He was a pianist first actually, and of course led the successful Nat King Cole Trio in the 1940's. He became so successful as a Popular singer in the 1950's however (usually not accompanying himself on piano anymore) that his previous career as a jazz pianist was largely eclipsed.
@@direfranchement You can thank the folks at Capitol Records for muzzling his Jazz tendencies. Find Nat's "After Midnight" 1956 album...it partially pays penance.
I notice the year of this show was 1958. I was a ten year old black girl living in the state of Tennessee at this time, and I can remember my family and I watching Nat King Cole on television. I also remember the negative uproar when he got his own television show, but, of course, I was to young to really understand what was really going on. I just recall he received a lot of flack, and his show didn't last too long. It's too bad he didn't live to see the fabulous success of his talented daughter, the late, brilliant, Natalie Cole. These two musical talents are sorely missed to this day! Btw, it makes me so SAD that beautiful music and talent like this has been replaced by rap/hip hop "music". You don't even need to know how to sing or play a musical instrument in order to perform this useless "music". How could things have gone wrong so quickly? Sigh.🤦♂️🤦♂️😢😢
Elaine, I was 6 in 58, growing up a white kid in Boston. I remember watching Nat on tv along with my mother who's a singer and could feel nothing but love she had for him, not only his voice, but his whole demeanor...a Class Act! Those were different times, and us Dam Yankees celebrated black talent ex. Apollo Theater - opened its doors in 1914 Nat was on NBC, who bankrolled the costs for the show, while trying to get national sponsors for him, but they couldn't! Sponsors Imagined what it would be like, when a bunch of southern racists would turn on their tv and see a "black man - hosting his own show" and Not in a Subservient Role... à la “Amos and Andy,” but as the host, the Equal of all the great talents, black and white, who appeared on the program... Sponsors figured they would lose their product's market share down south, if they got involved.... Money, Money, Money! But, I do love Nat's reaction to his doomed series... "Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark."
There was many Black artists back then who created many Masterpiece like BB King with his Blues, Louis Armstrong with his Jazz, Nat King Cole, Fats Domino, Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey also Rock n Roll sound like Little Richard, Chuck Berry and many more Black Artists. It sad that now we got Rap music that represented S*x, Guns, Drug, Twerking, etc.☹️
Elaine, I was born in 1954 and didn’t listen to Nat King Cole until I was fitted with hearing aids at 6 years old. The first songs I heard Nat sang were Christmas songs. I’ll never forget it.
@@jamesbarnhart1232 Thanks for sharing this PRECIOUS memory with us. I can see this experience of hearing the brilliant voice of the late, great Nat King Cole for the first time with your new hearing aids made a deep and lasting impression on you! God bless you.😄😀🙏👏
@@davidcadwallader434 Thanks for the like, and I LOVE your comment, too. Btw, I didn't know about the Alabama incident. Truly SAD!! Take care and God BLESS you and yours. 👍👍😍😍👏👏🙏🙏
It is so nice we can still see this two my best favorite great singers, Patti P and Nat K Cole, in real motion video. My best all time favorites are Patti Page, Connie Francis, Nat K Cole and Jim Reeves,
que se puede decir de este legendario hombre que es increible nunca mas habra otro como el carismatico un señor en todo el sentido de la palabra inigualable.
My racist, bigoted Grandmother would not let us watch performers like Nat King Cole or Sammy Davis Jr. on TV at our home so I would sneak over to my Great Aunt's house (ironically, her sister-in-law) to watch them.
Who was that playing the piano? He was good too! Amazing video with two of the greatest singers of all time. I notice a similarity in the voices of Cole and Page. Both had a natural huskiness, but Cole amplified it by purposely chain smoking.
Check out the original lyrics to 'Crazy Rhythm'. Nat and Patti sing the last few bars with different words. I can only imagine the producers didn't want to offend any racists by having them sing the original lyrics to each other.
In case you didn't notice: NAT and Patti were NOT ALLOWED to sit TOO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER and most certainly were NOT ALLOWED TO HUG EACH OTHER IN PUBLIC. THAT'S THE MAIN REASON why JOHNNY MERCER was doing NAT'S PIANO PARTS. Mercer of course wasn't supposed to participate UP FRONT. But in order to forestall A CIVIL UPROAR they came up with THIS SOLUTION. Just mention how PATI had to move(this was really drained in!!!) when NAT went to play the piano. NO WAY could she SIT BESIDES NAT as she did when Johnny Mercer was playing........THOSE WERE THE SEGREGATION RULES OF THE DAY.......VIOLATE THEM AND SEE WHAT PRICE YOU'LL PAY!!
Not sure that was the reason Nat played alone at the piano, it was probably actually a sign of respect not to sit next to him, because he was a great jazz pianist and he needed the whole piano bench to play - watch his arms and hands, he was moving his arms up and down the piano quite a bit -- she would have been in his way if she had sat next to him. If they really weren't allowed to have any contact then why did they shake hands at the end? Surely real racists would have prevented that. :)
THAT'S exactly the kind of response you would expect from persons who just can't stand the need to enter into 'defense-mood' WITHOUT even considering doing their research. You really think this observation originates from ME PERSONALLY! Again: go home and do your homework. For a start: begin with the you tube about the NAT KING COLE STORY and above all: LISTEN TO HIS WIFE MARY COLE, EXPLAINING THE CODES OF THE DAY!!!
Julianne Demse-Manly Thankfully, they’ll never know. I wish I could say the same. You cannot compare the complete artistry of someone like Nat to Miley Cirus because Nat was natural - Miley is completely manufactured - having to rely on gimmicks and shock tactics to keep her in the public eye. Some other younger, equally talentless girl will overtake her - that’s the nature of the business. Sadly, these days you don’t have to have ANY talent to make it big. 🙄
GREW UP WATCHING NAT KING COLE SINGING ON T.V. AND NOW 63 YEARS LATER I WILL "ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL TO MY PARENTS♡ FOR ENCOURAGING ME TO SIT DOWN AND LISTEN." Evey F.
