"The Nat King Cole Show": Nat King Cole was not only a singer but also a great jazz pianist.
“The Nat King Cole Show”: Nat King Cole was not only a singer but also a great jazz pianist.Source: William Gottlieb via Wikimedia (public domain)

The Nat King Cole TV Show

Old King Cole was a merry old soul, and a merry old soul was he. But in December of 1957, his namesake, Nat King Cole, was anything but merry.

Nat was a superstar singer whose records were selling in the millions all around the world. That stardom had landed him his own television variety program, which had been broadcast nationwide for the past 13 months on the NBC network. Now the show had been cancelled, leaving Nat disappointed, sad, and somewhat angry.

Top Quality TV That Could Never Find a Sponsor

The program had seemed to have all the ingredients necessary for success. It had top notch production values, booked the very best musical and variety talent in the land as guests, and in Nat had a host who was one of the most popular and personable singers in the world. But the one thing it did not have, and was never able to get, was a national sponsor.

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