Nat 'King' Cole

Overview

Born
March 17, 1919 · Montgomery, Alabama, USA
Died
February 15, 1965 · Santa Monica, California, USA (lung cancer)
Birth name
Nathaniel Adams Coles
Nickname
- King Cole
Height
1.84 m

Biography

Family

Spouses
Children
Parents
Relatives

Trademarks

Smooth baritone voice

Trivia

When he and his family moved to the upscale Hancock Park area of Los Angeles in the late 1940s, they were met with considerable opposition from the residents of the previously all-white neighborhood. When sent a letter informing him that the local residents were opposed to "undesirables" in the neighborhood, he responded with a letter that said that he and his family were also opposed to undesirables, and that, if he ever saw any, his neighbors would be the first ones to know. When the neighbors finally realized - after several attempts, including legal action - that the Coles were not going to be intimidated, they accepted defeat and, ultimately, the Coles as well. Several years after his death, his widow, Maria, sold the home to a family of wealthy African-Americans. As Maria herself said, "Anyone who thought Nat was an Uncle Tom clearly did not know the man".
First African-American to have his own TV show - The Nat King Cole Show (1956).
During the one season his show, The Nat King Cole Show (1956) was on the air, it had no sponsor, being run by NBC on a sustaining (network-sponsored) basis. The highly rated show had top-of-the-line production values, music by Nelson Riddle's orchestra, top-name guest stars and the personal endorsement of NBC chairman David Sarnoff (who ordered his network executives, "Find his show sponsors or heads will roll!"). Many of Cole's friends in the industry, such as Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte and Sammy Davis Jr., out of respect for his talents and what he was trying to do, appeared for minimum salary, and often no salary at all. Bob Henry (The Andy Williams Show (1962), Flip (1970)) wrote, produced and directed. At the end of the season, even though no national sponsors could be found - many companies did not want to upset their customers in the South, who did not want to see blacks on television - NBC expressed its willingness to keep the show going on a sustaining basis. It was Nat who pulled the plug, remarking bitterly, "I guess Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark."
He was heavy smoker throughout his life and was rarely seen in public or private without a cigarette in his hand. He was a smoker of Kool menthol cigarettes, believing that smoking up to three packs a day gave his singing voice its low, rich sound. After an operation for stomach ulcers in 1953, he had been advised by doctors to stop smoking, but he did not do so. He was hospitalized and diagnosed with lung cancer on December 6, 1964. He underwent cobalt and radiation therapy and was initially given a positive prognosis. On January 25, 1965 he underwent surgery to remove his entire left lung. Despite medical treatments, he died on February 15, 1965, at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.
A lifelong baseball fan, he was frequently seen at the Los Angeles Dodgers' home games for many years.

Quotes

[after his TV show was canceled due to lack of sponsors] Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark.
All I want to do is sing and make people happy.
[In an interview the day before his TV show opened] Negroes have been exposed to many single appearances but have not been given a chance to do a regular show before now. I've been waging a personal campaign, aiming at a show of this kind. I hit a few snags here and there but I didn't give up the fight. It could be a turning point so that Negroes may be featured regularly on television.