Record:Nat King Cole: When Your Lover Has Gone

Having started his musical career as a jazz pianist, Nat King Cole went on to become an incredibly successful vocalist, starting with the recording of his composition "Straighten Up and Fly Right" in 1943. His 1956 series, "The Nat King Cole Show," on NBC was a breakthrough as the first national TV show hosted by an African-American. Although Cole broke that particular color barrier, no national sponsor ever backed the program and he ended its run in December 1957. Cole's smooth style ran up against the rise of rock and roll, but his hits continued in the early 1960s with "Ramblin' Rose" and "Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer" before his death in 1965. This premium record reissue by Sears represents the ongoing popularity of Cole with adult listeners. In 1969, Sears used Mrs. Nat King Cole in advertising for their Kenmore appliances.