Nat King Cole

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Nat King Cole

Nat King Cole 1919-65, American musician and composer, b. Montgomery, Ala., as Nathaniel Adams Coles. A jazz pianist, he played Los Angeles nightclubs and in 1938 formed the original King Cole Trio. Later he turned to singing and became internationally popular for his smooth, velvety voice and broodingly romantic hits, such as "Unforgettable" and "Mona Lisa." He was one of the first African-American artists to star in a radio show (1948-49), and in 1956 he became the first African American to host a network television show. His daughter Natalie (Maria) Cole, 1950-, b. Los Angeles, is also a popular singer.

Bibliography: See biography by D. M. Epstein (1999).

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Cole, Nat King

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music | 1996 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music 1996, originally published by Oxford University Press 1996. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Cole, Nat King [ Coles, Nathaniel Adams] (b Montgomery, Alabama, 1917; d Santa Monica, Calif., 1965). Amer. singer and jazz pianist. Had his own band in Chicago. Formed King Cole Trio 1939–51. After a best-selling record of 1947 he concentrated on singing (to the detriment of his jazz reputation). Among his most popular recordings were ‘Nature Boy’ and ‘Answer me’. Played part of W. C. Handy in film St Louis Blues (1958).

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MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "Cole, Nat King." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "Cole, Nat King." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (November 11, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-ColeNatKing.html

MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "Cole, Nat King." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Retrieved November 11, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-ColeNatKing.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	The "Latin" side of Nat King Cole.(Biografía) Magazine article from: Latin Beat Magazine; 9/1/2007
	Nat `King' Cole record changed guitarist's course.(Entertainment) Newspaper article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR); 8/3/2003
	Earth, Wind & Fire And The Moonglows Inducted Into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame; Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday Also Honored.(Brief Article) Magazine article from: Jet; 3/27/2000

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