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By Jacquelyn D. Heath
Special to The Milwaukee Times
Between 1940 and the mid-1960’s. there were few recording artists – black or white – who enjoyed a worldwide fan base. There were even fewer who were recognizable simply by the sound of their voice or were on a first-name-only basis with the public.
Nat “King” Cole was all of that.
The life, career and music of this versatile entertainment icon are brought to life in Unforgettable: John- Mark McGaha Sings Nat King Cole, now running at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Stackner Cabaret through Sunday, November 6, 2022.
Born Nathaniel Adams Coles on March 17, 1919 in Birmingham, AL, Nat moved with his parents and four siblings to Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood when he was four years old. His father was a Baptist minister and his mother, a church organist, taught Nat to play piano and organ. In addition, Nat became active in music at his high school, as well as in a neighborhood youth band sponsored by the black-owned Chicago Daily Defender newspaper.
When his older brother Eddie landed a spot in the band that was touring with the revue Shuffle Along, 15-year-old Nat decided to drop out of high school. Eddie formed a jazz combo called The Swingsters and Nat joined his brother on the road playing in nightclubs. When their tour concluded its run in Los Angeles in 1940, Nat decided to stay on the West Coast. The Swingsters soon evolved into The Nat ‘King’ Cole Trio, with a drummer and stand-up bass player joining Nat featured on piano. The nickname ‘King’ was inspired by the nursery rhyme, Old King Cole; and stemmed from a trend among African American jazz musicians of the era who adopted ‘regal’ stage names, including William James ‘Count’ Basie and Edward Kennedy ‘Duke’ Ellington.
Nat also found a day job making commercials as a studio musician, and then recording vocals. One night while performing in a club, an “over served” patron harassed Nat into singing the song, Sweet Lorraine, which was popular at the time. The King Cole Trio eventually recorded the song, featuring Nat’s mellow jazz vocals and it became their first number one hit.
Nat soon signed an exclusive recording contract with Capitol Records and eventually became its top artist in terms of sales and popularity. He also continued to perform on other labels using fake names. In 1946, he launched a 15-minute radio program, King Cole Trio Time, the first ever sponsored by a black musician. His musical style transitioned from pure jazz and improvisation to more pop music and love ballads featuring Nat’s distinctive style. His vocals often were backed by flowing string arrangements from conductor Nelson Riddle. In 1950 and 1951, Nat was named the top recording artist with the song of the year two years in a row.
Nat expanded his repertoire to weekly television in 1956 with The Nat King Cole Show on NBC. It was the first national TV variety program hosted by an African American. He also appeared in film roles, including as W.C. Handy in St. Louis Blues and as the singing storyteller in Cat Ballou.
Despite his enormous success in entertainment, Nat King Cole was no stranger to the scourge of racism that pervaded life in the United States. In 1948, he and his wife bought a home in the all-white Los Angeles neighborhood of Hancock Park. Local bigots burned a cross on his lawn and killed his dog with poisoned meat. His top-rated television show was canceled in 1957 after just one season due to failure to attract national sponsors. He was once physically attacked on stage during a performance in his hometown of Birmingham, AL.
He even suffered backlash from the African American community during the civil rights-sensitive 1960’s for continuing to perform for white-only and segregated audiences. He countered this criticism by becoming a life member of the NAACP and being among the principle planners of the epic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
When Nat King Cole passed away on February 15, 1965 from complications from advanced lung cancer, his death and funeral were covered by print and broadcast media worldwide. Among his pallbearers and mourners were Senator Robert Kennedy, California Governor Pat Brown, and entertainers Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Count Basie, George Burns and Danny Thomas.
The virtuoso performance of actor, singer, storyteller and musician John-Mark McGaha brings the essence of Nat King Cole to the stage front and center. McGaha offers his own distinctive, silky vocals, punctuated with instrumental accompaniment on guitar and piano. He gets solid assistance from his on-stage combo comprised of musical director/pianist Chuck Larkin; drummer Ryan Bennett; bass player Jeff Hamann; and flute/sax player Jesse Montijo.
For those who remember Nat, this two-hour performance of more than a dozen songs will bring back warm memories of a music giant who a reporter once referred to as “the best thing that ever happened to a song.” For those who are too young to remember, this performance will introduce you to the class, dignity, passion and purity that was Nat King Cole. “Unforgettable” only begins to describe this performance and the man who inspired it.
Tickets for both matinee and evening performances of Unforgettable: John- Mark McGaha Sings Nat King Cole are available by contacting The Milwaukee Repertory Theater box office, 108 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202, 414/224-9490; or for more details, visit the website www.MilwaukeeRep.com.