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Topic Pages contain an overview, definitions, biographies, related topics, images, plus links to relevant articles and other content provided by your library. Topic Page: Cole, Nat King (1919 - 1965)

Definition: Cole, Nat King (Nathaniel Adams) from Philip's Encyclopedia

US singer and pianist. He was a jazz pianist in the King Cole Trio from 1939, but achieved popularity as a singer with his velvety soft and rich voice. Cole's many hit songs include "Unforgettable", "Mona Lisa" and "Nature Boy".

Summary Article: Cole, Nat ‘King’ (1919–1965) from The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
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US musician. The first black male to attain mainstream acceptance as a popular singer, he released a continual series of hit records throughout his career. In 1939, he began recording with his King Cole Trio, whose piano-bass-guitar instrumentation was widely copied. In 1943 it had its first national hit, ‘Straighten Up and Fly Right’, featuring solo singing by Cole. He gradually reduced the prominence of his piano playing to concentrate on singing.

He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and brought up in Chicago. He made his recording debut in 1936 with Eddie Cole's Solid Swingers, a sextet led by his brother. He toured with a Shuffle Along revue in 1937, then settled in Los Angeles where he played solo piano for a year.In 1956–57, he was the first black American to host his own network television show, but it failed to attract a national sponsor and was not renewed. In 1958 he portrayed W C Handy in the film biography St Louis Blues, one of several motion pictures in which he appeared. A biography, Unforgettable, by Leslie Course, was published in 1991.

© RM, 2016. All rights reserved.
"Cole, Nat ‘King’ (1919–1965)." In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide, edited by Helicon. Helicon, 2016. https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/cole_nat_king_1919_1965
Cole, Nat 'King' (1919--1965). (2016). In Helicon (Ed.), The Hutchinson unabridged encyclopedia with atlas and weather guide. [Online]. Abington: Helicon. Available from: https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/cole_nat_king_1919_1965 [Accessed 25 April 2018].
"Cole, Nat ‘King’ (1919–1965)." The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide, edited by Helicon, 1st edition, 2016. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/cole_nat_king_1919_1965. Accessed 25 Apr. 2018.

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Full text Article Cole, Nat King Nathaniel Adams Coles; (1919 - 1965)
The Macmillan Encyclopedia

Beginning his career as a jazz pianist, he formed the King Cole Trio in 1939. However, he soon found greater success with...

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