Nat King Cole was an American singer and jazz pianist. He recorded over 100 songs that became hits on the pop charts and his trio was the model for small jazz ensembles that followed. Cole also acted in films and on television and performed on Broadway. He was the first African-American man to host an American television series. He was the father of singer-songwriter Natalie Cole (1950�2015). Cole had been a heavy cigarette smoker for many years- he reportedly said that he liked the way smoking made his voice sound � and was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1964. He died February 15, 1965.