Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark


Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark

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# With your elbows on the sill

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# And your nose against the pane

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# You'll toss the pumpkin at Ichabod Crane

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# You're one guy Paul Bunyan couldn't lick

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# You're the god that whaled the daylights out of Moby-Dick

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# Grown-ups don't know where to find that magic window

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# But it's any window little boys look through

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# There's so much for you to see

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# So don't ever say to me

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# That you've got a lot of growing up to do

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# Cos I wish that I were growing down to you. #

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Those records today sound like they were recorded yesterday.

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He's always remembered and each year it gets bigger and bigger.

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35 years from now, they'll not only call what Nat Cole was doing jazz,

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they'll call it America's classical music.

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# Just you

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# Just me

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# Let's find a cosy spot to cuddle and woo

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# Just us

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# Just we

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# I've missed an awful lot

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# My trouble is you... #

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Not only was the world ready for his music,

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I think the world was ready for his colour.

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You say, "Finally, they get the right person on television!" HE LAUGHS

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He was the first black artist who had his own television show.

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And it was flawless.

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And every week it was a wonderful thing to watch.

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Incredible! It was a big thing, because it was highly unusual

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to see an African-American hosting a show, period.

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But if anybody deserved it, Nat Cole was the guy.

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So this event did more for me

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in looking at America changing,

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America beginning to awake...

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awaken itself to a greater truth, to a greater reality.

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The pride was in the fact that the country was beginning to change.

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You know, when people ask me about my background and Nat's,

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it's so interesting, we were exact opposites.

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My husband was from a very, very kind, gentle family,

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who were very poor, I understand quite poor.

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Nat was born in Alabama.

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You are pastor of the First Baptist Church in North Chicago,

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-aren't you, Reverend Coles?

-Yes, I am.

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But Nat was born in Montgomery, Alabama.

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And we moved to Chicago when he was about the age of four.

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-Little Nat was an inquisitive boy, wasn't he, Reverend Coles?

-Yes, he was.

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"Dad," you said, "God can do anything?"

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I said, "Yes, God can do anything, son."

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He said, "I bet he cannot get bare naked

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"and sit on this red-hot stove with no clothes on."

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LAUGHTER

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At the end of the Civil War a great force had been unleashed.

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For the first time, millions of black people

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had the right to move about the nation.

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And...the overwhelming common desire

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among the slave population

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was to get as far away from slavery as they could.

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And moving to the north

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meant that there was an opportunity for employment,

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because the northern part of America was the industrial base.

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Most Negroes at that time felt like they'd have better opportunities

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in Chicago, a little better, and New York and California.

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We wanted better. They wanted equal.

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And Nat King Cole also wanted the same thing everybody else wanted.

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We all wanted it and those who had talent

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began to move and go away.

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And those who had skills began to go north and get better jobs

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in the steel mills and the auto industry and things of that sort.

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And Nat, I guess, used that ability to sing and perform.

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I feel that the panorama of progress,

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telling the story of the Negroes' contributions

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to the progress of America is a noteworthy and patriotic service to all freedom-loving people

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whose hopes and aspirations find expression

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in our democratic way of life.

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From Crispus Attucks to Ralph Bunche the Negro people have played

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a significant part in the building of this great country of ours.

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America has meant much to the Negro

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and the Negro has contributed much to America.

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It is a glorious history, that of the Negro in America.

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So it is with humble respect for those who helped make that history

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but with great pride that I dedicate the recording of We Are Americans Too

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to the youth of America, who are the inheritors of a great tradition.

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PIANO MUSIC

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When Nat was a little boy, from what I understand, he showed his talent.

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But the story that I was told, and I heard this a lot when he was alive,

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so I'm sure it was true, he only had two lessons.

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And I think it was some friend of the family.

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He had two lessons but he picked everything up.

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It started with Yes, We Have No Bananas, I do remember that.

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And...it was like me just talking or something,

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he was an absolute genius.

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And when he started kindergarten, he's played for the children

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to march and at the age of 11 he played for the choir,

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he played the gospel numbers and I played the slower numbers.

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I had such great admiration for him

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as a singer and as a pianist and as a gentleman.

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He was a class-act man.

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# I like to riff

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# I like to riff... #

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So the music was jazz orientated, rhythm and blues or church.

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# I like to riff SCAT SINGING

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# I like to riff... # SCAT SINGING

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All my life I've spent telling people

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that they really missed the essence of this man,

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because they weren't aware, because of his very prolific singing,

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that he was also one of the greatest jazz musicians,

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pianists in the world.

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Nat as a pianist was a giant.

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Unfortunately, he was such a big star as a singer, being a singer,

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it overshadowed his piano playing.

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Sometimes, I get a real kick out of playing the piano.

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Of course, I don't do it too much publicly

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because, like I said, most of the people come to see Nat King Cole,

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they want to hear him sing.

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I imagine maybe that's because

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they only know of Nat King Cole as a singer.

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Of course, some of the older fans have heard of me as a jazz pianist.

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I still have that constant fight of them saying,

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"How much piano are you going to play

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"and how much singing are you going to play?"

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And...I don't know, but I like it.

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Such a fantastic piano player and a wonderful jazz piano player.

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There's a lot of people still don't know in this country

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what a great piano player Nat King Cole was.

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The level of excellence he had could not be denied

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and it eventually made its way through the challenges

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to the forefront of American music history and royalty.

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He was certainly listening to all the great piano players,

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because he had touches of genius even at the very early age.

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I think he was only 19 or 20 years old

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when people started hearing him play,

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in an era where it was dominated

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by some of the greatest pianists in history.

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The pace was set. And Art Tatum, that was it,

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and Fats Waller and Earl "Fatha" Hines.

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So he had his work cut out but he had a lot to listen to.

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I know that Nat was great,

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because I heard it from people who were great, like Art Tatum.

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And Oscar Peterson, of course, was a giant in the industry

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any he recognised Nat's virtuosity very early on.

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Nat had great roots in the jazz world

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and was very sympathetic to a lot of very modern things,

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even the bebop things that were coming in

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during the reign of his popular trio.

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When I say popular, meaning the trio

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that was garnering all of the hits on the hit parade at the time.

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Nat was still at times reverting back to his jazz background

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whenever he had a chance, because of his artistic curiosity.

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I think Nat would be the type of person that would grow

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and progress as a player anyway.

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There's music from your past, Nat. Let's go back in time

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and meet these gentlemen who were all members

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of Nat Cole and his Royal Dukes,

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a band that you formed when you were only 16 years old.

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-How about that? Yeah!

-LAUGHTER

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Ladies and gentlemen!

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Here's some guys that I grew up with.

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-They all came.

-His father used to be the president

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-of the musicians' union in Chicago.

-He still is.

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And here's your brother Eddie Coles over here.

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# I'm lost

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# I'm like a king without a throne

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# I'm lost... #

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Nat married when he was 19 years old to...

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His wife was much older than he was

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and, evidently, Eddie very strongly objected. I don't...

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I wasn't there. I mean, I don't know exactly what happened,

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-but I know Nat said they had a fight...

-SHE LAUGHS

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..because he was getting ready to go to California.

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# If you ever plan to motor west

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# Travel my way, take the highway that's the best

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# Get your kicks on Route 66. #

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I heard the story about him being a pianist

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working this place wherever he was working

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and the singer didn't show up.

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And a guy told him, "Well, you got to sing."

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He said, "No, I'm a piano player."

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"You going to sing or you going to lose your gig, one of the two."

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He said, "OK." And Nat King Cole was born.

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Come on, what the matter with ya?

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I said play!

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HE SINGS DRUNKENLY

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You sing it.

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-Do you know the words, Cole?

-Yes, but...

-Do like the man says.

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This guy spends as much as four bucks in here some nights.

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-But, you see, I just can't sing.

-Well, you better learn how fast.

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-Come on, boy, you can sing it. Come on.

-Sing.

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-# I've just found joy

-That a boy!

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# I'm as happy as a baby boy... #

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Amazing to find that even in that situation,

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he attracted the right team of individuals around him

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from the ranks of the white world, if you will,

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who really believed in him.

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I first really got to know Nat Cole when I was working at a place called Ciro's,

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which was a very famous nightclub on Sunset Strip.

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And one of the acts that we booked there was Nat Cole.

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He'd been working downtown at a place called the Tiffany Rooms,

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but I was convinced that Nat Cole had great youth appeal.

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So we brought him up for graduations in January and in the spring.

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And he packed the place.

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And he sat down and just sang

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and it was like the sound of the gods, you know.

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And Nat didn't play jazz on stage because he said people would talk.

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So two o'clock in the morning,

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I had enough on the head bartender to send him to jail and on the chef to have him go with him,

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so we would save a couple of bottles of champagne

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and some hot and cold hors d'oeuvres

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and we would invite ladies to come in and listen to Nat.

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Just a work light and Nat at the piano playing jazz.

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And it was the most sought-after invitation in all of Los Angeles.

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And he showed us that he could hang in there with the best of the best.

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Sinatra was the phenomenon of his time,

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but when they mention Sinatra,

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they also mention this African-American man, Nat Cole.

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They were the two best stylists around

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in that period of time.

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And...I think they had a lot of respect for one another.

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And they had a lot of the same great qualities,

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they were both family men.

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They used to smoke a lot and they drank moderately.

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And that was the...kinship between the two of them.

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It's like they were a god.

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You're talking about two of the greatest talents in the world,

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which will never happen again.

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While you're making a change, I'll drop a tune in here somewhere.

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All right.

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Oh, boy! Ring-a-ding-ding-ding!

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-Ring-a-ding-ding!

-LAUGHTER

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APPLAUSE

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# She gets too hungry for dinner at eight

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# She loves the theatre and she doesn't come late

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# She'd never bother with people she hates... #

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He actually built Capitol Records,

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because every record he made went to number one on the Billboard charts.

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Nat had a lot to do with building that tower.

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He was a legend before we really have words for it.

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Nat was part of our lives.

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He wasn't just a singer, wasn't just a performer,

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he was part of the culture.

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Capitol was THE singers' label.

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And they really... I think Capitol had a great reputation.

