The single was released in 1948, and later appeared on the 1961 album The Nat King Cole Story. It reached the top of the Billboard music charts and sold over a million copies, and introduced him to the white music market.
In 1999, the song was awarded the Grammy Hall of Fame Award, a special award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance".
Following Cole's success, rival record companies released cover versions of "Nature Boy" by other artists which ultimately became a pop and jazz standard, with many artists interpreting the song.
It was also used in numerous films like The Boy with Green Hair, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and the 2001 musical Moulin Rouge!, for which David Bowie recorded a version. Both new and old listeners like the song, with a total of 74,6% yes votes in total.
Nat King Cole, legendary singer, pianist, and entertainer, was born in Montgomery, AL, on this date March 17, 1919.
By the 1950s, Cole emerged as a popular solo performer. He scored numerous hits, with such songs as “Nature Boy,” “Mona Lisa,” “Too Young” and “Unforgettable.” In the studio, Cole got to work with some of the country’s top talent, including Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, and famous arrangers such as Nelson Riddle.
Cole made television history in 1956 when he became the first African American performer to host a variety TV series. The Nat King Cole Show featured many of the leading performers of the day, including Count Basie, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett.
His daughter Natalie Cole included a cover of the song Unforgettable on her album Unforgettable… with Love. It was certified 7× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, for which Cole became the first African-American woman to win the award.
Chestnuts are among my favorite Christmas fare. Nat King Cole's song served as the catalyst for everything, and you've undoubtedly heard the opening line of "The Christmas Song"—"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire." I was curious to give this nut a taste, so I did. Since then, I've become addicted. What say you, too? Would you mind sharing your preferred holiday snack?
Chestnuts are my favorite ingredient to use in the fall, especially for the holidays. I always find that they are meaty, hearty and have a mysterious refinement when cooked or roasted over sea salt.