- Born
- 17 March 1919, Montgomery, Alabama, United States
- First work
- 1943: Straighten Up and Fly Right
- Peak
- 1944 to 1954 (estimated)
- Last work
- 1965: L-O-V-E
- Died
- 15 February 1965, Santa Monica, United States; aged 45; illness
Nat King Cole
Music: singer, pianist, actor, United States
Nat King Cole was an American singer, jazz pianist and actor who became one of the most beloved popular entertainers of the mid-twentieth century. Born in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1919 and raised in Chicago, he first achieved renown as an exceptional jazz pianist leading the influential King Cole Trio. During the late 1940s, his rich, velvet-smooth baritone voice propelled him into pop superstardom with timeless hits including Mona Lisa, Nature Boy and Unforgettable. Cole broke racial barriers as the first African American to host a national television variety series in 1956. He remained a major recording star until his death from lung cancer in Santa Monica in February 1965 at forty-five.
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Signature works
- Straighten Up and Fly Right song1943
- The Christmas Song song1946
- Nature Boy song1948
- Mona Lisa song1950
- Unforgettable song1951
- When I Fall in Love song1952
- L-O-V-E album1965
Honours
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 1990
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, 2000
- Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1960
Groups: The King Cole Trio.