Nat King Cole Essay, Research Paper

NAT KING COLE

BORN MARCH 17, 1919

DIED FEBRUARY 15, 1965

BORN NATHANIEL ADAMS COLES HE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-

AMERICAN WHO BECAME A SUCCESS WITH THE WHITE AUDIENCE.

NAT GREW UP IN CHICAGO, WHERE PIANIST EARL HINES WAS A BIG

INFLUENCE. COLE FORMED HIS FIRST TRIO WITH GUITAR PLAYER OSCAR

MOORE AND BASS PLAYER WESLEY PRINCE IN LOS ANGELES IN 1937.

THE TRIO( WITH JOHNNY MILLER REPLACING PRINCE ON BASS)

ACHIEVED ITS FIRST SUCCESS IN 1944 WITH ” STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY

RIGHT”. IN 1948 NATURE BOY BECAME ON OF NAT’S BEST HITS EVER. IT

SOLD OVER A MILLION COPIES ! HIS OTHER HITS INCLUDE “ROUTE 66″ ,

“MONA LISA”, AND “UNFORGETTABLE”.

ALTHOUGH HE RECEIVED GREAT POPULARITY AS A SINGER, COLE

RECEIVED LITTLE RECOGNITION FOR HIS PIANO PLAYING. AS EARLY AS

1940 HE REGULARY EMPLOYED ADVANCED VOICING AND HARMONIC

SUBSTITUTIONS THAT “BEBOP” INNOVATORS SUCH AS SAXOPHONIST

CHARLIE PARKER WERE JUST BEGING TO DISCOVER.

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