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I was very secure at Capitol,

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I was at Capitol for 40 albums in 20-some years.

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Capitol was THE record company to be with at that time.

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# Unforgettable

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# In every way

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# And for ever more

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# That's how you'll stay. #

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Nat was managed by a big man, his name was Carlos Gastel.

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Carlos Gastel was from Honduras and he was huge

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and he did occasionally like a beverage, you know.

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And I would call Carlos and say,

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"Pal of my cradle days, why have you forgotten?"

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I said, "Carlos, why don't you come by for a taste?"

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So Carlos would come by for a taste about five or six o'clock at night.

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I put his bottle of gin on the bar and a bottle of vodka on the bar

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and we would have a taste.

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And by two o'clock in the morning, I had a contract with Nat Cole.

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And the next morning Carlos would call and say, "Pal of my cradle days,

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"last night while we were having fellowship, did we negotiate any kind of...?"

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"Oh, yeah," I said, "you convinced me to bring Nat back."

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"I convinced you?" "You insisted and so we signed a contract."

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"Signed another contract?! On what money?" I said, "Same money."

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I didn't want him to take a cut

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because of these multiple appearances.

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Carlos says, "You got me!" "I didn't get you, you demanded it, Carlos.

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"You're a big guy, I couldn't argue with you."

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So anyhow, Nat would say to me, "Did he do that again? What do you do to him?"

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I said, "Nat, we have a beverage once in a while."

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When I first started with Nat, when our association began, I told him

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that I didn't think I should get any money

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until the trio made 800 a week.

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And Nat didn't think this was fair

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because he thought I may have to wait a long time, you know.

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But a couple of weeks later, we got lucky and Cheryl Corwyn

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at the Orpheum here in Los Angeles

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gave us a job at the theatre for 1,000 a week.

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I might add that that was a lucky week for Cheryl Corwyn too,

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-because the first week the King Cole Trio played the theatre grossed 30,000.

-Boy!

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-Nat, it's been a lot of fun all these years.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Carlos Gastel.

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SCAT SINGING

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I first met him in Las Vegas

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when he was working at the Sands, in the big room of course,

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and I was a little piano player in the lounge.

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And...he would often times after he got through his show,

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he would come into the lounge to see the show or hear me play.

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And once he knew that I was a piano player and singer, we became instant friends.

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Even though I was working the lounge,

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Nat could not go in the main room, he had to go through the kitchen.

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These great, great stars were not allowed to walk through the casino

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and they were not allowed to live in the hotel.

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I was staying in first-class hotels and Nat is staying

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in either a private room or in black hotels which were awful.

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And...we were playing to segregated audiences.

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It got so bad, I was really embarrassed.

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And finally I started staying at the black hotels.

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And I had a ball.

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They're making millions of dollars for the owners of the hotels

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but yet they had to live in the black section of Las Vegas,

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in really low-down little motel rooms

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that were very seedy and terrible.

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All of us... Lena Horne, they emptied the swimming pool.

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For the length of her stay at that hotel the pool was out of order,

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because she dared to go in one day.

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It was a strong, strong colour barrier,

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which fortunately...has been removed.

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The mentality in the music world

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was different than the world as a whole.

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So they had humility and they could put up with that

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without going to the death.

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Two hotel incidences. Rock Island, Illinois was one.

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And all I remember is I had to appear in court for my husband.

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The lawyers always said, "Let Maria do it."

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Why did I sue them? Because they refused us.

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Absolutely. We... I wouldn't listen,

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I would have gone to court any time they wanted me to.

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I wasn't intimidated at all and I think our attorney saw that.

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Nat had a lot to do with...removing that and so did Frank.

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When Frank went out, he would go into a hotel

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and if the hotel would not accept Frank's black musicians,

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Frank didn't stay there either.

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So Frank had a big effect on the colour barrier.

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Of all the performers I've worked with, I think the two of them

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had more to do with removing the colour barrier than anybody.

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Because of his stature and his carriage and the way he was,

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he would never put himself in a situation where he was the...

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he was a negative person.

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Everywhere you went Nat Cole was not just accepted, Nat was loved.

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And, I think, as a result he probably had a more positive effect

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on racism than many of the militants,

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many of the people who were actively fighting racism.

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Nat just showed that it was acceptable

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that there were no colour barriers.

0:21:250:21:28

# My kind of lips

0:21:280:21:31

# Your kind of lips

0:21:310:21:33

# When love comes stealing

0:21:330:21:37

# Encourage that feeling

0:21:370:21:40

# My kind of love... #

0:21:400:21:44

He was loved by everybody.

0:21:440:21:47

There was something...

0:21:470:21:50

magical about him, not only musically but as a person.

0:21:500:21:55

He was a true gentleman.

0:21:550:21:57

He was the example of someone who...

0:21:570:22:00

could break through those racial barriers

0:22:000:22:04

and make what seemed impossible, you know, during the lynchings

0:22:040:22:08

and the Ku Klux Klan and coloured bathrooms and white bathrooms,

0:22:080:22:13

this was the breakthrough.

0:22:130:22:15

This man who, again, spoke through his music.

0:22:150:22:20

A man of few words, but who walked the talk.

0:22:200:22:25

He had a charisma that was unbelievable,

0:22:250:22:29

so everyone liked him.

0:22:290:22:31

I'm sure there are people that were anti-black,

0:22:310:22:37

they didn't even realise he was black.

0:22:370:22:40

They just liked the man for what he was.

0:22:400:22:44

He really loved what he was doing,

0:22:440:22:46

he was really passionate about what he was doing.

0:22:460:22:49

His message was, "This is me, this is my music. I want you to accept me for that."

0:22:490:22:54

He was our beacon, he was the person who was out there

0:22:540:22:59

exposing himself to all this, you know, negativity

0:22:590:23:04

and shining through it.

0:23:040:23:07

He was... He was untouchable.

0:23:070:23:09

# Or is it a fact that I'm ugly? #

0:23:090:23:12

What was so strategic about Nat

0:23:120:23:16

was the fact that it was Nat,

0:23:160:23:19

a man who had by all measure

0:23:190:23:23

met what it was that white America said black people should be.

0:23:230:23:28

He was extremely gifted,

0:23:280:23:30

a man possessed of genius when it came to his music, when it came to his singing.

0:23:300:23:36

By all measure everybody thought he was indeed the greatest singer in the world.

0:23:360:23:41

And...when he went on the air, the things that he did,

0:23:410:23:45

and the way in which he delighted us

0:23:450:23:47

was everything he would've wanted somebody in that position of opportunity to display.

0:23:470:23:54

But he did.

0:23:540:23:56

Anybody with a brain accepted Nat for what he was, a superstar,

0:23:560:24:01

a vision of hope, and a vision of intelligence and tolerance and love.

0:24:010:24:07

I think that right now would be a good time for us to pause

0:24:070:24:10

and sort of review some of the events that made all of this possible.

0:24:100:24:13

-I'm with you.

-OK?

0:24:130:24:15

And with a little music and drama, perhaps we can recreate

0:24:150:24:18

-the highlights of our careers up to date.

-OK.

0:24:180:24:21

-Won't you begin?

-Age before beauty.

0:24:210:24:24

LAUGHTER

0:24:240:24:25

The time, the early '40s,

0:24:250:24:27

I was playing piano in a little cafe in Omaha, Nebraska,

0:24:270:24:30

when I wrote a song based on an old joke my father used to tell.

0:24:300:24:33

The song?

0:24:330:24:35

ORCHESTRA STRIKES UP

0:24:350:24:37

# Straighten up and fly right

0:24:370:24:41

APPLAUSE # Straighten up and fly right... #

0:24:410:24:44

When I was going to Africa...during the war on a troopship,

0:24:440:24:50

they were playing what they called V discs.

0:24:500:24:53

All the record companies would make special records for the troops,

0:24:530:24:58

where the troops would play it on the loudspeakers in mess halls etc.

0:24:580:25:03

And I heard this wonderful jazz pianist...

0:25:030:25:07

with an instrumentation of bass,

0:25:070:25:12

piano and for the very first time I heard electric guitar.

0:25:120:25:16

And I found out it was called the King Cole Trio.

0:25:160:25:20

And I was completely mesmerised by that music.

0:25:200:25:22

And the first song I heard him sing was Straighten Up And Fly Right.

0:25:220:25:27

It crossed a bridge, it came from jazz to pop

0:25:340:25:38

and it was very commercial and people liked it for what it was.

0:25:380:25:43

They didn't say it was jazz,

0:25:430:25:45

they didn't say it was pop, it was they liked what they heard.

0:25:450:25:49

# Said now listen, Jack

0:25:490:25:51

# Straighten up and fly right

0:25:510:25:53

# Straighten up and fly right

0:25:530:25:57

# Straighten up and fly right. #

0:25:570:26:00

And it was all new, there was no-one else like it.

0:26:000:26:03

# Ain't no use in diving

0:26:030:26:06

# What's the use in jiving?

0:26:060:26:08

# Straighten up and fly right

0:26:080:26:11

# Cool down, Poppa, don't you blow your top

0:26:110:26:14

# The buzzard told the monkey, "You are choking me

0:26:140:26:17

# "Release your hold and I will set you free"

0:26:170:26:20

# The monkey looks the buzzard right dead in the eye

0:26:200:26:23

# And said, "Your story's so touching but it sounds just like a lie." #

0:26:230:26:26

My job was to go out and get a new song...recorded,

0:26:260:26:32

or get it performed by artists on radio,

0:26:320:26:39

television was not even around,

0:26:390:26:42

and to promote the song.

0:26:420:26:44

So I went to see different people to see if they would perform the song.

0:26:440:26:51

One being Duke Ellington.

0:26:510:26:53

We will now give you our conception of the most popular

0:26:530:26:56

composition in recent years, that haunting melody Stormy Weather.

0:26:560:27:00

And he had two girl singers with him, one was called Joyous Cheryl

0:27:060:27:11

and the other was called Maria Ellington.

0:27:110:27:15

So I said, "Which one you want me to show it to?"

0:27:150:27:18

And he says, "Show it to Maria Ellington."

