Nat King Cole ACCOMPLISHMENTS - multipleintelligencesproject

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Cole’s Rising Stardom
At the age of 12, Nathaniel
Adams Coles played the organ and sang
in the choir of his father’s church at the
Truelight Spiritual Temple on the South
Side of Chicago. Cole, inspired by show
business, formed his own big band, the
Rogues of Rhythm. The band worked in
Chicago nightclubs and dance halls,
where Cole developed and featured his
pianist and singing skills.
Leaving Chicago, Cole ventured
to California and played a brief booking
at the Ubangi Club in Maywood. After the
gig, the Rogues of Rhythm broke up and
Cole went on as a solo act at the Century
Club. Cole was hired by Bob Lewis, the
owner of the Swanee Inn in Hollywood,
where Lewis insisted on forming a trio.
The Genius of Cole, Moore, and
Miller in the King Cole Trio
Cole formed his legendary trio
with two other talented musicians. Oscar
Moore was a famous movie studioguitarist. Johnny “Thrifty” Miller was the
trio’s talented bass player. The trio was
extremely successful because each
musician possessed exceptional
improvisational skills. The King Cole Trio
was one of the first and original jazz
combos in history.
According to legend, Cole
received his nickname “King” in the
Swanee Inn where a young woman
presented him a crown, and giving him
this name that stuck with him forever.
After the trio played at Swanee Inn, they
worked at several nightclubs in
Hollywood and Chicago. Soon
afterwards, they were invited to the West
Coast to play during 1943-1944. During
this time, the trio produced hit songs like
“Straighten Up and Fly Right,” “I Just
Can’t See for Lookin,” “Gee, Baby, Ain’t I
Good To You?,” “Bring Another Drink,” “If
You Can’t Smile and Say Yes,” “Shy
Guy,” “Frim Fram Sauce,” and “Route
66.”
NIGEL C ITCHON
Monday, March 7, 2011 8:32:44 AM ET
More Nat King Cole
The King Cole Trio made
many accomplishments during the
trio’s existence. The trio became
involved in seven film contracts, a
long-term contract with the NBC
Kraft Music Hall, recording contracts
with Decca and Capital, Top-Ten
Hits, Metronome Poll Awards, Gold
Piano and Silver Singing Esquire
awards, and a Gold Esquire Guitar
award for Moore. The trio won the
coveted Downbeat small combo
award from 1944-1947, and the
Metronome Apollo award in
1945-1948. The group was also the
first African American jazz combo to
have its own sponsored radio
series, from 1948-1949.
The trio disbanded when
each member became fascinated by
solo jazz compositions and went on
their own paths. Cole decided to
lead his life into the commercial
arena, leaving the smaller and more
private jazz community. In later
years, if he wished to return to the
"purity" of jazz, his new lifestyle
would not have permitted it. Albert
McCarthy wrote:
“Cole's success as a
popular singer virtually robbed jazz
of a talented pianist. ... Prior to that
date Cole's vocals had occupied a
chorus or so on otherwise
instrumental recordings by his
piano-guitar- bass trio.”
Huge Success as a OneMan Star
Cole became a successful
jazz vocalist, as popular vocalization
increased. Cole recorded his hit
cover of Mel Torme’s “Christmas
Song,” in 1947, which launched his
amazing solo career and increased
his fame reached phenomenal
levels. His singing style was
relaxed, disarming, and
authoritative. His singing had an
immense popularity with both white
and black audiences. His recordings
were selling a million copies each.
Many also believed that his most
sensational recording was Cole's
1948 hit "Nature Boy." According to
James Haskins:
COLE CONTINUED
“Within a week, it was the number
one song in the country, and Nat King Cole
became one of the first black male singers
to accomplish a nearly complete crossover
to the white market. ... His recordings ...
consistently topped the white and black
record charts for many years. As a vocalist,
Cole never sang a sour note in his life
because he knew how to hold vowels and
let go of consonants. He was the master of
the art of understatement, and knew how to
capitalize on brief spaces of silence, and
mastered the art of rubato, which resulted
in his intricate ability to phrase a melodic
line and tell a lyric story.”
By 1952, he was more of a popular
singer than a jazz pianist. He gained
enormous publicity for being a popular
singer. Cole's first European tour was in
1950. In 1955, he made ten guest
appearances for CBS-TV. He was the
featured star of the movie, The Nat "King"
Cole Musical Story, produced by Universal
Pictures. In 1956 and 1957, he became the
first black performer to have his own series
on network television. In 1958, he was
Even after his death, Cole
honored by the Ralph Edwards television
still
received
awards in respect
show, This Is Your Life. Cole achieved
towards
his
singing.
On February
great success with vocal recordings such
17,
1965,
a
permanent
memorial
as "Mona Lisa" (1950) and
was made at Los Angeles's new
"Unforgettable" (1951). Cole also made
music center in honor of Cole. He
several films, including St. Louis Blues
was a consistent winner of
(1958, a life of W. C. Handy), and Cat
popularity polls conducted by Down
Ballou (1965).
Beat, Metronome, Esquire, and
Becomes Unforgettable
Billboard. This proved that Cole’s
After the successes of "Dance,
music still remained popular, even
Ballerina, Dance," "Nature Boy," and "Lush up to today. Cole received the
Life," came the abrupt and sad end to the Lifetime Achievement Award at the
artist's life and the society’s shift into native 32nd Grammy Awards Ceremony in
American music. The sound quality of
1990, and Capitol Records declared
Cole's voice derived not only from his
February of 1990 as Nat King Cole
Southern dialect, impeccable ear, his
month. His gifted singing daughter
idiosyncratic pronunciation of "I", or from
Natalie released a duet adaptation
his velvet falsetto, but also from his
with her father. The remixed version
cigarette smoking. On a WNEW New York of the original 1961 song
interview before Cole’s untimely death in
"Unforgettable" earned her Grammy
1965 by throat cancer, he was asked by
Awards for record of the year and
host William B. Williams how he could
album of the year in 1991. On
smoke so much and still be a singer. Cole March 6, 2000 Cole was inducted
responded by saying he had learned two
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
things: the choice of the right key for a song in the Early Influences category. The
meant everything and that smoking helped category included artists whose
him get a husky sound in his voice that the music inspired and had a profound
audience loved--"so, if you want to sing,
effect on rock and roll music. Nat
keep on smoking."
More Nat King Cole
NIGEL C ITCHON
Monday, March 7, 2011 8:32:44 AM ET
King Cole paved the way for future
African American entertainers on the
stage, in radio, movies, and
television. Both his name and his
music have endured in our society
up to this day.
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