Early Life and Montgomery, Alabama
Nat King Cole was born in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1919. He grew up in a modest home in the Centennial Hill neighborhood. His father was a Baptist minister, and the family later moved to Chicago.
Chicago and the Rise of a Music Icon
As a child, Cole moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he began studying piano and organ. He performed in local churches and later in jazz clubs on the South Side. Chicago became the base for his early career and the launch of his national fame.
Final Years and Los Angeles
Cole spent his later years in Los Angeles, California. He lived in several upscale homes in the Hancock Park area. He died in Santa Monica, California, in 1965 and was buried in Glendale, California. Learn more about his life and legacy at Britannica.