0:27:180:27:20

I said, "Is that your daughter?"

0:27:200:27:22

"No, that is not my daughter. That was her marriage name."

0:27:220:27:26

Ivo was as usual plugging a song and he brought this song down to me.

0:27:260:27:33

So finally he said, "Would you come to the office and I'll play it."

0:27:330:27:37

I went up there, I was bored to death. I said, "It's awful."

0:27:370:27:42

She said, "That's the worst song. I wouldn't sing that."

0:27:420:27:45

"OK, enough of that." But she was so pretty and I'd just got out of the Army

0:27:450:27:50

and I made an advance at her...towards her.

0:27:500:27:57

And she read me a riot act.

0:27:570:28:00

"Who do you think you are?" and this and that.

0:28:000:28:02

Of course, he tells the story that he tried to hit on me,

0:28:020:28:05

I don't remember that.

0:28:050:28:07

I remember him in a brotherly-like fashion

0:28:070:28:09

and we're still very good friends.

0:28:090:28:11

Months later, Nat is working the Copa and he says, "I got a night off,

0:28:110:28:19

"I want to go to Zanzibar and see the show. Why don't you come with me?"

0:28:190:28:25

I said, "OK, great."

0:28:250:28:27

He said, "I met a girl the other day, she's very pretty.

0:28:270:28:32

"She works... She's in the show."

0:28:320:28:34

So I said, "Which one of the two?"

0:28:340:28:36

And he points to Maria. I said, "Oh, I'm dead."

0:28:360:28:39

I first met Nat in New York City in the club Zanzibar.

0:28:390:28:44

The King Cole Trio came in to sub for the Mills Brothers,

0:28:440:28:48

who were doubling between the Paramount Theater and the Zanzibar.

0:28:480:28:53

That was in 1946.

0:28:530:28:55

# I've just found joy

0:28:550:28:59

# I'm as happy as a baby boy... #

0:28:590:29:05

The best evening in our life together

0:29:060:29:11

that I ever spent with my husband was...

0:29:110:29:14

..one night when he took me home and he parked right in front.

0:29:160:29:23

And we sat there. It wasn't night, it was about 4.30 in the morning.

0:29:230:29:27

And we had the radio on and this great, great record came on

0:29:270:29:35

narrated by Elliott Lewis, it was done by Gordon Jenkins about New York.

0:29:350:29:42

It was one the greatest things I ever... We were listening to that.

0:29:420:29:46

# Sits on a nice lake

0:29:460:29:48

# But it hasn't got the hansoms in the park

0:29:480:29:52

# It hasn't got the skylines after dark

0:29:520:29:55

# That's why New York's my home

0:29:550:29:58

# Let me never leave it

0:29:580:30:00

# New York's my home sweet home. #

0:30:000:30:03

I fell in love with him that night.

0:30:030:30:05

The reason I'm hesitating with that story

0:30:050:30:08

is it sounds very dramatic, but it was true.

0:30:080:30:10

And he held my hand. It was really kind of schoolboy/schoolgirl-ish.

0:30:100:30:16

And I'll never forget it.

0:30:160:30:18

And he said to me, "I've never met a girl like you before."

0:30:180:30:21

# I love you... #

0:30:210:30:26

I absolutely did not fall in love with Nat Cole at first sight.

0:30:260:30:31

He sent me some champagne by his valet and I sent it back.

0:30:310:30:36

And I said, "I don't drink," which I didn't.

0:30:360:30:38

I took advantage of the wonderful invitations.

0:30:380:30:41

And then he was getting ready to go out of town about a week later.

0:30:410:30:46

And just kind of funny he said, "I have to leave but I'll be back."

0:30:460:30:51

And so he came up to me the day before he was leaving and he said,

0:30:510:30:55

"You want to go?"

0:30:550:30:58

And I remember nodding.

0:30:580:31:00

So I went to the drugstore and bought a toothbrush and got on the train.

0:31:000:31:04

We went to a Chinese restaurant

0:31:060:31:08

and while we were eating, in the midst of the meal, he just looked at me

0:31:080:31:12

and said, "If I can get my divorce, would you marry me?"

0:31:120:31:15

# I think of you every morning

0:31:150:31:22

# Dream of you every night... #

0:31:220:31:25

I think my husband and I, basically, were just meant for each other.

0:31:250:31:31

Everything that was wrong with him wasn't wrong with me

0:31:310:31:33

and everything that was wrong with me wasn't wrong with him.

0:31:330:31:37

He just... He was not a...a take-charge type in a home,

0:31:370:31:43

not at all.

0:31:430:31:45

They complemented each other.

0:31:450:31:47

-And... But, yeah, I think she really truly adored him.

-Uh-huh.

0:31:470:31:53

# There was a boy

0:31:560:32:01

# A very strange enchanted boy

0:32:010:32:06

# They say he wandered very far

0:32:060:32:10

# Very far over land and sea... #

0:32:100:32:15

While we were on our honeymoon in Mexico, a very dear friend of ours sent us a telegram.

0:32:180:32:24

I wish I remembered the exact words,

0:32:240:32:26

but it was akin to "what a wedding gift!

0:32:260:32:31

"Nature Boy complete smash all over the world."

0:32:310:32:35

We were excited. I don't think we realised how big it was till we got home.

0:32:350:32:40

I don't think we really did.

0:32:400:32:42

# A magic day he passed my way

0:32:430:32:48

# And while we spoke of many things

0:32:480:32:52

# Fools and kings

0:32:520:32:55

# This he said to me

0:32:550:33:00

# "The greatest thing you'll ever learn

0:33:020:33:10

# "Is just to love

0:33:120:33:17

# "And be loved in return." #

0:33:170:33:25

We bought the house immediately,

0:33:520:33:54

at least six months after we were married.

0:33:540:33:57

When he moved to Hancock Park and moved into that community,

0:33:570:34:00

it was not an easy time for him or his family. Nobody wanted 'em.

0:34:000:34:03

The restrictive covenants on real estate,

0:34:030:34:06

although it wasn't a written law like in the South, it's written that blacks cannot own property.

0:34:060:34:14

The neighbours didn't want black people in the neighbourhood.

0:34:140:34:19

And they did everything to make him uncomfortable.

0:34:190:34:21

# ..in return. #

0:34:210:34:28

-When we were first married there was bedlam everywhere.

-SHE LAUGHS

0:34:330:34:37

It was just... They were just...

0:34:370:34:40

When I think back about it, it's just... I have to say it's amusing,

0:34:400:34:46

because we were, thank God, so young that I was just angry.

0:34:460:34:51

I never felt any fear or anything like that,

0:34:510:34:53

although there were people who were worried, concerned, you know, about that.

0:34:530:34:57

And he was.

0:34:570:34:59

We didn't act abnormal at all when this happened, it just happened.

0:34:590:35:05

They had a meeting in the neighbourhood,

0:35:050:35:08

the lawyers that lived there...

0:35:080:35:13

and very affluent people.

0:35:130:35:18

Something about it being their community

0:35:180:35:20

and they really just didn't want any undesirable people in there.

0:35:200:35:25

I don't know how they had the guts to say it,

0:35:250:35:27

but I understand that my husband stood up

0:35:270:35:29

and said he agreed with them and any time any undesirables came,

0:35:290:35:33

he would be the first to speak up.

0:35:330:35:35

I mean, he let them know.

0:35:350:35:37

But, that goes back to the way my husband was, you pushed him,

0:35:370:35:42

you're going to get it all.

0:35:420:35:44

The saddest personal incident was the poisoning of our dog.

0:35:470:35:52

Somebody threw a piece of meat, poisoned meat over the wall

0:35:520:35:56

and poisoned him.

0:35:560:35:58

It went on...I would say little things for maybe a year.

0:35:580:36:04

My daughter remembers it more than I did that they wrote on the lawn.

0:36:040:36:08

They burned in the word "nigger".

0:36:080:36:11

In, you know, big letters.

0:36:110:36:14

And again this is an isolated incident, but it was so powerful,

0:36:140:36:18

you know, burned in the lawn.

0:36:180:36:22

And the fact that they could even do this,

0:36:220:36:24

there was supposedly very good security in Hancock Park.

0:36:240:36:27

The shadow of that word was always there.

0:36:290:36:31

It was just...there.

0:36:310:36:34

All the people who were protesting that he moved to their neighbourhood

0:36:340:36:38

maybe protested for another reason,

0:36:380:36:40

they were afraid of their property values.

0:36:400:36:42

HE LAUGHS

0:36:420:36:43

And...they all had his records in their house,

0:36:430:36:46

but they signed a petition to get him out.

0:36:460:36:49

You either have to think of it as, "Oh, how stupid can people be?"

0:36:490:36:53

Or it was a real tragedy, you know.

0:36:530:36:57

But being as young as we were, we were, I think, able to handle it

0:36:570:37:04

and I think we did concerning the times handle it very well.

0:37:040:37:08

There's a woman that lived down the street from us,

0:37:080:37:11

she asked my father to come and perform at her little luncheon.

0:37:110:37:14

If he wouldn't mind playing a few songs.

0:37:140:37:18

And he did.

0:37:180:37:20

And he sent her a bill.

0:37:200:37:22

-And she was, you know, mortified.

-SHE LAUGHS

0:37:220:37:26

But I thought that was such a great story, you know,

0:37:260:37:29

because people were so insensitive and so, you know, taking advantage.

0:37:290:37:36

Marie, would you introduce us to the children?

0:37:360:37:39

Yes, this is Natalie Maria, better known as Sweetie.

0:37:390:37:41

-Say hi, Sweetie. Say hi.

-Sweetie?

-Hi!

0:37:410:37:46

-And this is Carole, better known as Cookie. Say hello, Cookie.

-Hello.

0:37:460:37:50

But he always wanted, evidently, he told me he had always wanted to have children.

0:37:500:37:56

That was very important to him.

0:37:560:37:59

We had adopted our first child, who was my sister's child.

0:37:590:38:02

My sister died and we had adopted her.

0:38:020:38:05

Then I became pregnant and Natalie was born.

