Happy birthday Nat King Cole

[richardmurray]

Nat King Cole born 1919
enjoy music and lyrics from the legend

 

[ProfD]

The late, great Nat King Cole was a real troubadour & excellent musician.  

 

Colorism goes way back.  They did this to Nat King Cole for a TV appearance:

 

 

 

 

 

Nat King Cole was dark complexioned:

 

 

 

Nonetheless, Nat King Cole was definitely one our musical icons.

[richardmurray]

@ProfD 

21 hours ago, ProfD said:

The late, great Nat King Cole was a real troubadour & excellent musician.  

 

Colorism goes way back.  They did this to Nat King Cole for a TV appearance:

I know, but I look at it another way. Black people like Nat King Cole, like Frederick Douglass, MLK jr, James Forten, Michelle side Barrack Obama have always existed in the usa or the white european colonies/dominions that proceded it. 

Black people like Nat King Cole say to non blacks, non black dosers, that I will treat you with respect, with civility , even if you don't treat me the same. And not because I want to be humiliated or insulted or because I am weak, but because I treasure peace even amongst you... especially amongst you. I don't want to live my life fighting whites every day. That to me is what Nat King Cole, Billy Eckstine (that whites treated sinfully) Nichelle Nichols (who suffered a lot of crow for the idea of Uhura who lives among the non black humans in the future:) far far future in peace, sorry non humans still a way to go for that) and other entertainers are saying. They fully know the Nat turners, the Jean Jacques Dessalines, the Quilombos are in the community, black people who don't trust the non black, don't want to live civilly among the nonblack, are willing to be armed and violent to uphold the way of life they want to have. But, Nat King Cole and other blacks like him, are willing to trust, live civilly with, willing to be unprotected around the non black, not naively or stupidly but with hope. 

 

That is the real point. Frederick Douglass's composite nation speech isn't suggesting the enslaver becomes the friend easily or overnight or simply. The enslaver becomes the abuser, the abuser becomes the trickster, the trickster becomes the dour, the dour may one day become the kin, the kin becomes the ally, the ally becomes the friend, the friend becomes the lover.  Cause all awhile from enslaver to lover, the other was always the neighbor, no segregation ever existed, it was always integrated ,in various forms. So, if the black is to embrace civility living aside the non black in various forms, it is a process, part of that process is being told to where white face paint and giving in sometimes and not giving in other times.  

 

[aka Contrarian]

In the mean time, silky-voiced Nat  Cole, a Chicago product, enjoyed tremendous popularity among his own people. He put out a lot of single 78 vinyl records in the '50s as I recall, and they were all hits!

We loved us some Nat "King" Cole.

Back in the day, a lot of -  perish the thought - colorist negro women used to pay him the left-handed compliment by declaring that "the only thing they liked black were Cadillacs and Nat Cole".

To this day, like one of his best 

sellers, he remains "Unforgettable".

[ProfD]

5 hours ago, richardmurray said:

But, Nat King Cole and other blacks like him, are willing to trust, live civilly with, willing to be unprotected around the non black, not naively or stupidly but with hope. 

Nat King Cole was gifted & talented which brings a certain level of respect & admiration even among enemies. 

 

I believe Nat King Cole used his gift to the make the best of his time on the planet as a Black man.

[richardmurray]

@aka Contrarian 

is unforgettable your favrite nat king cole rendition?

@ProfD 

a certain level of respect and admiration, interesting words you chose to describe levels that didn't include respect or admiration to nat king cole in his life from his enemies. 

again, the issue isn't about black enemies, it is about black people gardless of their personal talents who are willing to live peacefully to the non black , it is that simple. 

St patrick's day passed and I do like the film michael collins . Him and a few others in irish leadership really led to the movement that made a part of ireland free from england after 700 years, but the key moment was when he realized that the freedom the irish wanted the happiness the irish wanted as a people, not individuals,  wasn't going to come through business ownership, marching, peitions, government engagement, they did all of that for centuries and it led to nothing. The only way ireland was going to be free, which is why irish in most of ireland today are truly free, is by killing english....

Agan, James Forten to NAt King Cole to various black folk today, live their lives to happiness in spite of the communities oppression. That to me is what warrants respect or admiration that is what nonblacks don't respect or admire. being entertaining doesn't grant you respect or admiration from the bully. 

[aka Contrarian]

@richardmurrayin answer to your question, yes, "Unforgettable" is one of my favorites by Nat Cole. I also love another of his lesser known songs, "Lush Life", whose delightful lyrics are like a love-lost soliloquy.

 

Btw, are you aware that both Nat Cole and Frederick Douglass  left their black spouses for white women? Cole, however, upon being diagnosed with lung cancer reconciled with his wife Maria and died a year later in 1965  at the young age of 45.

Douglass' first wife was reportedly amenable his leaving her to advance his politics.

[ProfD]

3 hours ago, richardmurray said:

..a certain level of respect and admiration, interesting words you chose to describe levels that didn't include respect or admiration to nat king cole in his life from his enemies. 

 

...being entertaining doesn't grant you respect or admiration from the bully. 

Nat King Cole would not have become a millionaire entertainer if white folks didn't  also buy his music & attend his performances & watch his TV show.

[richardmurray]

@aka Contrarian Well from my assessment of history Douglass never left his black wife for his white mistress, whom if I am correct, killed herself...I checked, frederick douglass first wife died before he married his second wife. as for nat king cole, I knew he had cheated on his wife ,but I have never seen whom or any photos or anything. His wife I recall in some interview said he cheated and she went on tour in europe and came back and they continued their lives, he didn't have cancer when she came back but it started soon enough after. So in both cases, i wouldn't say as a male, they left their wives. Both men were always married to their black wives while having a white mistress.  

 

@ProfD 

yes, your correct, financial revenue, financial value for most , 99% , black folk in any industry in the usa historically is based on white dollars in the usa, always has been , i argue always will be based on the demographic reality. but financial revenue isn't respect or admiration. it is earned value labor something whites historically never want to give black people, and for the financial record, Nat King Cole was cheated money by whites. so earning money clearly doesn't yield respect or admiration, but if it is evenly done, it does pay the bills