Nat King Cole – Biography and History
Nathaniel Adams Coles, known to the world as Nat King Cole, was born on March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama. He was one of four sons born to Edward Coles, a Baptist minister, and Perlina Coles, a church organist. When Nat was four years old, his family moved to Chicago, a vibrant hub for jazz and blues during the early 20th century.
Cole’s early exposure to music came through the church, where his mother taught him to play the organ. By the age of 12, he had begun formal piano lessons, learning not just classical music but also jazz, a genre that would become his lifelong passion. Influenced by legendary pianists like Earl Hines, Cole quickly developed a unique style that blended technical proficiency with soulful expression.