Is Nat 'King' Cole best remembered as a pianist or a singer

A.� For both, but in effect Cole enjoyed two distinct, and overlapping careers in his relatively short life.

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Q.� How was that achieved

A.� Although remembered by most fans as a wonderful baritone singer of smooth pop and r 'n' b ballads, Nat 'King' Cole's career started as a swing pianist in the 1940's. Jazz purists rate Cole's trio as among the finest of its type, and he recorded a huge body of instrumental jazz work, which stands among the best. Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, among others, formed jazz trios after hearing Cole's work, and observing his success.

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Q.� When did the pop singing come in

A.� Cole had sung some novelty songs in his first trio and he did record vocals on Sweet Lorraine as far back as 1940, but continued to concentrate on his piano playing until the end of the 1940's.

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In 1950, Nat Cole recorded Mona Lisa, which was his first crossover success, and a number one pop chart hit, which set the seal on his future career direction. It is to the regret of his many jazz fans that Cole forsake his piano playing, at least as a serious jazz musician, in favour of a singing career, although given his meteoric rise, and accompanying wealth, it's not hard to understand his change in direction.

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Q.� So Cole was set up as a successful mainstream pop singer

A.� It would be nice to think so, but Cole was emerging as a famous figure into an America that still suffered from deeply routed racism in certain areas, and Cole was regarded as an affront to those who believed that a black man should not be singing to mixed, or white audiences. With some of the money made from his growing popularity, Cole bought a house in an expensive district of Los Angeles. Hearing that some of his new neighbours were muttering about "undesirables" moving into the area, Cole wryly observed that any "lowering of the tone" equally appalled him, and if he saw or heard of any such "undesirables", he would bring it to the attention of his fellow residents. During one concert in Alabama, some members of the local 'White Residents Council' attempted to kidnap Cole off the stage. Cole was outraged, and refused to return to his home state for the remainder of his career.

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Q.� Did Nat Cole bow to the pressure of racism

A.� Quite the opposite in fact. Cole was the first African American to host his own radio show from 1948 to 1949, and he was the first to host his own television show from 1956 to 1957. Because of ongoing controversy about a black man hosting a television show, the programme was unable to attract a national sponsor, programme makers worrying about potential boycotting by advertisers. It seems hard to believe that such attitudes could possibly find room in a country like the United States within the last fifty years, but Cole was paving the way for others to follow.

Q.� Is Nat King Cole still alive

A.� Sadly not, Cole died of lung cancer in 1965, aged only 47, the result of a sixty a day cigarette habit. He is survived by children from his two marriages, most famously his daughter Natalie who has enjoyed a successful career as a soul and r'n' b singer. Natalie recorded a 'duet' with her vocal mixed with her late father's on one of his major hits�- Unforgettable, and the song won a Grammy Award.

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Nat 'King' Cole remains a seminal figure straddling both pop and jazz music, and his work has remained popular long after is untimely death. Nat Cole's groundbreaking approach to overcome the racism that dogged his career has ensured that following musicians and presenters created careers based on ability rather than ethnic origin. For those two reasons, he deserves to be remembered with affection and respect.

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By:� Andy Hughes.