What is Nat King Cole known for?

Nat King Cole, byname of Nathaniel Adams Cole, family name originally Coles, (born March 17, 1919, Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.—died February 15, 1965, Santa Monica, California), American musician hailed as one of the best and most influential pianists and small-group leaders of the swing era.

Who did Nat King Cole influence?

The King Cole Trio had a huge influence, inspiring other jazz musicians like Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal to form similar trios. Epstein says if Cole had never crooned a note, he would still be an important figure in jazz.

What did Nat King Cole contribute to music?

Cole become an internationally popular recording star, making such enormous hits as “Mona Lisa,” “Nature Boy,” “Too Young,” “Route 66,” “Non Dimenticar,” “Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Days of Summer,” “The Christmas Song” and “Ramblin’ Rose,” among them.

Why was Nat King Cole called King?

He earned his nickname “King” (inspired by the nursery rhyme “Old King Cole”) and dropped the “s” from his surname when he began playing piano in the Chicago clubs. Eventually, Cole and his older brother Eddie formed a jazz sextet, Eddie Cole’s Swingsters, and made their recording debut for Decca Records in 1936.

What was Nat King Cole’s first hit?

Sweet Lorraine
Cole recorded “Sweet Lorraine” in 1940, and it became his first hit.

What was Nat King Cole’s cause of death?

Lung cancer
Nat King Cole/Cause of death

When was Nat King Cole most popular?

Legendary singer Nat “King” Cole was at the prime of his career throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Known as a jazz pianist, the award-winning artist enjoyed great success, including a string of hits with recording labels such as Capitol Records.

What happened Nat King Cole?

Nat “King” Cole and his wife, Maria, in 1959. Nat “King” Cole, 45, world-renowned singer and jazz pianist, died in his sleep at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica early Monday, three weeks after he had undergone surgery for removal of a cancerous left lung.

Who is Nat King Cole’s wife?

Maria Colem. 1948–1965
Nadine Robinsonm. 1937–1948
Nat King Cole/Wife

Maria Cole, Singer and Wife of Nat King Cole, Dies at 89. Maria Cole, a jazz singer who performed with Count Basie and Duke Ellington in the 1940s and who was married to Nat King Cole for 17 years until his death in 1965, died on Tuesday in Boca Raton, Fla. She was 89.