0:38:050:38:09

And that at that time was to him just... Oh!

0:38:090:38:13

I know most men feel like this when the children are born,

0:38:130:38:17

but it was very, very important to him to have a child.

0:38:170:38:21

I do remember that Nat would come to rehearsal

0:38:210:38:24

and bring this adorable little girl with him

0:38:240:38:26

who would sit there and watch her daddy.

0:38:260:38:29

And she listened and she learned and she grew up to be Natalie Cole.

0:38:290:38:33

You know, every time I walk into the Capitol building I just get chills.

0:38:330:38:39

Because I remember being there with my father, you know,

0:38:390:38:42

and just trying to stay as out of the way as possible

0:38:420:38:46

so he wouldn't tell me I couldn't come with him again.

0:38:460:38:50

It's just such a wonderful memory because, you know, as a kid that's...

0:38:500:38:58

Who knew that I was going to grow up to be in that environment as well?

0:38:580:39:03

For me it was just fun, you know,

0:39:030:39:05

and a chance to be with my father.

0:39:050:39:07

BOTH: # What to do?

0:39:070:39:09

# What to do? Has me guessing

0:39:090:39:12

# It seems I can't learn my lesson

0:39:120:39:15

# Every time I'm with you I'm confessing

0:39:150:39:20

# I just don't know what to do. #

0:39:200:39:23

I was about six, Cookie was about 11.

0:39:230:39:27

And it's a hysterical little song, it's just the cutest.

0:39:270:39:32

And they just let the tape roll and we were kind of clowning

0:39:320:39:35

and acting up and giggling.

0:39:350:39:39

It's a beautiful, sweet, sweet little record.

0:39:390:39:44

But I did stay close to Natalie

0:39:440:39:47

as she grew up into the lovely, talented, gifted,

0:39:470:39:51

exciting woman she is.

0:39:510:39:53

Then she did a big record with him. Was it Unforgettable? Yeah.

0:39:530:39:58

# The song of love that clings to me

0:39:580:40:03

# How the thought of you does things to me

0:40:030:40:07

# Never before

0:40:070:40:12

# Has someone been more

0:40:120:40:17

# Unforgettable

0:40:180:40:21

# In every way... #

0:40:210:40:26

I was talking to my manager and I said, you know,

0:40:270:40:30

"I've really started to think I want to do a record of my dad's music."

0:40:300:40:36

And my manager, you know, he was pretty...flexible.

0:40:360:40:42

And he was like, "Yeah, yeah, that's not a bad idea."

0:40:420:40:45

We went to the record company and they said...

0:40:450:40:47

Well, the last record I had done was so-so.

0:40:470:40:51

I wasn't even that happy about it.

0:40:510:40:54

It was called Good To Be Back.

0:40:540:40:57

And...this was after I'd got out of rehab, got myself together, blah, blah, blah.

0:40:570:41:03

And...the record company said, "Well, you really should be coming off of a hit record

0:41:030:41:10

"before you do a record like what you're talking about, this tribute to your dad."

0:41:100:41:14

And I said, "Well, what if I don't have another hit record?"

0:41:140:41:17

Nobody could answer that. SHE LAUGHS

0:41:170:41:20

Basically, I was able to leave, get out of my contract.

0:41:200:41:24

You know, when you fast-forward to the Grammys that night

0:41:240:41:28

when Unforgettable won everything.

0:41:280:41:31

And one of my acceptance speeches was, "Thank you, Capitol, for letting me out of my contract."

0:41:310:41:37

SHE LAUGHS A lot of people got fired

0:41:370:41:41

because of that situation.

0:41:410:41:44

Because they didn't have the vision to, you know, do a record like this.

0:41:440:41:49

But we came up with the idea of doing it with Unforgettable.

0:41:490:41:52

By then we had hired Andre Fischer, who I was then married to,

0:41:520:41:56

and David Foster.

0:41:560:41:58

David had to go to New Jersey to get the master of Unforgettable.

0:41:580:42:05

It had been sitting in storage for who knows how long.

0:42:050:42:10

And Al Smith, the engineer, was like, "What am I going to do with this?"

0:42:100:42:14

Back in the day, tracks were done all at the same time,

0:42:140:42:19

so it really was a technological coup, you know,

0:42:190:42:24

that Al was able to lift Dad's voice off of the old Unforgettable track

0:42:240:42:31

and put it on the new one that we recorded.

0:42:310:42:34

I kind of did want a boy,

0:42:480:42:49

because of Nat and his baseball and all of this, you know.

0:42:490:42:54

He just loved sport.

0:42:540:42:56

So we were talking about it and I said, "Well, it would be just my luck to have another girl."

0:42:560:43:02

Just like that I said to him, "Let's adopt."

0:43:020:43:04

And I said it just like that. And, of course, he said yes to everything.

0:43:040:43:08

He said, "OK." And I don't remember how long afterwards,

0:43:080:43:12

we were all having breakfast one morning and the phone rang.

0:43:120:43:15

And I went to the phone and they said,

0:43:150:43:17

"Mrs Cole, I think we might have your boy."

0:43:170:43:19

Well, it was like a movie scene. We left, all of us, got in that car and left.

0:43:190:43:25

The Children's Home Society was on Adams Boulevard, not really that far from our house.

0:43:250:43:30

We got in the car, we flew.

0:43:300:43:32

And we got over there, and this was Willie Smith's ex-wife,

0:43:320:43:36

and she had brought this little boy in in a little jumper suit.

0:43:360:43:41

He was five months old.

0:43:410:43:43

She left the baby with us and about 15 minutes later

0:43:430:43:46

she came back in and said, "You really don't have to make up your mind,

0:43:460:43:49

"Mr and Mrs Cole, right now, because sometimes..."

0:43:490:43:53

And Nate interrupted her, he said, "What are you talking about?"

0:43:530:43:56

He said, "Get the paper, whatever I'm supposed to sign. We're leaving."

0:43:560:44:01

And he said, "This is my boy." Then we left.

0:44:010:44:05

President Kennedy came as a favour to my dad

0:44:400:44:44

to the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and showed up at her ball.

0:44:440:44:51

And there's a picture of her dancing with him, you know,

0:44:510:44:55

and I just could not believe that I could not be there. SHE LAUGHS

0:44:550:45:00

And we hadn't been sitting there, I don't think, 15 minutes,

0:45:010:45:04

before this gentleman walked up - I don't remember who now -

0:45:040:45:08

and mentioned something in Nat's ear.

0:45:080:45:10

And Nat was, I think, eating and he looked up like this...

0:45:100:45:14

He had funny... He had funny expressions sometimes, anyway.

0:45:140:45:17

He was...like that.

0:45:170:45:19

And he said, "The President's coming," to me.

0:45:190:45:23

I said, "What?" "He's coming over here."

0:45:230:45:26

And then, of course, by that time,

0:45:260:45:29

a few minutes later, here come all these secret servicemen,

0:45:290:45:33

and here comes Jack Kennedy.

0:45:330:45:36

Well, one of the few times, again, in my life,

0:45:360:45:40

that I just couldn't believe it.

0:45:400:45:42

And he just stood up there at the podium

0:45:420:45:45

and he said, "Thank you very much.

0:45:450:45:47

"I am so glad that I was able to come by."

0:45:470:45:50

He said, "It's the least an itinerant president

0:45:500:45:52

"can do for a man like Nat Cole."

0:45:520:45:55

The United States...

0:46:040:46:05

One of our great cultures that we've created, for a young country...

0:46:050:46:09

..was elongated improvisation.

0:46:110:46:15

Jazz.

0:46:150:46:17

Jazz changed the history of music.

0:46:170:46:20

And it's strictly American.

0:46:210:46:23

Jazz is strictly American.

0:46:230:46:25

And people love it, especially in Europe.

0:46:250:46:28

I was doing Sunday Night at the Palladium at the time,

0:46:320:46:35

and Glyn Jones, who worked for the Grade Organisation,

0:46:350:46:38

Glyn phoned me, he said, "Bruce, I know you were thrilled

0:46:380:46:42

"about Nat King Cole coming over."

0:46:420:46:44

I said, "Well, he's my idol. I love this man."

0:46:440:46:47

So, he said, "Well, he's here now."

0:46:470:46:50

He said, "We've got two pianos backstage

0:46:500:46:53

"and we were wondering - we've had a word with Nat -

0:46:530:46:56

"and we were wondering whether you could do a number with him."

0:46:560:47:00

'I said, "Do a number with Nat King Cole? That is fantastic!"'

0:47:000:47:04

Ladies and gentlemen, last night on the Palladium show

0:47:040:47:07

I had one of my biggest thrills -

0:47:070:47:09

one of my biggest thrills all day -

0:47:090:47:10

to meet the star of our show last night.

0:47:100:47:12

He is now very, very thrilled to be here this evening.

0:47:120:47:15

Ladies and gentlemen, the very, very wonderful Nat King Cole!

0:47:150:47:19

'We put this number together.

0:47:200:47:22

'He said, "What number can we do?"

0:47:220:47:24

'I said, "Well, Paper Moon is up-tempo. Paper Moon would be good."'

0:47:240:47:29

He said, "Yeah, now, what key do I do that in? What key...?"

0:47:290:47:32

I said, "You do it in F.

0:47:320:47:34

"Well, anyway, I know it in F, so we'll do it in F."

0:47:340:47:37

He was, "Oh, great."

0:47:370:47:39

So, we worked that out, ten minutes.

0:47:390:47:41

A couple of choruses, he sang the first eight,

0:47:410:47:44

I sang the second eight, and so on, and so on.

0:47:440:47:47

Then he played a little piano solo,

0:47:470:47:48

I played a piano solo,

0:47:480:47:50

and then we finished together.

0:47:500:47:51

That was all done in TEN minutes.

0:47:510:47:53

-Very good luck to you...

-Thank you, Bruce.

-..and what's it going to be?

0:47:530:47:56

I'm going to sing, erm...

0:47:560:47:59

Oh, no! That's my favourite!

0:47:590:48:02

-It is?!

-I love that!

0:48:020:48:04

He sat at the piano

0:48:040:48:07

and played me his latest LP, and sang...

