unimportant in the development of jazz singing. That said, several of his vocal recordings went on to become massive hits and highly-remembered standards, like "Straighten Up and Fly Right", "Route 66", "Unforgettable", "Mona Lisa", and "The Christmas Song".

* ChristmasSongs: He recorded quite a few of of them. Of particular note is his 1961 recording of "The Christmas Song", which continues to be one of the most-played holiday tunes on radio each December.

* DriveInTheater: * A verse from his 1963 hit "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer":

Nat "King" Cole (born Nathaniel Adams Coles; March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965) is a famous 20th century jazz musician. His mainstream popularity endures thanks to his [[StealthPun unforgettable]] smooth, mellow vocals. However, it's his groundbreaking piano style that created a new standard for other jazz pianists, whereas his singing was relatively unimportant in the development of jazz singing. That said, several of his vocal recordings went on to become massive hits and highly remembered standards, like "Straighten Up and Fly Right", "Route 66", "Unforgettable", "Mona Lisa", and "The Christmas Song".

* ProjectedMan: One of the first late musicians to be made into a ProjectedMan[=/=]VirtualGhost in a video performance, in a 1991 {{posthumous| collaboration}} duet of "Unforgettable" with daughter Natalie Cole. (Though not ''the'' first, as Music/HankWilliamsJr's 1988 recording of [[Music/HankWilliams his father's]] "There's a Tear in My Beer" featured this in its video.)

* ProjectedMan: Was the first late musician to be made into a ProjectedMan[=/=]VirtualGhost in a video performance, in a {{posthumous| collaboration}} duet of "Unforgettable" with daughter Natalie Cole.

Nat “King” Cole (born Nathaniel Adams Coles; March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965) is a famous 20th century jazz musician. His mainstream popularity endures thanks to his [[StealthPun unforgettable]] smooth, mellow vocals. However, it's his groundbreaking piano style that created a new standard for other jazz pianists, whereas his singing was relatively unimportant in the development of jazz singing. That said, several of his vocal recordings went on to become massive hits and highly remembered standards, like "Straighten Up and Fly Right", "Route 66", "Unforgettable", "Mona Lisa", and "The Christmas Song".