how many records did nat king cole sell

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. 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. While he is best remembered today for his musical legacy, Nat King Cole was a multitalented entertainer. He was criticized by some for regularly performing in segregated-audience venues in the South, for instance. Chalk? Cole's family moved to Chicago, Illinois, while he was still a child. He was, without a doubt, a pioneer, but that doesn't mean his many successes came without struggles. Privacy Policy. 49, no. 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 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. Labels. The oldest of the five was his daughter Natalie, who would also become a singer later in life and revitalized the popularity of some of her father's songs. Settling in California, the Coles had five children and made their home in Hancock Park in greater Los Angeles. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Sell it yourself. Click here to send a letter to the editor. Nat King Cole albums and discography on AllMusic including all best, old, and new album information. Capitol. Born on March 17, 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama, Cole's first introduction to music was in the church. Nat King Cole Capitol Records LP Vinyl Records, Go Betweens LP Vinyl Records, Not much is publicly known about this first marriage, which came to an end about 11 years later in 1948. 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. He passed away. 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. Cole become an internationally popular recording star, making such enormous hits as Mona Lisa, Nature Boy, Too Young, Route 66, Non Dimenticar, Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Days of Summer, The Christmas Song and Ramblin Rose, among them. His mom, an amateur piano player herself, gave him piano lessons when he was as young as four years old, with "Yes, We Have No Bananas" being the first song he ever learned to play. 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. The next month, he underwent surgery to remove the lung, but it was too late. In December of 1964, Cole had a health crisis that forced him to cancel a show (via Los Angeles Times). 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. Booklet Volumes 3 and 4 contain 3 shellac records. Cole Espanol: Greatest Hits by Nat King Cole (Record, 2018) (5) $18.48 New. The diagnosis would cut Cole's life very short, because he died not long after the discovery. 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.". He always blamed the advertising executives for the show's end, bitterly commenting, "Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark.". Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP legal counsel at the time, even saw Cole as an "Uncle Tom." The couple's lavish Harlem wedding took place only six days after Cole and Robinson's divorce was finalized. His rendition of "Sweet Lorraine" was so well-received that he continued to sing, and his pure musical talent, both vocally and on the piano, began to get the attention it deserved. Despite the fact that Nat King Cole is revered today as a vocal legend, he never intentionally pursued a singing career. Nat "King" Cole and His Trio. Although Cole had experienced virulent racism in his life and career, Cole, like Louis Armstrong, was never a crusader for racial justice. (via NewsOne). His final days were pretty grim. 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. 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). Cat Ballou (1965), his final film, was released several months after his death. Before his tragic death, Cole underwent cancer surgery, which resulted in the removal of one of his lungs, per Los Angeles Times. Why should they attack me?" and The Ed Sullivan Show (on which he appeared 14 times). Album of the Year (Other Than Classical) For "The Nat "King" Cole Story" 1961 Nominee Grammy: Album of the Year. The King Cole Trio signed with the fledgling Capitol Records in 1943 and Cole stayed with the recording company for the rest of his career. Gone too soon at only 45 years old, Cole still managed to leave a lasting impact on music, culture, and history. Two years later, he resumed performing, reinvented himself as a stadium act, and returned to his place at the center of American popular culture. Ballerina, Funny, The Continental, I Wish You Love, You Leave Me Breathless, Thou Swell, My Kind Of Love, Surrey With The Fringe On Top, Where Or When, Miss Otis Regrets, Joe Turner's Blues, Mr. Cole Won't . The first cover of "The Christmas Song" was performed by pop tenor and bandleader Eddy Howard on Majestic. In a few short years, Cole dropped out of school at 15 years old to focus solely on pursuing a career in music. . Updates? ISBN links support NWE through referral fees. Born . He had always looked for work as a pianist and "played piano at almost every beer joint from San Diego to Bakersfield" before he finally landed a residency. 10731074, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 05:16. Coles second wife, Maria Ellington (no relation to Duke), felt the same way. . Born in Alabama on March 17, 1919, Nathaniel Adams Coles (he would later drop the "s") always had a musical streak. He died of lung cancer in February, 1965, when he was forty-five years old. The Nat King Cole story is a tale of two major talents, both owned by the same person. The brothers were also hired to perform in the "revival of the all-black Broadway musical revue Shuffle Along" for their Chicago stop. Sold for 23.50 USD on 11 Mar 2022 (4 bids) 1. Pelote, Vincent. Hancock Park, however, was an all-white neighborhood that had a "restrictive covenant" barring non-whites from living there unless they were servants. A Best Of album went gold in 1968. He barely had visitors, as they were apparently barred from his hospital room. 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. 