As a piano player, he formed a jazz trio in 1938 that played Los Angeles nightclubs, one of the first jazz trios featuring guitar and piano. Prior to this he had played music since he was a child and had worked with bands since he was sixteen. He was raised in Chicago and exposed to the abundant jazz scene there. He was heavily influenced by pianist Earl "Fatha" Hines.
Later he became more popularly known as a singer and crooner and his work became more orchestrated.
His first mainstream vocal hit was in 1944 with Straighten Up and Fly Right, based on a black folk tale that his father had used as a theme for a sermon. Although hardly a rocker, the song's success proved that an audience for folk-based material existed. It is considered a predecessor to the first rock and roll records. Indeed, Bo Diddley, who performed similar transformations of folk material, counted Cole as an influence.
Beginning in the late 1940s, Cole began recording and performing more pop-oriented material for mainstream audiences, often accompanied by a string orchestra. His stature as a popular icon was cemented during this period with such hits as The Christmas Song (1946), Nature Boy (1948), Mona Lisa (1950), and his signature tune Unforgettable (1951). While this shift to pop music led some jazz critics and fans to accuse Cole of selling out, he never totally abandoned his musical roots; as late as 1956, for instance, he recorded an all-jazz album, After Midnight. In 1991, Mosaic Records released the Complete Nat King Cole Trio Recordings on Capitol, which contained 349 songs on twenty-seven LPs or eighteen CDs.
Throughout the 1950s Cole continued to rack up hit after hit, including Smile, Pretend, A Blossom Fell, and If I May. Most of his pop hits were collaborations with famed arranger/conductor Nelson Riddle. It was with Riddle that Cole released his first ten-inch long-play album in 1953 entitled Sings for Two in Love. Several more albums followed, including the Gordon Jenkins arranged Love Is the Thing, which reached number one on the album charts in April 1957.
Inspired by a trip to Havana, Cuba in 1958, Nat went back there that same year and recorded Cole Espanol, an album sung entirely in Spanish and Portuguese. The album was a hit not only in the U.S., but in Latin America as well. The album was so popular, that two others followed: A mis amigos in 1959, and More Cole Espanol in 1962.
Musical tastes were changing in the late 1950s, and despite a successful stab at rock n' roll with Send for Me, Cole's ballad singing had grown old to younger listeners. Like contemporaries Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, Nat found that the pop singles chart had been almost entirely taken over by youth oriented acts. In 1960, Nat's longtime collaborator Nelson Riddle, left Capitol Records for Frank Sinatra's newly formed Reprise Records label. The two parted ways with one final hit album Wild Is Love, based on lyrics by Ray Rasch and Dotty Wayne. Nat would later re-tool the concept album into an off-Broadway production called I'm With You.
As the 1960s progressed, Nat once again found success on the American singles chart, starting with the country/pop flavored hit Ramblin' Rose in August of 1962. Three more hit singles followed: Dear Lonely Hearts, Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer, and That Sunday, That Summer. Nat's final album was entitled L.O.V.E, and was recorded in late 1964. It was released just prior to his death and reached number four on the Billboard Albums chart in the spring of 1965. A "Best Of" album went gold in 1968. His 1957 song When I Fall in Love was a chart topping hit for the U.K. in 1987.
Cole was the first African-American to have his own radio program. He repeated that success in the late-1950s with the first truly national television show starring an African-American. In both cases, the programs were ultimately canceled because sponsors shied away from a black artist. Cole fought racism all his life, refusing to perform in segregated venues. In 1956, he was attacked on stage in Birmingham, Alabama by members of the White Citizens' Council who apparently were attempting to kidnap him. Despite injuries, Cole completed the show but vowed never to perform in the South again.
On 23rd August 1956, Cole spoke at the Republican National Convention in the Cow Palace, San Francisco, California. He was also present at the Democratic National Convention in 1960, to throw his support behind President John F. Kennedy. Cole was also among the dozens of entertainers recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the Kennedy Inaugural gala in 1961. Nat King Cole frequently consulted with President Kennedy (and later President Johnson) on the issue of civil rights. Yet he was dogged by critics, who felt he shied away from controversy when it came to the civil rights issue. Among the most notable was Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who was upset that Cole didn't take stronger action after the 1956 on-stage attack.
