“I’m an interpreter of stories. When I perform it’s like sitting down at my piano and telling fairy stories.” – Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole, the stage name of Nathaniel Adams Cole (1919-1965), has always been one of my favorite singers. He won a Grammy for “Midnight Flyer” and had 28 Top 40 hit songs. Mel Tormé and Bob Wells’s 1945 piece “The Christmas Song” is a Nat King Cole piece in my mind; I don’t care who else has sung it.
Cole also made famous a beautiful lullaby by Alfred Bryan and Larry Stock, “A Cradle in Bethlehem,” written in 1952.
John Rowe notes the musician whose 100th birthday was last year should be on someone’s list for well-produced biopics. He offers these reasons:
- Nat King Cole’s jazz style has drawn many followers and imitators.
- He is one of the most popular singers of Jazz standards and class pop music.
- He broke racial barriers with kindness.
(via Lars Walker on Facebook)