Unforgettable: The Life and Mystique of Nat King Cole [Hardcover]

Leslie Gourse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1991

The satiny smooth voice of Nat King Cole is instantly recognizable on dozens of his signature songs--"Mona Lisa," "Nature Boy," "Route 66," and "Unforgettable." This riveting story tells of Cole's songs, times, triumphs, and tragedies. "A biography of the first order."--Down Beat. Photographs.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gourse ( Everyday: The Story of Joe Williams ) pays homage to the performer who, after starting out as a talented jazz pianist, found unprecedented fame and commercial success as a vocalist. His renditions of "Mona Lisa," "Nature Boy," "Unforgettable" and hundreds of other songs were known the world over by the time he died in 1965. Cole, a cheerful, quiet, painfully shy man who inspired devotion wherever he went, kept his personal problems out of the limelight; his adoring public was scarcely aware that he was plagued by financial woes, racial prejudice, marital difficulties, illness and complaints from critics that he had abandoned jazz for an easier road to success with popular music. The author of this well-crafted, sympathetic biography carefully pieces together the facts of her subject's life, and concludes with an impressive discography that underscores Cole's achievement. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Few music fans know it, but Cole began his entertainment career as a groundbreaking jazz pianist before he achieved pop stardom with his velvety-smooth vocal approach to songs like "Mona Lisa" and "Unforgettable." Gourse's ( American Jazz Singers , LJ 2/1/84) claim that Cole's keyboard style prefigured bebop and influenced pianist Ahmad Jamal is debatable. However, Gourse does a fine job of documenting the influence of Cole's second wife, Maria Ellington, who urged Cole to pursue a more lucrative singing career. Although he did not win the favor of 1950s radical Negro activists, Cole's personal, backstage struggle against segregationist attitudes in the entertainment industry were significant. This is a well-researched and readable biography that will appeal to those who appreciate the singer's inimitable style. For large music collections.
- Tim LaBorie, St. Joseph's Univ., Philadelphia
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 309 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (May 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312059825
• ISBN-13: 978-0312059828
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,127,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hagiography, October 5, 2006

By 

M. Buisman "Martijn Buisman" (Amsterdam, NL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unforgettable: The Life and Mystique of Nat King Cole (Hardcover)

This book gives a nice overview of the life of Nat King Cole but is never critical, never takes a stance and does not even go into length about some issues i would like to have read more about. His whole stance in race relations is about one page, and Gourse isn't even critical of his role in that. I was new in the world of NKC so I definitely learned some stuff, but it could have been so much better.

5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable Nat King Cole Life and Mystique Of by Leslie Gourse, January 11, 2011

By 

William Mannion (Ringwood, VIC, AU) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Unforgettable: The Life and Mystique of Nat King Cole (Hardcover)

I am very happy with my purchase.It arrived in the condition claimed by the
seller (MINT),well packaged,clearly addressed and it arrived within
10 days. I would have no hesitation in dealing with this seller again.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too sterile..., November 21, 2000

By 

Sasha "lampic" (at sea...sailing somewhere) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Unforgettable (Paperback)

Leslie Gourse had made a career of collecting informations about jazz musicians - but all the infomations in the world dont neccesary make this book interesting.From time to time it seems to me like Im reading Nat Cole's concert date-to-date schedule,but there were any author's style or opinions to be found.Gourse has obviously spend hours researching the documents about this book,yet there is nothing to be said about MUSIC (except providing chart numbers,again so boring and grey).This book cries to be updated,as Natalie Cole recorded her classic "Unforgettable" album after this book was finished!I am currently reading Louis Armstrong's biography "An extravagant life" which has everything this book lack: class,style and most of all,the feeling that author was really involved in writting the book,not just collecting recording dates.