Nat King Cole

Jayla (Student)

Nat King Cole was born on March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama.

Cole was an American musician who first came to prominence as a jazz pianist. He owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres. In 1956, Nat King Cole became the first African American performer to host a variety television series, and for many white families, he was the first Black man seen in their living rooms each night. He has maintained worldwide popularity since his death in 1965.

In 1964, Cole discovered that he had lung cancer. He succumbed to the disease just months later, on February 15, 1965, at the age of 45, in Santa Monica, California. “Who’s who” of the entertainment world, including the likes of Rosemary Clooney, Sinatra and Jack Benny, attended the legendary musician’s funeral, held a few days later in Los Angeles. Released around this time, L-O-V-E proved to be Cole’s final recording. The title track of the album remains hugely popular to this day and has been featured on a number of film soundtracks.

He lived in  Waukegan, Illinois when he was young.