Nat King Cole Ernest Heifort, Rachel Wood & Will Siegel
Birth • Born Nathaniel Adams Coles • Born March 17, 1919 to Edward James Coles and Perlina Adams • Born in Montgomery, Alabama
Growing Up • Moved to Chicago when he was five years old • His father was a minister at True Light Baptist Church, and then Pastor of the First Baptist Church. • His mother was a choir director • His three brothers, Ike, Eddie, and Frankie also played piano.
First Interest in Music • When he was four years old his mother taught him how to play piano • He most likely would have been taught gospel music if his parents
Education • Attended DuSable High School, but dropped out at age 15 to become a jazz pianist full time. His musical education was limited to the lessons that his mother gave him when he was young. Like many other musicians, he did not have formal training, and developed his musical style on his own.
Music of the Era • The major musical influences of the time were: - Large bands - Jazz - Pop • Jazz influenced Nat the most, presumably, as he became a jazz pianist. He also formed a 14 man band when he was 14, The Royal Dukes
Musical Influences • Earl "Fatha" Hines, Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, and Albert Ammons all had very large influences on Nat King Cole's piano playing style. • "It was his (Hines) driving force that appealed to me ... I was just a kid and coming up, but I latched onto that new Hines style..." Nat said in an interview in 1957 • Nat influenced many artists, one of whom, Aaron Neville talks about the people that Cole influenced, "I think Nat was everybody's favorite singer..." "From Ray Charles to Sam Cooke to Marvin Gaye — all of them loved him. Everybody wanted to do some Nat King Cole."
Music Played • The style of music that Cole Played started out considered R&B but after the contract with Decca Records expired and Capitol Records picked up the King Cole Trio, they crossed over into the Pop Chart.
Groups He Was A Part Of • While performing at the Café Century during the summer of 1937, Cole the manager of a club called the Swanee Inn approached him and asked him to put together a band to play at the club. • With guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Prince, combined together to create The King Cole Swingsters • Later, they shortened it to The King Cole Trio.
Hits • One of the top songs ever played by Nat was the song Mona Lisa, it was #1 on the Charts for 8 weeks, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. • Two other popular songs played by Nat were I Love You for Sentimental Reasons, which was #1 on the Charts for 6 weeks, and his first number 1 hit. And the next is Nature Boy, which was #1 on the charts for 8 weeks.
TV Show • Nat "King"Cole made television history in 1956 when he became the first African-American to host his own national TV program. • The Nat "King" Cole Show featured many of the leading performers of the day, including Count Basie, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Tony Bennett. • This series did not last long however, going off the air in December 1957. Cole blamed the show's downfall on the lack of a national sponsor, and racism.
Racism • Nat accredited racism to the ending of his television show • In 1956, while performing at a concert in Birmingham, Alabama, Nat was attacked onstage by two members of a white racist organization called the White Citizens Council • He left the scene with a few inguries to his back but recovered quickly.
Politics • Addressed the Republican National Convention in 1956. • Attended the Democratic National Convention in 1960. • Performed at President John F. Kennedy's inauguration on 20 January 1961.
Health • He often smoked three packs of cigarettes a day during his lifetime • He did this because he believed it kept his voice low. • This unfortunately contributed to his early death
Death • Died of lung cancer a few months after being diagnosed; he was only 45 years old • His music remained popular well after he passed and was featured in many featured films • His daughter carried on the family name by becoming successful in her own way
Posthumous Awards • Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award - 1989 He was nominated one other time (1958) and did not win until after he passed
Conclusion • Nat "King" Cole was a combination of Rhythm and Blues and Rock and Roll. He had been influenced by Rhythm and Blues since he grew up in the south. Later, he morphed it into his own musical style combining the elements from each genre. • He fits into the evolution of Rock and Roll because his music was somewhat R&B which lead to the Rock and Roll we know today.
References bio.true story . (2011). Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/nat-king- cole-9253026 Imdb- the internet movie database . (2011). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/name/ nm0170713/bio Jazz Profiles from NPR Nat King" Cole: The Pianist (2008). Retrieved from http:// www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles/archive/cole_natpianist.html Musical trends of the 1930s and 1940s . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://otal.umd.edu/~vg/ amst205.F97/vj04/p6b.html Zoomer radio am740 . Retrieved from http://zoomerradio.ca/blog/uncategorized/top-ten- songs-by-nat-king-cole/ Nat King Cole Biography. Ruhlmann, W. (n.d.). Retrieved from http:// www.allmusic.com/artist/nat-king-cole-mn0000317093
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