0:48:070:48:10

all the numbers from his latest LP.

0:48:100:48:14

Now, can you really imagine that happened?

0:48:140:48:17

I have to think quite a few times myself!

0:48:170:48:21

But he did that for me, having not met me before.

0:48:210:48:24

He was so...so wonderful.

0:48:240:48:28

I was just overwhelmed - the fact that he did that

0:48:280:48:31

just for me, personally.

0:48:310:48:33

HOLDS FINAL NOTE

0:48:330:48:36

He loved Japan because he got to meet the whole baseball team.

0:48:540:48:59

I mean, they loved him and he loved...

0:48:590:49:02

That night, I think Nat was in heaven.

0:49:020:49:04

Australia...was, I think, the people,

0:49:100:49:12

more than anything else, that amazed him.

0:49:120:49:15

Thousands of people at the airport.

0:49:150:49:18

Very nice meeting you, but now if you don't mind...

0:49:180:49:22

You gotta sing another song, I bet, right now?

0:49:220:49:24

I'd LIKE to sing another song.

0:49:240:49:26

Oh, do us a favour for me, buddy. Sing 'er her favourite, will ya?

0:49:260:49:29

What's that?

0:49:290:49:31

# They tried to tell her she's too young...#

0:49:310:49:34

And I tell you what, love, if she doesn't embark

0:49:340:49:37

on the sea of matrimony soon, it'll be too late.

0:49:370:49:40

-Well, it's been very nice...

-Nice meeting you.

0:49:400:49:42

-You're a real gent. Thanks very much.

-Very...

0:49:420:49:46

Oh, love, she's fainted!

0:49:460:49:47

NEWS REPORT IN SPANISH

0:49:490:49:53

They love him.

0:49:550:49:57

We almost bought a house there. We were there twice.

0:49:570:50:00

It was a lovely time for Nat.

0:50:000:50:02

He loved it. He loved the musicians, he loved working with them.

0:50:020:50:05

In fact, even after he died,

0:50:050:50:08

I was invited back there.

0:50:080:50:10

They have, I understand, a...

0:50:100:50:12

a sculpture of him - I was told - over there.

0:50:120:50:15

The second time we went back,

0:50:150:50:18

we were in the car going to work,

0:50:180:50:20

and they stopped our car,

0:50:200:50:22

and they put the guns in the car,

0:50:220:50:24

in the windows, and the guy said, "That's Nat King Cole."

0:50:240:50:28

He said, "Oh."

0:50:280:50:29

We went through like that.

0:50:290:50:31

# Wa-oo, wa-oo, wa-oo

0:50:350:50:36

# Wa-oo, wa-oo, wa-ay... #

0:50:360:50:39

When it came down to the nitty-gritty,

0:50:410:50:44

I had to take over.

0:50:440:50:45

Not only was she keen on it, she was instrumental in helping it.

0:50:450:50:50

# How she feels so sad... #

0:50:500:50:52

They wanted to make a change.

0:50:520:50:54

She wanted to get more into - then we would've said - today's music.

0:50:540:50:59

So he decided he wanted to add a bongo player.

0:50:590:51:04

Musically, we had Joe Comfort on bass and Irving Ashby on the guitar.

0:51:080:51:13

I was on the conga drums more than the bongos,

0:51:130:51:17

and Nat, of course, was the star.

0:51:170:51:19

They were saying, "What are we going to call the group

0:51:190:51:22

"now that we've added another musician?"

0:51:220:51:26

So they said, "Well, call it the King Cole Quartet."

0:51:260:51:29

So I said, everybody knows that Nat is the piano player,

0:51:290:51:35

and Nat, now, is doing the singing

0:51:350:51:38

so I said that he's the star.

0:51:380:51:40

So I said call it Nat King Cole And His Trio.

0:51:400:51:44

Well, they were very upset that I put my two cents into it.

0:51:440:51:48

They read the riot act to me.

0:51:480:51:49

But, that's what it became.

0:51:490:51:52

It became Nat King Cole And His Trio.

0:51:520:51:54

Here's a black trio that hires a white guy

0:51:540:51:58

to join the trio

0:51:580:52:00

and nobody knew that it had ever happened before.

0:52:000:52:05

No matter how much the trio and I didn't like the fact

0:52:060:52:09

that we were being made...

0:52:090:52:11

I don't know how to say it - we weren't second-class citizens, but

0:52:110:52:15

we were not as important in the trio

0:52:150:52:17

as we had been from the beginning.

0:52:170:52:19

You know, because he...

0:52:190:52:22

He was starting to do things with big bands added,

0:52:220:52:25

and we didn't get to play instrumentals any more.

0:52:250:52:29

I'm talking now three years into when I was there.

0:52:290:52:33

# I guess I always will

0:52:330:52:35

# I hope we'll never depart

0:52:350:52:39

# Dear, with your lips to mine

0:52:390:52:42

# A rhapsody divine

0:52:420:52:44

# Zing! Went the strings of my heart... #

0:52:440:52:47

I was, thank God, smart enough to realise how talented he was.

0:52:470:52:52

But I have always felt

0:52:520:52:55

- and I really feel -

0:52:550:52:58

that he had the talent and I gave him everything else.

0:52:580:53:02

His wife was smart.

0:53:040:53:05

She said, "Nat, you're one of the world's greatest singers."

0:53:050:53:09

And she said, "I tell you what, don't play the piano.

0:53:100:53:14

"Then you will stop the controversy.

0:53:140:53:16

"You will be on one side,

0:53:160:53:18

"you won't be straddling the fence."

0:53:180:53:20

And a lot of musicians hated his wife for doing that.

0:53:200:53:24

What I say, if I went to a Nat Cole concert, and he didn't sing,

0:53:240:53:27

I would've felt I'd wasted my money.

0:53:270:53:30

The thing that Nat had was that wonderful sound,

0:53:300:53:34

that... # Mona Lisa... #

0:53:340:53:37

It was just...

0:53:370:53:38

It wasn't exaggerated,

0:53:380:53:40

because that's the way he sang, that's the way he spoke.

0:53:400:53:44

My husband never mispronounced a word.

0:53:440:53:46

Never.

0:53:460:53:48

I just know that came from our relationship.

0:53:480:53:51

It couldn't have come from anywhere else.

0:53:510:53:53

# Many dreams...

0:53:530:53:56

# Have been brought to your doorstep... #

0:53:570:54:02

Over the years, I never figured it out,

0:54:040:54:06

and then one day it came to me, and I said - "He just waits!"

0:54:060:54:10

And then he sings.

0:54:100:54:11

And then he waits, and then he sings, and then he waits,

0:54:110:54:14

and then he sings. And it's wonderful!

0:54:140:54:17

Because if I didn't hear Nature Boy,

0:54:170:54:20

and Mona Lisa, I mean,

0:54:200:54:23

that would've been a tragedy for me.

0:54:230:54:25

And I'm a musician a person who likes his piano playing.

0:54:250:54:28

But his voice and his choice of material...

0:54:280:54:31

He was the genius at selecting material.

0:54:330:54:35

And his way of approaching them,

0:54:350:54:36

he kept them from getting bogged down.

0:54:360:54:39

He made everything acceptable, easy to accept.

0:54:390:54:42

There was nothing about his performance that was not

0:54:430:54:47

absolutely perfect. Flawless.

0:54:470:54:50

# Mona Lisa

0:54:500:54:54

# Mona Lisa. #

0:54:570:55:06

And I dunno why, man, but it just resonated with me.

0:55:100:55:13

He just had this mesmerising quality to his vocals.

0:55:130:55:17

And I was sold. I was done.

0:55:170:55:20

Just the way he played.

0:55:200:55:21

Just the way he sang.

0:55:210:55:22

There was something about him that, for me, was magic.

0:55:220:55:25

It wasn't something that you could study and learn.

0:55:250:55:28

Just to watch him play and sing was a joy.

0:55:280:55:33

Today they record a lot of albums in pieces.

0:55:330:55:36

When you go into the Capitol archives

0:55:360:55:38

and look at Nat King Cole's work -

0:55:380:55:40

or listen to Nat King Cole's work -

0:55:400:55:42

you don't hear pick-ups.

0:55:420:55:43

You don't hear any pick-up on Sinatra,

0:55:430:55:45

and you don't hear any pick-ups on Nat.

0:55:450:55:47

Nat started at the top and went to the bottom,

0:55:470:55:49

and if a technician made a mistake -

0:55:490:55:52

cos Nat didn't make mistakes, he had perfect pitch -

0:55:520:55:55

they would take it from the top.

0:55:550:55:57

BIG BAND INTRO

0:55:570:56:00

# In the evenings

0:56:000:56:01

# May I come and sing

0:56:010:56:04

# To you

0:56:040:56:06

# All the songs that I would like

0:56:080:56:10

# To bring to you... #

0:56:100:56:13

DRUM ROLL

0:56:150:56:17

The Nat King Cole Show!

0:56:170:56:19

Because of the political climate at the time,

0:56:190:56:23

and the climate in general in the nation,

0:56:230:56:26

when Nat Cole had a TV show, that was super special.

0:56:260:56:31

And, although I only saw it maybe once or twice, in those days,

0:56:310:56:35

I had to see it to believe that it was really true.

0:56:350:56:39

Because, word-of-mouth did not convince me

0:56:390:56:41

that a black man had a TV show. I had to see it for myself!

0:56:410:56:44

Here's a tune that I hope will bring back

0:56:450:56:48

a special memory to you.

0:56:480:56:50

# There will

0:56:510:56:54

# Be many other nights

0:56:540:56:58

# Like this... #

0:56:580:57:00

This wonderful 15-minute performance on television,

0:57:010:57:05

which I loved.

0:57:050:57:07

It's one of the classics of that era.

0:57:090:57:12

And Sammy Davis and all the musicians he brought along with him.

0:57:130:57:18

# There will be other songs to sing... #

0:57:180:57:22

Maybe ten years earlier it could not have happened.

0:57:220:57:27

But Nat made it happen,

0:57:270:57:28

and the timing was just right.

