Trivia

When he and his family moved to the upscale Hancock Park area of Los Angeles in the late 1940s, they were met with considerable opposition from the residents of the previously all-white neighborhood. When sent a letter informing him that the local residents were opposed to "undesirables" in the neighborhood, he responded with a letter that said that he and his family were also opposed to undesirables, and that, if he ever saw any, his neighbors would be the first ones to know. When the neighbors finally realized - after several attempts, including legal action - that the Coles were not going to be intimidated, they accepted defeat and, ultimately, the Coles as well. Several years after his death, his widow, Maria, sold the home to a family of wealthy African-Americans. As Maria herself said, "Anyone who thought Nat was an Uncle Tom clearly did not know the man".

First African-American to have his own TV show -The Nat King Cole Show (1956).

During the one season his show,The Nat King Cole Show (1956)was on the air, it had no sponsor, being run by NBC on a sustaining (network-sponsored) basis. The highly rated show had top-of-the-line production values, music by Nelson Riddle's orchestra, top-name guest stars and the personal endorsement of NBC chairmanDavid Sarnoff(who ordered his network executives, "Find his show sponsors or heads will roll!" ). Many of Cole's friends in the industry, such asFrank Sinatra,Harry BelafonteandSammy Davis Jr.,out of respect for his talents and what he was trying to do, appeared for minimum salary, and often no salary at all.Bob Henry(The Andy Williams Show (1962),Flip (1970)) wrote, produced and directed. At the end of the season, even though no national sponsors could be found - many companies did not want to upset their customers in the South, who did not want to see blacks on television - NBC expressed its willingness to keep the show going on a sustaining basis. It was Nat who pulled the plug, remarking bitterly, "I guess Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark."

He was heavy smoker throughout his life and was rarely seen in public or private without a cigarette in his hand. He was a smoker of Kool menthol cigarettes, believing that smoking up to three packs a day gave his singing voice its low, rich sound. After an operation for stomach ulcers in 1953, he had been advised by doctors to stop smoking, but he did not do so. He was hospitalized and diagnosed with lung cancer on December 6, 1964. He underwent cobalt and radiation therapy and was initially given a positive prognosis. On January 25, 1965 he underwent surgery to remove his entire left lung. Despite medical treatments, he died on February 15, 1965, at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

Addressed the Republican National Convention in 1956.

As a singer and recording artist, his contributions to American popular music are incalculable. Any list of his representative hits, all on Capitol records, has to include: "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," "Sweet Lorraine," "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons," "The Christmas Song," "Mona Lisa" (a signature song during his career), "Nature Boy," "Too Young," "Answer Me", "Walkin' My Baby back Home", "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Lush Life," "Ramblin' Rose," "Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer," People "," That Sunday Yhat Summer "" "Dear Lonely Hearts," "L-O-V-E," and "Unforgettable.".

A lifelong baseball fan, he was frequently seen at the Los Angeles Dodgers' home games for many years.

He was paid only $5000 for acting inChina Gate (1957),but he received $75,000 for singing "Three Coins in the Fountain" during the opening credits.

On the NBC television specialThe Best on Record (1965),broadcast on May 18, 1965,Sammy Davis Jr.performed a musical tribute to his friend, Nat 'King' Cole.

Children: daughtersCarol Cole,born on October 17, 1944 - died on May 19, 2009 (adopted);Natalie Cole, born on February 6, 1950 - died on December 31, 2015;Casey Cole&Timolin Cole(identical twins), born on September 26, 1961; sonNat Kelly Cole,born on February 1959 - died in 1995 (AIDS) (adopted).

Winner of a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy award in 1989. Incredibly enough, he was nominated for a Grammy only once in his lifetime, in 1958, and lost.

Attended the Democratic National Convention in 1960.

He was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One for Television at 6229 Hollywood Boulevard and one for Recording at 6659 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

He and his second wifeMaria Colewere married in Harlem's famous Abyssinian Baptist Church by the Rev.Adam Clayton Powell Jr..

Made his last recordings less than two weeks before his death, for the "L*O*V*E" album (Capitol, 1965).

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 (under the category Early Influence). His recordings of "Straighten Up And Fly Right" (1943) and "Route 66" (1946) (later covered by many includingChuck Berry, Tom PettyandThe Rolling Stones), are R n B and Pop classics today. He had several mainstream R n R hits in the mid 1950s including "Send For Me". "With You On My Mind", "When Rock and Roll Comes To Trinadad" and "Looking Back".

Performed at PresidentJohn F. Kennedy's inauguration on 20 January 1961.

Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1993.

Circa 1961, he had an interest in a paper-cup enterprise in Puerto Rico.

Brother of singerFreddy Cole.

In 1956, while giving a concert in Birmingham, Alabama, he was attacked onstage by two members of a white racist organization called the White Citizens Council--which has since renamed itself the Conservative Citizens Council--and sustained injuries to his back.

Interred at Forest Lawn, Glendale, California, USA, in the Freedom Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Heritage, right hand side of the corridor, at the very top.

Brother of bandleaderEddie Cole.

In a tribute performance to Nat King Cole by Johnny Mathis, Mathis said, "At the age of 12 he won a local talent contest and collected first prize - a turkey. I've often wondered what the second prize was.".

His vocal range was baritone and could sing at 3.5 octaves.

Born at 9 am-CST.

His wedding to Marie Frances Hawkins (Maria Cole) in 1948 at the Abyssinian Baptist Church was presided over by Adam Clayton Powell Jr.

Gunilla Huttonwas his long time mistress.