60 years ago today, famous Black entertainer Nat King Cole passed away. Nat King Cole was considered one of the greatest singers of all time. He was born as Nathaniel Adams Coles on March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama. When he was a little boy, his family moved to Chicago, where he grew up surrounded by music. His father was a pastor, and his mother taught him how to play the piano. He loved music and became very good at playing jazz, which began to become popular at that time.
In the 1930s, he started a band called the Nat King Cole Trio. Soon after people started to realize that his smooth, deep voice was just as amazing as his piano playing. By the 1940s and 1950s, he became a huge star. Some of his most famous songs include Unforgettable, L-O-V-E, and The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire). His music is still played on the radio, in movies, and on during the holidays.
He made history in an impactful way. In 1956, he became the first Black man to host his own national television show, The Nat King Cole Show, which aired on NBC. At that time, Black entertainers didn’t get many opportunities on TV. The show featured famous guests like Ella Fitzgerald and Harry Belafonte, and was loved by many. Due to racism, many companies refused to sponsor the show, so it was canceled after just one season.
Besides music and TV, he was also a businessman. He bought a house in Hancock Park, a wealthy neighborhood in Los Angeles where only white families lived at the time. Some of his new neighbors didn’t want a Black family living there, but he refused to leave. He faced a lot of racism throughout his career. Even though he was a famous star, some hotels and restaurants wouldn’t serve him because he was Black. Sometimes, he had to use the back entrance at clubs where he was performing.
Nat King Cole died of lung cancer on February 15, 1965, when he was only 45 years old. He had been a heavy smoker for most of his life. Even though he passed away young, his music and his impact on history still live on. He showed the world that talent has no color and that Black artists deserved the same respect and opportunities as anyone else. Today, Nat King Cole is remembered as a legend whose voice and legacy will never be forgotten.