0:57:280:57:31

A man possessed of genius

0:57:350:57:38

when it came to his music,

0:57:380:57:40

when it came to his singing.

0:57:400:57:42

By all measures everybody thought he was indeed

0:57:420:57:45

the greatest singer in the world.

0:57:450:57:47

When he went on the air, the things that he did,

0:57:470:57:49

and the way in which he delighted us

0:57:490:57:51

was everything that you would have wanted

0:57:510:57:54

somebody in that position of opportunity to display.

0:57:540:57:58

We knew that Nat was very exceptional,

0:58:120:58:14

we didn't know whether it would ever pass on,

0:58:140:58:17

but he did show that it could be done.

0:58:170:58:20

That's what the big thing was.

0:58:200:58:22

It was a victory for America that this place opened up,

0:58:220:58:26

and Nat's greatness was part of what prevailed.

0:58:260:58:30

So, from that degree, we had a pride in the moment.

0:58:300:58:32

A pride in what was taking place.

0:58:320:58:35

It was his way, by not making political statements

0:58:350:58:38

or anything like that, but just being...

0:58:380:58:41

..a very wholesome human being.

0:58:430:58:46

Musically and intellectually, so far above

0:58:460:58:49

what people were accustomed to hearing on television at the time.

0:58:490:58:53

If he can do that, I can do that

0:58:530:58:56

because that's how those things happen.

0:58:560:58:58

It's a chain of events, you know.

0:58:580:59:00

So it was very significant.

0:59:000:59:02

Although he had a lot of trouble, it was still very significant.

0:59:020:59:05

He didn't expect no free ride,

0:59:050:59:07

and nobody expected he would have a free ride, but, erm...

0:59:070:59:10

if anybody could pull it off, he could.

0:59:110:59:14

Thank you. Now, if you would all just get a little closer

0:59:140:59:17

to your television sets, we don't want you to miss a word.

0:59:170:59:20

I had left Ciro's and the Frontier

0:59:200:59:23

and all those nightclubs and gone to NBC,

0:59:230:59:26

primarily to bring the guest stars who used to work the nightclubs.

0:59:260:59:30

So, they were listening to me, at that point.

0:59:300:59:34

And so, I said, "This man is magic."

0:59:340:59:37

And I took Alan Livingston, and I took Hal Kemp...

0:59:370:59:41

"Come out to Ciro's and sit there

0:59:410:59:43

"and listen to this man, and see what happens."

0:59:430:59:45

You couldn't get in,

0:59:450:59:47

the audience was young,

0:59:470:59:48

the audience was primarily white,

0:59:480:59:50

because black people could not afford that cover charge,

0:59:500:59:53

and you saw magic happening.

0:59:530:59:56

If those people go home,

0:59:560:59:58

turn on the television set,

0:59:581:00:00

they would love to see Nat Cole.

1:00:001:00:02

So that was the whole pitch that I made.

1:00:021:00:05

And guest stars... Guest stars wanted to work with Nat Cole.

1:00:051:00:08

And now, ladies and gentlemen,

1:00:081:00:10

here is a young man who has had a meteoric rise in show business.

1:00:101:00:14

A modest fellow,

1:00:141:00:16

whose greatest pleasure it is to entertain everybody.

1:00:161:00:20

Let's really say hello to...

1:00:211:00:23

-Tony Bennett! Yeah! Yeah!

-CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

1:00:231:00:26

# In the middle of an island

1:00:291:00:33

# Lived a king in all his glory... #

1:00:331:00:36

Nat was the ultimate god of doing it the right way.

1:00:361:00:41

I mean, he had a television show

1:00:411:00:44

that was so flawless

1:00:441:00:46

and perfect...

1:00:461:00:48

I was fortunate enough to be on his show also,

1:00:501:00:53

and he had the most wonderful guest artists on the show.

1:00:531:00:58

And he had Nelson Riddle, who is the...

1:01:001:01:03

He was the one that discovered Nelson Riddle.

1:01:031:01:05

Sinatra adapted Nelson Riddle to his great charts,

1:01:071:01:11

but really Nat was the one that found this great orchestrator

1:01:111:01:15

in the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra,

1:01:151:01:18

and said this is who I want to record with.

1:01:181:01:20

He was absolutely obsessed with his music.

1:01:201:01:25

That was more important to him than anything.

1:01:271:01:30

And, my mother respected that,

1:01:311:01:34

even though she took a back seat, if you will.

1:01:341:01:38

Possibly too often.

1:01:381:01:40

Nelson Riddle was probably one of the fathers of pop music.

1:01:401:01:43

In many ways Nelson was a lot like Nat.

1:01:431:01:47

He was a gentle man, he was enormously creative,

1:01:471:01:50

very inventive, very supportive,

1:01:501:01:53

and he did love Nat Cole.

1:01:531:01:56

My impression was he respected and loved Nat

1:01:561:02:02

and really loved working with him.

1:02:021:02:04

I think that he felt...

1:02:041:02:07

I think that he felt a great deal of sympathy for Nat

1:02:101:02:15

given the difficulties that Nat ran into

1:02:151:02:19

as a black man competing in a white world.

1:02:191:02:22

You know, one of the most important factors in the success of a record

1:02:221:02:25

is the musical arrangement,

1:02:251:02:27

arrangements like Begin The Beguine and In The Mood, Marie,

1:02:271:02:30

and one of today's leading arrangers is our own Nelson Riddle.

1:02:301:02:34

BAND STRIKES UP

1:02:341:02:37

The product of this man's imagination

1:02:371:02:40

is familiar to everyone who enjoys popular music.

1:02:401:02:44

When he finishes an arrangement,

1:02:441:02:47

Nelson hands the score

1:02:471:02:49

to his chief copyist, Vern Jocum.

1:02:491:02:53

First of all, I met...

1:02:531:02:54

Nelson and I met some years before that.

1:02:541:02:56

Nelson did some arranging for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

1:02:561:02:59

after I had left the orchestra,

1:02:591:03:02

and we were friendly through the years until, obviously,

1:03:021:03:05

up until the time we began to work.

1:03:051:03:08

But, when I heard the things that he'd been doing with Nat

1:03:081:03:11

I said I've got to work with this guy,

1:03:111:03:13

because he's absolutely marvellous.

1:03:131:03:15

And he really did some beautiful orchestrations.

1:03:151:03:18

Wonderful orchestrations.

1:03:181:03:21

He and Nat fitted so well, that I was trying to be

1:03:211:03:25

as successful as a vocalist with Nelson, as Nat was,

1:03:251:03:29

and I never did find out whether we made it or not.

1:03:291:03:32

I think they empathised with one another,

1:04:051:04:07

around the sentiments of the blues.

1:04:071:04:10

Because they both suffered, erm...

1:04:101:04:14

I won't call it depression,

1:04:141:04:17

but they were melancholy fellows.

1:04:171:04:20

Deep down inside.

1:04:201:04:22

APPLAUSE

1:04:221:04:26

Nelson, that was really wonderful.

1:04:261:04:28

We'll be back in just one moment.

1:04:281:04:29

I was doing a gospel album called

1:04:311:04:36

Rhapsody in Sacred Music.

1:04:361:04:39

And we were recording this album at Capitol Studio A -

1:04:391:04:45

about 40 musicians -

1:04:451:04:47

and a guy who was a hot mixer around town

1:04:471:04:52

was our mixer that day - Val Valentin.

1:04:521:04:56

And Val liked what he heard

1:04:561:04:58

and, unbeknownst to me, he...

1:04:581:05:02

..he made a copy of the tape

1:05:031:05:07

and took it to a guy by the name of Lee Gillette,

1:05:071:05:10

who was the head of A&R at Capitol Records,

1:05:101:05:13

and was producing Nat Cole's albums.

1:05:131:05:18

And, erm, the rest is history.

1:05:181:05:22

It was only a short time that I got a call from Lee Gillette,

1:05:221:05:25

and the call was

1:05:251:05:29

would I be interested in doing a Christmas album with Nat,

1:05:291:05:33

and what do you suppose the answer was?

1:05:331:05:37

# Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

1:05:371:05:42

# Jack Frost nipping at your nose

1:05:441:05:47

# Yuletide carols being sung by a choir... #

1:05:501:05:55

I knew Ralphie was another gentleman,

1:05:571:06:01

he was very much into gospel music

1:06:011:06:04

and he was a terrific arranger.

1:06:041:06:06

# ..a turkey and some mistletoe

1:06:061:06:09

# Help to make the season bright

1:06:091:06:12

# Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow

1:06:151:06:21

# Will find it hard to sleep tonight... #

1:06:211:06:26

There was one incident where they did do his face strangely.

1:06:261:06:30

I don't know who did it, who was responsible for it,

1:06:301:06:33

but it was outrageous.

1:06:331:06:35

It made it look like he had padding on his face

1:06:351:06:38

and they painted the padding.

1:06:381:06:39

It was terrible - ugly, ugly.

1:06:391:06:41

They put make-up on him to make him

1:06:431:06:44

appealing to the white audience in America.

1:06:441:06:48

Because they said, "Well, amazing talent

1:06:481:06:51

"but we can't present in a way that would be offensive."

1:06:511:06:55

And, at that time, blackness was very, you know, was very offensive.

1:06:551:06:59

This was the blackest man I'd ever seen in my whole life.

1:06:591:07:02

I mean, it's obvious the man was black.

1:07:021:07:04

In fact, he was dark black.

1:07:041:07:06

His skin was dark.

1:07:061:07:09

He was not beige,

1:07:091:07:11

it was pure black.

1:07:111:07:13

It's like going...going to a circus

1:07:131:07:16

and seeing a man who's white

1:07:161:07:17

and they put a lot of make-up on him,

1:07:171:07:20

to make him look like a clown.

1:07:201:07:22

To me it was ridiculous.

1:07:221:07:23

He is what he is. Why change him?

1:07:231:07:26

You're deceiving the public by

1:07:261:07:29

taking a man who IS black and trying to make him white.

1:07:291:07:31

# Friendly, freshening Rheingold

1:07:311:07:33

# Always happily dry #

1:07:331:07:35

We were able to get Rheingold to sponsor.