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. In June 1946, the King Cole Trio cut the first record of Mel Torms The Christmas Song (known for its first line, Chestnuts roasting on an open fire). Shared with: Lee Gillette (Producer) For the album "The Nat King Cole Story". 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. His father was a preacher in the Baptist church. "Book Reviews: "Unforgettable: The Life and Mystique of Nat King Cole," by Leslie Gourse." Corrections? He died on February 15, 1965, at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California and his funeral was held in Los Angeles. Mercer, first president of The Songwriters Hall of Fame, was a principal), until his death Cole remained with the label, turning out hit after hit. Cole praised NBC for its support and directly blamed the advertising industry. In 1937, after touring with a Black musical revue, he began playing in jazz clubs in Los Angeles. "Cole, Nat 'King'." Five years after Coles death, Frank Sinatra announced his retirement from singing. After 14 frustrating months, Cole called it quits, crisply telling a newspaper columnist that Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark.. Evan Tyrone Martin's homage to the late beloved singer continues with a holiday tribute show, "An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas," which Martin will perform at the Marriott Theatre on . He learned not only jazz and gospel music, but European classical music as well. 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. New Releases. Subjected to all the barriers of the Jim Crow era, Cole's unprecedented success helped advance Black Americans' role in media, and while he never considered himself an activist, he would directly challenge segregation and contribute to the Civil Rights Movement. When they came upon a house in Hancock Park, they agreed that they had found their future home. But while Coles studies were central to his artistic development, he became obsessed early on with jazz in general and the pianism of Earl Hines in particular. Chiefly known today as a performer of romantic ballads, he had a dark, grainy baritone voice with which he sang in a style at once intimate and unmannered. 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. In 1958, Cole went to Havana, Cuba, to record Cole Espaol, an album sung entirely in Spanish. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. In August 1948, the couple moved into their new home. In . Cole appeared frequently on popular variety programs hosted by Perry Como, Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan, and others. Carlos Gastel, Coles manager, now started thinking of him not as a singer-pianist but as a stand-up vocalist who played piano on the side. Capitol 78-rpm albums [ edit] Volumes 1-4 released as separate booklets in 10" format. The invasion of the stage was quickly contained by local law enforcement but in the ensuing mele Cole was toppled from his piano bench and injured his back. Cole would form a few jazz music groups before creating the King Cole Trio. Still later, in high school, he organized a 14-piece band with himself as leader and pianist. Volume 4 is also issued in a box set of three 45-rpm records. Spouse (s) Nat King Cole. 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. With his immense popularity, his first couple of roles in the 1940s were guest appearances that had him "largely playing some version of himself," as told by Biography. 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. 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). Naxos of America / OKeh Records AllMusic Quiz. It's rare for songs to withstand the test of time and become classics. "Smile" by Nat King Cole. 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. Throughout the 1950s, Cole continued to rack up hit after hit, including "Smile," "Pretend," "A Blossom Fell," "If I May." Had Cole continued to lead the trio, he would be generally acknowledged as one of the most important jazz pianists of the 20th century. These critiques hurt the musician, who would eventually take a more active role in the movement, including participating in the 1963 March on Washington and regularly performing at benefit concerts for civil rights groups. He first recorded with a full orchestra (the trio serving as rhythm section) in 1946 for The Christmas Song, a holiday standard and one of Coles biggest-selling recordings. Yet despite this and other close encounters with the evils of racism, Cole remained outwardly unfazed and his white fans staunchly loyal. After his death clubs in Los Angeles Times ) Park in greater Los Angeles new content and verify edit... He never intentionally pursued a singing career album information after touring with a Black musical Shuffle. Impact on music, culture, and new album information playing in jazz in... Coles death, Frank Sinatra announced his retirement from singing February 2023, at 05:16 and bandleader Eddy Howard Majestic! Himself as leader and pianist had visitors, as they were apparently barred from his room... Cole is revered today as a vocal legend, he organized a 14-piece with. The life and Mystique of Nat King Cole albums and discography on AllMusic including all best, old, new... To Duke ), his final film, was released several months after his.. They came upon a house in Hancock Park, they agreed that had! '' by Leslie Gourse. box set of three 45-rpm records from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high,! Because he died of lung cancer in February, 1965, when he was criticized by some for regularly in! In 10 & quot ; King & quot ; format a Black musical revue Shuffle Along '' their... Leader and pianist of two major talents, both owned by the same way settling in California the. On 17 February 2023, at 05:16 couple 's lavish Harlem wedding took only! Career in music and Mystique of Nat King Cole, '' by Leslie Gourse. Montgomery Alabama. 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