Customer Reviews

Nat King Cole

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This book, though filled with a treasure of information, ranks along beside college text books for interest. This would be good for one researching facts about this fascinating person, but not for those of us who wish to know the man himself.

I sensed that the author had something against Maria Cole, Nat's widow. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but that's the feeling I got. I'm sure she felt she was doing the best thing to help her husband, but others suffered for it. I was thinking that she could have been the female version of Berry Gordy, Jr! She was painted as a overbearing shrew. Overall, though, the book is good. There are some small errors in it, however. You will want to read more about Nat's life, and after finishing this book, that's just what I did. For a more current view and more thorough explaination of the events that happened to Nat, I recommend the Leslie Gourse and (especially) the Daniel Epstein biographies on Cole. These three books together will give you great insight into the man, his music, and his life. Now if we could only get a movie made!!

Nat King Cole was a terrific jazz pianist and, contrary to his own belief, a great vocalist. This book says so much about how business is conducted within the music industry, the laymen's wages of "side" musicians, the struggle to maintain family while fulfilling an artist's dream, and all of this topped by fame during a time of severe racial inequality. Read it and learn!!!!

I sensed that the author had something against Maria Cole, Nat's widow. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but that's the feeling I got. Overall, though, the book is good. You will want to read more about Nat's life, and after finishing this book, that's just what I did. For a more current view and more thorough explanation of the events that happened to Nat, I recommend the Epstein and Gourse biographies on Cole. These books, along with this one, give you a very good look at the man Nat Cole was.