1:07:351:07:38

That was the main sponsor.

1:07:381:07:40

# Rheingold is my beer

1:07:401:07:42

# It's extra dry

1:07:421:07:45

# One reason why it is my beer... #

1:07:461:07:49

My wife Jolene had been a Rheingold Girl

1:07:511:07:54

so we were very close to the head of the Rheingold company,

1:07:541:07:57

and we brought him in to hear Nat

1:07:571:08:00

and he loved him.

1:08:001:08:02

And when he was at Ciro's he saw the audience,

1:08:021:08:04

he saw the place was packed,

1:08:041:08:05

we couldn't get in, and they wouldn't let him off stage.

1:08:051:08:08

Well, there's an audience of great acceptance.

1:08:081:08:11

He said, "Wait, those are the people who drink Rheingold beer."

1:08:111:08:14

So it wasn't easy to sell the show,

1:08:141:08:16

but when the South came out against it, and started cancelling stations,

1:08:161:08:20

Rheingold could not stay with the show.

1:08:201:08:22

His ratings were not good in a lot of the South.

1:08:221:08:26

They did not broadcast his programmes.

1:08:261:08:30

They were anti-black.

1:08:301:08:31

I didn't think he had a chance.

1:08:311:08:33

There were too many people against the fact that there was

1:08:331:08:37

a black man on national television,

1:08:371:08:40

and it just wouldn't go.

1:08:401:08:43

There was resistance to anything intelligent in the South,

1:08:431:08:47

at that time.

1:08:471:08:49

They were still living as cave dwellers.

1:08:491:08:52

That's their loss.

1:08:521:08:54

You know?

1:08:561:08:57

That's stupidity.

1:08:571:08:58

At the time, there were far more who liked it than didn't.

1:08:581:09:03

-Nat, can I give you just a little suggestion?

-What's that?

1:09:031:09:06

Nat, you're doing wonderful now,

1:09:061:09:08

but you need a style when you sing.

1:09:081:09:10

AUDIENCE LAUGHS

1:09:101:09:12

Style? You want to show me?

1:09:121:09:13

Well, there was a guy, I remember...

1:09:131:09:15

I saw a guy many years ago,

1:09:151:09:16

used to work with a trio, erm...

1:09:161:09:18

He played the piano - wonderful. King something, his name was.

1:09:181:09:21

It went like... Start like this...

1:09:211:09:24

-MIMICS NAT:

-# I used to walk with you

1:09:241:09:28

# Along the Avenue

1:09:281:09:30

# Our hearts were carefree

1:09:331:09:35

# ..and gay... #

1:09:351:09:39

It's so ignorant, because we're all here on this planet and, regretfully,

1:09:391:09:45

what I really disliked about it, is the show was flawless.

1:09:451:09:50

They could play it right now on television

1:09:501:09:53

and it would be a smash.

1:09:531:09:56

The show was, first of all, number one in its time slot.

1:09:561:10:00

Had the largest viewing audience of any show in that time slot,

1:10:001:10:04

in that space,

1:10:041:10:06

and despite this display of audience numbers,

1:10:061:10:10

of the willingness to support the show and whatnot,

1:10:101:10:14

they decided to pull it from the air.

1:10:141:10:17

If he wasn't embarrassed, he was hurt

1:10:171:10:19

that he couldn't get sponsorship.

1:10:191:10:22

He was a tremendously big star.

1:10:221:10:24

Nat just finally made up his own mind.

1:10:241:10:27

That was the only thing I kept trying to make clear, you know,

1:10:271:10:30

they'd say in the paper he lost his show - he didn't lose the show.

1:10:301:10:33

He could've gone on if he'd wanted.

1:10:331:10:35

Everyone, almost, on it did it for nothing, you know. Everyone.

1:10:351:10:38

I mean, all those stars gave...

1:10:381:10:40

They were just...

1:10:401:10:41

just...so anxious for him to get this going.

1:10:411:10:44

But, Nat, himself, finally said,

1:10:441:10:47

"I don't want to do it like this any more.

1:10:471:10:50

"It's killing us trying to get sponsors..."

1:10:501:10:52

He said, as I've told you before,

1:10:521:10:54

"Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark."

1:10:541:10:56

To me he belongs somewhere

1:10:561:10:58

with that line written...

1:10:581:11:00

his name with that written beneath it about his show,

1:11:001:11:04

because after he said that he did this...

1:11:041:11:07

For the nation to have done what they did to him,

1:11:071:11:10

in relationship to the show,

1:11:101:11:13

was an unforgivable act of cruelty.

1:11:131:11:16

And he never quite recovered from that.

1:11:161:11:21

Every so often a performer wants to thank

1:11:211:11:23

everyone at the end of a motion picture,

1:11:231:11:26

a theatrical production

1:11:261:11:27

or, in our case, a television show.

1:11:271:11:30

And on this show, what has meant the most to me

1:11:301:11:33

has been the wonderful spirit of our feeling

1:11:331:11:35

that has existed at all times.

1:11:351:11:37

This quality is the most difficult to find, and we had it.

1:11:371:11:41

Judging by your mail, you must have felt it at home

1:11:411:11:44

and that counts the most with us, too.

1:11:441:11:47

Naturally, there just isn't enough time to express my gratitude

1:11:471:11:51

to every individual here in the studio, or you at home,

1:11:511:11:55

so may I simply say to all of you for now, thanks,

1:11:551:11:58

a Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.

1:11:581:12:01

..as Goldie the fighting legionnaire!

1:12:031:12:06

I always wanted a kid, Brock.

1:12:101:12:11

My wife was told we couldn't have one, we put in papers to adopt one.

1:12:121:12:17

I don't think Nat King Cole

1:12:171:12:20

was ever as uncomfortable anywhere in the world

1:12:201:12:24

as he was in front of a camera

1:12:241:12:27

being required to act.

1:12:271:12:29

He was always brought on because of his personality

1:12:291:12:32

and because he was a great singer,

1:12:321:12:34

and that his name on the box office never hurt

1:12:341:12:37

audiences coming.

1:12:371:12:39

But he was never, ever comfortable as an actor.

1:12:391:12:43

I remember once he did a Western,

1:12:431:12:46

and the picture just come out and whatnot,

1:12:461:12:49

and I told him I was going to go see it and he said,

1:12:491:12:53

he said he was not only not going to see it,

1:12:531:12:55

but if I should see it, he never wanted to know about it.

1:12:551:12:59

And the reason he was saying that was because

1:12:591:13:01

he just wasn't comfortable at what he did, and how he came off.

1:13:011:13:05

But he kept at it.

1:13:051:13:07

He kept at it because it was the right career move to make.

1:13:071:13:09

We were sort of just fooling around,

1:13:111:13:13

waiting for him to go to appear.

1:13:131:13:15

And he acted kind of funny.

1:13:151:13:18

He just didn't act...

1:13:181:13:20

I don't remember anything hurting him,

1:13:201:13:22

he just didn't feel well.

1:13:221:13:24

I showed up at the hotel,

1:13:241:13:26

Maria was there, Nat.

1:13:261:13:28

He answered the door,

1:13:281:13:30

and I couldn't believe it. He was...

1:13:301:13:33

..like he looked the night before -

1:13:331:13:35

pale, absolutely pale.

1:13:351:13:37

I said, "Man, you look the worst!" He said, "I feel the worst."

1:13:371:13:40

He passed out. I wasn't there.

1:13:401:13:43

And Ivan was with him.

1:13:431:13:45

-I said, "What's the matter?"

-He described what was happening.

1:13:451:13:48

I said, "You got to do something about this.

1:13:481:13:50

"Let me call my buddy, my doctor."

1:13:501:13:54

He said, "All right, go ahead, call him."

1:13:541:13:57

Just a little indigestion, Huh, doc?

1:13:571:13:59

You know it's quite a bit more than indigestion.

1:13:591:14:02

I've warned you before about those ulcers of yours.

1:14:021:14:05

But I've got to go out there to do a concert.

1:14:051:14:08

I'm late now.

1:14:081:14:10

Sorry, Mr Cole. The only place you're going is the hospital.

1:14:101:14:13

Hospital?

1:14:131:14:14

He came out in the audience and made an apology to the audience,

1:14:141:14:18

and he wound up in the hospital.

1:14:181:14:19

And he was...

1:14:191:14:21

deathly ill.

1:14:211:14:23

But it was strange, what the doctor said.

1:14:231:14:25

Nat was supposed to go on a tour after that, in the South,

1:14:251:14:28

and he said, "I don't want you taking the chance in going down there,

1:14:281:14:33

"and they won't admit you in a hospital."

1:14:331:14:37

But it was true. If he had gone down there and become ill...

1:14:381:14:42

Bleeding ulcers need an immediate operation.

1:14:441:14:48

He could have died.

1:14:481:14:50

I think the one that was talked about the most

1:14:591:15:02

and was very public was the attack in Alabama.

1:15:021:15:05

Nat signs up to do a tour down south.

1:15:051:15:08

It was financially very good, but...

1:15:081:15:12

..emotionally it was terrible.

1:15:131:15:16

After I got to about the third song, the next thing I knew...

1:15:161:15:18

the spotlight had me blinded.

1:15:181:15:20

Off the stage, the auditorium is completely dark,

1:15:201:15:22

as you know, when you're working.

1:15:221:15:24

Next thing I know I was hit around the ankles,

1:15:241:15:27

I was sort of tripped, and I was sort of reaching over the footlight.

1:15:271:15:31

For the people who saw that happen,

1:15:311:15:34

it heightened a sensibility and a sensitivity

1:15:341:15:38

to what the rest of us experienced, but didn't have Nat's platform.

1:15:381:15:42

There was a lot of criticism,

1:15:421:15:44

by some of his own people,

1:15:441:15:46

because I don't know what they expected him to do -

1:15:461:15:48

I've said this before,

1:15:481:15:50

but I think they felt that he rationalised too much about it.

1:15:501:15:54

Do you expect any more trouble?

1:15:541:15:56

Oh, no, I don't think so.

