From Montgomery to the World : ASU Celebrates Nat King Cole
World famous singer, musician , and actor Nat King Cole would have turned 100 years old this year.
Wednesday a celebration was held on the campus of Alabama State University to celebrate the life and legacy of Cole.
“The national center wanted to give some context to Nat King Cole’s life and legacy. Who was Nat King Cole? So our audience is going to find out more about Nat King Cole as a person as a musician and also as a Civil Rights Activist,” says Destiny Williams, Cultural Heritage Manager at ASU.
The day started with and educational forum split into five sessions.
A luncheon followed the forum, and the evening rounded out with live performances of Nat King Cole hits by local and nationally recognized musicians.
Cole was born in Montgomery, and lived in a neighborhood that would later become the campus of ASU.
His family moved to Chicago when he was only four years old.
He likely got his musical inclination from his mother who was the Pianist at Beula Baptist Church in Montgomery.
The home where Nat King Cole was born remains on the campus of ASU, there are plans to turn it into a museum where people can learn more about Nat King Cole’s life and legacy.
