Iconic Facts About Nat King Cole, The Jazz Giant
The immediately recognizable voice behind some of America’s most-loved classics like “The Christmas Song” and “Smile,” Nat King Cole is one of America's great success stories.
But navigating life in a United States torn over racial inequalities, he definitely knew a thing or two about what it really meant to “smile when your heart is aching.”
1. He Was Born Into Poverty
Nathaniel Adams Coles was born in the deep south of Montgomery, Alabama, in 1919. When Cole was born, lynching and race riots were a common occurrence in Montgomery. His family had to scrape by with nothing as the prejudice in the South continued to worsen. Finally, they couldn't take it anymore. Cole’s parents decided to move the family to Chicago where his father could work as a Baptist minister.
2. He Started Young
Nat King Cole started playing piano at four years old, taking after his mother, who played the organ in his father’s church. His talent for music was obvious throughout his youth.
He won his first music contest at 10 years old, even before he formally began music lessons at 12. Cole was generally a good kid, but his growing love for music would soon take over—and it got him into all kinds of trouble.
3. He Snuck Out Of The House
By high school, Cole was in love with the catchy melodies of jazz and would often sneak out of his house to listen to his favorite jazz musicians.
His love for the genre inspired him to form a small jazz band, Rogues of Rhythm, with some of his schoolmates. The group would play around the town, often paid in food or not at all. Cole didn’t care about the money then.
He was shy, but when it came to music, he had all the confidence in the world. That confidence inspired him to take a huge risk.
4. He Challenged His Idol
Already a prodigy in his hometown and starting to garner the attention of the press, the Rogues of Rhythm challenged Cole’s jazz idol, Earl Hines, in a battle of the bands. Now, that was a recipe for disaster—but Nat King Cole wasn't just any punk kid. He could play. The band of teenagers, led by Cole himself, managed to beat the jazz legend!
Cole’s parents were proud of their son’s talent, but his next decision was probably not as easy to be proud of.
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