Nat King Cole, nome artístico de Nathaniel Adams Coles, (Montegomery, 17 de Março de 1919 — Santa Mônica, 15 de Fevereiro de 1965) foi um cantor e músico de jazz norte-americano, pai da cantora Natalie Cole.
A sua voz marcante imortalizou várias canções, como: Mona Lisa, Stardust, Unforgettable, Nature Boy, Christmas Song, "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás", entre outras, algumas das quais nas línguas espanhola e portuguesa.
As suas músicas românticas tinham um toque especial, juntando a sua voz ao piano, tornando-o assim um artista de grande sucesso.
Nat King Cole aprendeu a tocar piano na igreja onde o seu pai era pastor. Desde criança esteve ligado à música, tocando junto ao coral da mesma igreja. Cole lutou contra o racismo durante toda a sua vida, sempre recusando-se a cantar em plateias com segregação racial
Por ter um hábito de fumar diariamente três maços de cigarro, o cantor morreu vítima de câncer. Um de seus últimos trabalhos foi no filme Cat Ballou, onde canta a balada da personagem título, interpretada por Jane Fonda.
Discografia
Álbuns de estúdio:
* 1944 The King Cole Trio (10 inch LP)
* 1946 The King Cole Trio, Volume 2 (10 inch LP)
* 1948 The King Cole Trio, Volume 3 (10 inch LP)
* 1949 The King Cole Trio, Volume 4 (10 inch LP)
* 1950 Nat King Cole at the Piano (10 inch LP)
* 1951 King Cole for Kids (10 inch LP)
* 1952 Penthouse Serenade (10 inch LP)
* 1952 Top Pops (10 inch LP version)
* 1952 Harvest of Hits (10 inch LP)
* 1953 Nat King Cole Sings for Two In Love (10 inch LP)
* 1954 Unforgettable (10 inch LP)
* 1955 Penthouse Serenade (12 inch LP version)
* 1955 Nat King Cole Sings for Two In Love (12 inch LP version)
* 1955 10th Anniversary Album (12 inch LP version)
* 1955 Top Pops (12 inch LP version)
* 1955 The Piano Style of Nat King Cole
* 1956 Ballads of the Day
* 1957 This Is Nat King Cole
* 1957 After Midnight
* 1957 Just One of Those Things
* 1957 Love Is the Thing
* 1958 Cole Español
* 1958 St. Louis Blues
* 1958 The Very Thought of You
* 1958 To Whom It May Concern
* 1959 Welcome to the Club
* 1959 A Mis Amigos
* 1960 Tell Me All About Yourself
* 1960 When You're Smiling
* 1960 Everytime I Feel the Spirit
* 1960 Wild Is Love
* 1960 The Magic of Christmas
* 1961 The Nat King Cole Story
* 1961 When Your Lover Has Gone
* 1961 The Touch of Your Lips
* 1962 Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays
* 1962 Ramblin' Rose
* 1962 Dear Lonely Hearts
* 1962 More Cole Español
* 1963 Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer
* 1963 Where Did Everyone Go?
* 1964 Nat King Cole Sings My Fair Lady
* 1964 Let's Face the Music! (Recorded 1961)
* 1964 I Don't Want to Be Hurt Anymore
* 1965 L-O-V-E
Compilções:
* 1965 Sings Songs From Cat Ballou & Other Motion Pictures
* 1965 Looking Back
* 1965 Unforgettable
* 1965 Sings Hymns & Spirituals
* 1965 Nat King Cole Trio: The Vintage Years
* 1965 Nature Boy
* 1966 Nat King Cole At the Sands
* 1966 Sincerely, Nat King Cole
* 1966 The Unforgettable Nat King Cole Sings the Great Songs!
* 1966 Longines Symphonette Society Presents the Unforgettable Nat King Cole (Box Set)
* 1967 The Beautiful Ballads
* 1967 Thank You, Pretty Baby
* 1968 Best Of Nat King Cole
* 1970 The Magic Of Christmas With Children (Safeway Supermarket Promo LP)
* 1973 Nature Boy
* 1974 Our Love Is Here To Stay
* 1974 Love is a Many Splendored Thing
* 1979 Reader's Digest Presents: The Great Nat King Cole (Box Set)
* 1982 Greatest Love Songs
* 1983 Unforgettable (Australia)
* 1990 Hit That Jive, Jack
* 1990 Jumpin' at Capitol
* 1990 Capitol Collectors' Series
* 1990 Cole, Christmas and Kids
* 1991 The Complete Capitol Recordings Of the Nat King Cole Trio (Box set from Mosaic Records)
* 1991 The Unforgettable Nat King Cole
* 1992 Nat King Cole At the Movies
* 1992 Christmas Favorites
* 1992 The Best Of The Nat King Cole Trio: The Instrumental Classics
* 1993 The Billy May Sessions
* 1993 Mis Mejores Canciones - 19 Super Exitos
* 1994 Let's Face the Music & Dance
* 1994 Greatest Hits
* 1996 Sincerely/The Beautiful Ballads
* 1997 For Sentimental Reasons
* 1998 The Frim Fram Sauce
* 1998 Dear Lonely Hearts/I Don't Want To Be Hurt Anymore
* 1999 Looking Back/Where Did Everyone Go?
* 1999 Live At The Circle Room
* 1999 The Christmas Song
* 2000 Coast To Coast Live (1963 Concert At the Riverside Inn, Fresno, CA/1962 WNEW Radio Show)
* 2000 Route 66
* 2001 The King Swings
* 2001 Try Not To Cry
* 2001 Night Lights (radio recordings from 1956, most tracks un-released 'til 2001)
* 2003 Stepping Out of a Dream
* 2003 The Classic Singles (4 CD Book)
* 2003 20 Golden Greats
* 2003 The Best Of...
* 2003 Love Songs
* 2003 The Nat King Cole Trio (With Famous Guests)
* 2003 The One And Only Nat King Cole
* 2004 Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days Of Summer/My Fair Lady
* 2005 The World Of Nat King Cole (Bonus DVD added 2006)
* 2006 The Very Best of Nat King Cole
* 2006 Stardust: The Complete Capitol Recordings, 1955-59
* 2006 L-O-V-E: The Complete Capitol Recordings, 1960-64
* 2008 Holiday Collection 2008 - NBC Sounds Of The Season
* 2009 RE:GENERATIONS
Filmografia:
* Citizen Kane (1941)
* Here Comes Elmer (1943)
* Pistol Packin' Mama (1943)
* Pin Up Girl (1944)
* Stars on Parade (1944)
* Swing in the Saddle (1944)
* See My Lawyer (1945)
* Breakfast in Hollywood (1946)
* Killer Diller (1948)
* Make Believe Ballroom (1949)
* The Blue Gardenia (1953)
* Small Town Girl (1953)
* Rock 'n' Roll Revue (1955)
* Rhythm and Blues Revue (1955)
* Basin Street Revue (1956)
* The Scarlet Hour (1956)
* Istanbul (1957)
* China Gate (1957)
* St. Louis Blues (1958)
* Night of the Quarter Moon (1959)
* Schlager-Raketen (1960)
* Cat Ballou (1965)