Birthdays Bonus Post | Part One (celebrating the careers of Nat King Cole, Justin Hawkins, and Queen Latifah)
Shining a spotlight on the careers of Nat King Cole, Justin Hawkins, and Queen Latifah
I’m branching out this week, and doing two mid-week posts to celebrate the birthdays of Nat King Cole, The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins, Queen Latifah, Damon Albarn and Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington.
Let’s begin with legendary singer and jazz pianist, Nat King Cole. Cole was born on 17th March 1919, and had a career spanning almost three decades. His hits included ‘(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons’, ‘Nature Boy’, ‘Mona Lisa’, ‘Frosty the Snowman’, ‘Too Young’, ‘Smile’, ‘Unforgettable’ and ’Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer’.
Cole’s career began at age 15 when he dropped out of high school and began performing in jazz clubs and working as a jazz pianist. In 1937, some three years later, Cole formed the King Cole Trio (which included Cole on piano, Wesley Prince on double bass, and Oscar Moore on guitar). According to discogs, ‘the absence of a drummer [made] the combo unique among the swing/jazz outfits of that time’1.
From 1943-1949, the King Cole Trio had a number of major hits, …