Nat King Cole was an American jazz pianist and singer born in Montgomery, Alabama, who began his professional career in the late 1930s leading the King Cole Trio and later established himself as a solo vocalist. Initially associated with a light, jazz-influenced piano trio sound, his repertoire expanded into orchestral traditional pop and vocal standards during the 1940s and 1950s, and he also had cultural significance as one of the first African American entertainers to host a national television variety show.
