The man today known as Nat "King" Cole was actually born in Nathaniel Adams Coles, in Montgomery, Alabama on March 17, 1917. By the age of four, his father, Edward James Coles Sr. and his mother, Perlina Adams Coles, decided it would be best that the family move to Chicago. By the time Nat reached four years of age, his father quit his job as a grocer and moved his family to Chicago, where he became a preacher.

This decision would have had a huge impact on the family as a whole, but especially in the case of Nat. Moving to Chicago was the first step in Nat's rise to fame, the place where the foundation of a jazz superstar would be built.

As a child, Nat dreamed to be a big band leader and soloist in the tradition of his idol, Earl "Fatha" Hines. By twelve years old, Nat was already playing the org

Further burdening his home life, Nat began a weekly radio show in 1946. Every Saturday afternoon, Cole would play for half-an-hour, in whatever town he was in. The show was yet another outlet for his immense talent and would last an impressive four years.

In the fifties, Cole produced a number of hits. In 1951, he released "Frosty The Snowman", which went to number one on the charts for a week in January. Other hits in this decade include: "Too Young", "A Fool Was I", "Answer Me, My Love", "A Blossom Fell", "Unforgettable" and "Time and the River" to name a few. In addition to those hits, Cole also released the album, "After Midnight" (1956), which is considered one of the greatest albums ever recorded by a jazz pianist.

In September 1937 the Trio made took the next big step on the path to stardom, they made their first studio recording. The company was Standard Transcriptions and the Trio made 16-inch discs for them. These disks however, were for radio rather than retail sale.

In 1946, Nat met the woman that would have a profound impact on his home life, Maria Ellington. Later, Nat and Maria would have an affair, causing Nat to seek a divorce from Nadine, so he could pursue Maria. On March 22, 1948, Nathaniel Cole and Nadine were officially divorcedb, freeing Nat to Marry Maria.

At fifteen years old, Nat decided to drop the "s" in his name, to become Nathaniel Adams Cole. By the age 17, Nat formed a 14-piece band, composed of students from both Wendall Philips and Dusable High schools in Chicago. The band would go around Chicago, working for as little as $2 or $3 a night.

Nat King Cole is one history's greatest balladeers, certainly among the greatest of his time. During his heyday, he was as popular as anyone, including the legendary Frank Sinatra. This is even more remarkable when one takes into account the fact that Nat refused to play in segregated halls - his popularity was such that he was one of the few African-Americans who could do so.

Later in 1956, Cole was offered a weekly television show by NBC. This was remarkable, not only in the fact that he was offered a television show, but also because he was of an African-American descent. The show went on to become quite successful, however even Nat King Cole could not elude the racism of the times. Though its ratings were good, the show was eventually pulled because of a lack of advertising. Though some advertisers were willing to sponsor the show, many were afraid to put their names on a show featuring an African-American for fear of backlash, especially in the South.

The song was about a monkey who takes a ride on a buzzard. In addition, further listening to the lyrics, brings an interesting observation; the buzzard (representing a white man), takes the monkey (who represents a black man) for a ride into a dangerous and high territory. The monkey holds tightly onto the buzzard's neck, fearing that the buzzard will take him up very high, drop him and eat the remains. In a greater context, the lyrics refer to a stronger person using his power to take advantage of someone who is weaker; i.e. the rich taking advantage of the poor, the clever over the simple, etc. The song brings to the light the inner struggle to act on one's good impulses while at the same time suppressing evil ones.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)