1:15:561:15:58

I think this is one out of a million.

1:15:581:15:59

I don't think it'll turn out to be a continuous thing.

1:15:591:16:03

The only thing, we couldn't take a chance on continuing there last night,

1:16:031:16:07

because, you never can tell, innocent people might've got hurt from this thing.

1:16:071:16:10

-Will you request police protection?

-No, no, not exactly.

1:16:101:16:13

I don't think it was a personal affront to me, personally.

1:16:131:16:17

It was shocking to think that anybody as sweet and nice as Nat

1:16:171:16:20

could have this happen to him.

1:16:201:16:23

I didn't know what I could do about it.

1:16:231:16:26

And when I tried to do things about it...

1:16:261:16:28

Like when we played one place,

1:16:281:16:30

I went up into the balconies in the break,

1:16:301:16:33

and sat up there and talked to the blacks up there.

1:16:331:16:36

And a policeman came and told me, he says, "You can't be up here.

1:16:361:16:40

"We don't do that down here."

1:16:401:16:41

And then, Nat took me aside and says,

1:16:411:16:43

"Look, you can't carry our cross, Jack, OK?"

1:16:431:16:47

He says, "Don't do that any more."

1:16:471:16:49

-Dad quietly made his mark. He was not...

-He did.

1:16:491:16:52

And often criticised for that.

1:16:521:16:54

-Right.

-For not being the political...

1:16:541:16:59

..bigmouth activist that a lot of his counterparts were,

1:16:591:17:02

who were going through the same thing.

1:17:021:17:05

Erm... It was not his style.

1:17:051:17:08

It was not who he was.

1:17:081:17:10

He showed up at the recordings,

1:17:161:17:19

not in his usual casual manner.

1:17:191:17:23

He dressed in a suit...

1:17:241:17:28

..and we commented about that.

1:17:291:17:32

Why would he dress up to come to a recording?

1:17:321:17:37

He must have been valuing every day.

1:17:371:17:41

Maybe he knew his time was short.

1:17:411:17:44

I never saw Nat without a cigarette. Never.

1:17:441:17:47

And when he had that holder,

1:17:471:17:49

everybody went out and bought holders

1:17:491:17:51

because Nat King Cole did it.

1:17:511:17:52

I used to argue with him a lot about one main thing -

1:17:521:17:55

his smoking.

1:17:551:17:57

A lot of us pleaded with him to stop smoking so much,

1:17:581:18:01

not because we understood

1:18:011:18:04

that cancer was inevitable,

1:18:041:18:06

we knew that illness was inevitable,

1:18:061:18:09

but we didn't know that death was inevitable.

1:18:091:18:11

# Couldn't possibly heal

1:18:111:18:15

# All this pain

1:18:151:18:17

# Here in my soul

1:18:171:18:20

# Won't you tell me what love is?

1:18:211:18:24

# But a prelude

1:18:241:18:26

# A prelude to sorrow

1:18:261:18:29

I think I'd been married for about seven years.

1:18:291:18:32

And there were things that were just getting to me.

1:18:321:18:35

And I just decided I'd go back to work.

1:18:351:18:38

And I worked for - not very long -

1:18:381:18:41

then I decided I didn't like it,

1:18:411:18:43

I didn't want to work that hard, and I quit.

1:18:431:18:46

And things were fine.

1:18:461:18:48

And then, just about, oh...

1:18:481:18:51

a couple of years before he died,

1:18:511:18:53

he did have a major...

1:18:531:18:55

That's the only time, really,

1:18:551:18:57

I can say he had an affair.

1:18:571:18:58

But you'll only hear about so much of it from me.

1:18:581:19:01

# Goodbye. #

1:19:011:19:03

I went to Europe to get away, that's all.

1:19:031:19:06

That's what the trip to Europe was.

1:19:061:19:07

When I came back I came back into New York to our apartment

1:19:071:19:10

and I called his doctor.

1:19:101:19:12

We had recorded L.O.V.E as a single

1:19:161:19:20

down here at Capitol

1:19:201:19:23

and it became a hit.

1:19:231:19:25

So we took the band

1:19:251:19:26

and Nat was playing at a club

1:19:261:19:29

that he used to play up in the Bay area.

1:19:291:19:33

During one of those performances

1:19:331:19:37

he fell gravely ill

1:19:371:19:41

and they brought him back immediately

1:19:411:19:44

to the hospital in southern California.

1:19:441:19:48

I called the doctor.

1:19:481:19:50

I spoke to him,

1:19:501:19:51

and I said to him, "What, he's not well?"

1:19:511:19:55

And he said... I said, "Well, maybe, do you think I should come on home?"

1:19:551:19:58

And he said, "I think you should."

1:19:581:20:00

That's all he said to me.

1:20:001:20:02

But I'm not a fool. I knew then it was something serious.

1:20:021:20:05

That's all the doctor said to me.

1:20:051:20:07

And I came home.

1:20:071:20:08

He was already in the hospital.

1:20:081:20:11

I remember when Nat went into St John's in Santa Monica...

1:20:121:20:16

My sister came one day... They were very close.

1:20:221:20:25

..and he had a room, a beautiful room looking over the mountains.

1:20:251:20:29

Right at the end of the hallway.

1:20:291:20:30

And she wheeled him out to the windows,

1:20:301:20:33

and he was sitting there -

1:20:331:20:35

and it was the only intimation that we ever had -

1:20:351:20:38

he said, "Turn me away."

1:20:381:20:41

# And now the purple dusk of twilight time... #

1:20:431:20:48

The nurse who I loved - the last one we had -

1:20:481:20:51

we took him down and took him out for a ride,

1:20:511:20:54

and they put him in a wheelchair.

1:20:541:20:58

"Honey, I want you to see the beach house that I was looking at."

1:20:581:21:02

And, oh, he loved that.

1:21:021:21:04

So it made him think he was going to...

1:21:041:21:06

I guess, I don't know... I did want to see it.

1:21:061:21:08

So we took him on this ride to Santa Monica,

1:21:081:21:11

and we took him to this house.

1:21:111:21:14

It was huge.

1:21:141:21:15

And we rolled him into the living room.

1:21:151:21:19

It was situated so you could see the ocean.

1:21:191:21:23

And he looked out the window, and he said to me,

1:21:231:21:26

"Go ahead and buy it, Skeez."

1:21:261:21:30

# The music of the years gone by

1:21:321:21:41

# Sometimes I wonder

1:21:421:21:48

# Why I spend...

1:21:481:21:51

# ..the lonely night

1:21:511:21:54

# Dreaming of a song

1:21:561:21:58

# For melody

1:21:591:22:02

# Haunts my reverie

1:22:021:22:04

# And I am once again with you... #

1:22:061:22:08

We were coming out of the treatment place

1:22:101:22:13

at the Santa Monica hospital,

1:22:131:22:16

and the press was out there.

1:22:161:22:18

There's a picture of me with him. It was in the paper,

1:22:201:22:24

him holding on to me.

1:22:241:22:26

And I looked at them and I saw...

1:22:261:22:28

And he said, "No, Skeez, let them take the pictures."

1:22:281:22:33

And I did. And they cried.

1:22:331:22:36

# A paradise where roses grew

1:22:431:22:47

# Though I dream in vain

1:22:471:22:50

# In my heart, it will remain

1:22:541:23:00

# My stardust melody

1:23:001:23:04

# The memory

1:23:041:23:09

# Of love's refrain. #

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I remember always saying to myself -

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I know if my husband gets well,

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I am not too sure I'm going to stay here.

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But if my husband doesn't get well,

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I'm never going to leave him.

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Never mentioned the word cancer the whole time.

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He was there two months.

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He went in on December 6, he died February 15.

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It was a tragedy, and I think we all felt that.

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A huge loss.

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He had a ton of people came through

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to see him, to pay their respects.

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And, yeah, I think the world was very sad when Nat passed away.

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We're talkin' 46 years ago, and I still feel it.

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We, of course, had a sealed casket.

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Kelly was right there with me.

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When we got ready to leave he said,

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"Let me just t...

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"Let me just touch the casket."

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INDISTINCT

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# I love you

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# For sentimental reasons... #

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You know, when you're at the funeral of a parent

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I don't think you remember too much.

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You know.

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I just kept looking at my mom.

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I mean, she was just...

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..broken.

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He said he's been carrying us all of our lives,

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now it's our turn to carry him.

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I thought that was SO profound.

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I cried like a baby.

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It was a very, very tough time,

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and everybody, it seemed, was there,

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everyone that ever knew my dad,

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everyone that ever loved him,

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including quite a lot of celebrities.

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Yeah, it was pretty massive.

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Lots and lots of people.

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# I think of you every morning

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# Dream of you every night

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# Darling, I'm never lonely... #

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It was a universal reaction - everyone was sad.

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And, although Nat was in the hospital,

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and had lost a lot of weight,

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er, they weren't really publicising the fact that he was that sick

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so it was kind of a surprise to a lot of people.

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To me, it was one of the worst days,

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because we truly lost a great human being,

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as well as a great performer.

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He had prayers from the Frank Sinatras

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and the Tony Bennetts and...

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everybody, you know,

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because they could feel his soul,

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they could feel his...truism.

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The thing I learned about Nat,

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and it's strange to say that about

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such a big masculine figure like Nat King Cole is,

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I learned gentleness.

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Quality artists that produce 'em live in our memories.

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A LONG time.

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His music will live for ever.

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It will never sound dated.

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It will never become old-fashioned.

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I listen to him and...

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..I just can't get the sense that he's gone.

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No matter how many years we all live,

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there's only one Nat King Cole.

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The blazing of the trail, the making things happen, was Nat Cole.

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He was the first to do many wonderful things.

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It's about love. And he sang that song, L.O.V.E.

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So, that is to me what he represented.

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I happen to know that he was...

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..especially toward the end, he was a...

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a great believer.

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Thank you, Nat.

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# Grown-ups don't know where to find that magic window

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# But it's any window little boys look through

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# There's so much for you to see

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# So don't ever say to me

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# That you've got a lot of growing up to do

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# Cos I wish that I were growing down to you. #

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