In 1948, Cole purchased a house in the all-white Hancock Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. The property owners association told Cole they didn't want any undesirables moving in, to which Cole retorted "Neither do I. And if I see anybody undesirable coming in here, I'll be the first to complain."
He and his second wife, Maria Ellington, were married in Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church by Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. They had five children, including twin girls. Daughter Carol Cole, and son Kelly Cole were adopted. Kelly Cole died in 1995. Nat's daughter, Natalie Cole, and his younger brother, Freddie Cole are also singers.
Natalie and her father had an unexpected hit in the summer of 1991. The younger Cole mixed a 1961 recording of her father's rendition of Unforgettable with her own voice, creating an electronic duet. Both the song and the album of the same name won several Grammy awards the following year.
Cole performed in many short films, and played W. C. Handy in the film Saint Louis Blues. He also appeared in The Nat King Cole Story, China Gate, and The Blue Gardenia.
Nat King Cole was a heavy smoker of Kool menthol cigarettes, believing that smoking up to three packs a day gave his voice the rich sound it had (Cole would smoke several cigarettes in rapid succession before a recording for this very purpose). Cole died of lung cancer at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, on 15th February 1965. His funeral was held at St. Victor's Catholic Church in West Hollywood, and he was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Cat Ballou, his final film, was released several months later.
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Nat King Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above
While mortals sleep the angels keep their watch of wondering love
Oh morning stars together, proclaim thy holy birth.
Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
In this iconic Christmas carol, Nat King Cole paints a vivid picture of the little town of Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The song transports us to the quiet and peaceful town in the middle of the night where the stars shine silently over the town. Cole not only describes the physical setting but also the emotions and significance of the birth of Christ. The town may be small and insignificant, but it holds a special place in the hearts of people all over the world. The lyrics "the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight" captures the essence of Christ's birth, which transcends time and brings hope and peace to all.
The second verse of the song talks about how the angels spread the news of Christ's birth to the heavens, gathering all to bear witness to this momentous occasion. The birth of Jesus is a symbol of love and peace, and the morning stars sing praise to God for His gift to mankind. The song ends with a repetition of the first verse illustrating how the town remains unchanged and tranquil even in the midst of this miraculous event.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
The town of Bethlehem appears to be peaceful and quiet
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
The stars are shining brightly above the town, but the town remains in a deep and peaceful sleep
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light
Although the streets of Bethlehem are dark, there is a light that shines through and never fades
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
The night of Jesus' birth brings together the hopes and fears of generations past and present in Bethlehem
For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above
Jesus is born to Mary and celebrated by all who are above, implying heavenly hosts and angels
While mortals sleep the angels keep their watch of wondering love
Angels watch over the sleeping mortals with wonder and love
Oh morning stars together, proclaim thy holy birth.
The stars shine together at Jesus' birth and signify the holiness of the event
And praises sing to God the king, and peace to men on earth.
The angels sing praises to God the king and wish for peace on earth for all people
Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
The town of Bethlehem remains peaceful and quiet
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
The stars continue to shine brightly over the town as it sleeps peacefully
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light
The light that never fades continues to shine through the dark streets of Bethlehem
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
The birth of Jesus brings together the hopes and fears of generations past and present in Bethlehem
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Lewis H Redner, Phillip Brooks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johngray1439
God bless and protect all the holy places of all the religions, and all the innocents, in the Middle East. And God have mercy on all of our souls.🙏
@treesamariegagne2197
My heart aches for the tragic times in Bethlehem, Palestine and Israel
Shalom ☮️ Salam
@dwaynedavis6976
I couldn't agree more. It is written and stated that our Lord remains as is as was and shall never change with the times. His tributes should also remain unchanged. The voice of Nat King Cole ignites a fire in my Soul along with burning presence of the Son of God. Merry Christmas !
@poopsex167
Dwayne i want you in me
@jamesess9943
Praises sing to God our King & peace to men on earth.
@user-yourlost
God bless everyone in the comments and I hope everyone here loves Jesus the savior of the world
@lianecornils6603
God bless Palestine and bring them safely to the other side.
@bobknob5819
My wife passed away before Thanksgiving last year. Nat was her favorite. God Bless them both.
@jackwilliams5474
I am so sorry to hear this.
@sheilahwalters8101
Bombed on 12/25/2023 😢 Lord help us..😢😢😢😢