Approaching the end of Black History Month, it's time to recognize (albeit insufficiently) two more groundbreakers -- Nat King Cole and Tommy Edwards.
Cole, of course, was an international star, beginning as a jazz pianist and vocalist, then transitioning into swing, rhythm & blues and popular music. Some of his best known songs, recorded over three decades, are squarely in the American songbook: "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons," "Nature Boy," "Mona Lisa," "Too Young," "Ramblin' Rose," and, of course, "The Christmas Song." In 1946, his King Cole Trio were first to record Bobby Troup's classic "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66."
Rhythm & blues singer- songwriter Tommy Edwards first recorded "It's All In The Game" in 1951 then re-recorded it in 1958. The 1958 version hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying there for 6 weeks, making Edwards the first Black solo artist to chart at #1 on that list. A bit of trivia: the song was written in 1911 by Charles G. Dawes, who was later Calvin Coolidge's Vice President and a co- recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1925 for his work on WWI reparations.
Sadly, both Cole and Edwards died young, Cole at 45 and Edwards at 47.
