Year 5, Day 266

What's Up. Today's song is L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole.

Nathaniel Adams Coles started in music the same way a lot did at that time: in church because his family was involved. He learned to play the organ really young, but started formal lessons later at age 12. By 15 he left school to pursue music, forming a trip that recorded music for a label including stuff for a musical revival. He ended up touring with them and marrying a member of the cast. He did a lot to further things for his race with is amazing, the King Cole trio sponsored their radio show becoming the first program on air sponsored by a black musician, and a decade later he hosted the Nat King Cole Show on NBC becoming the first African American host on television. He was the one to pull the plug on the show in 1957, but the show had been failing for awhile because no one would sponsor it. He continued to thrive in the music industry singing in English and doing Spanish songs. He experimented with other genres over the years, but is mostly a jazz guy. He was married twice, the second one just six days after the divorce went through, and his second wife was actually contemplating divorce because he was having an affair when they found out he had lung cancer. He was a heavy smoker (as most people were then) and only had months to live. He continued making music, the album of the same name as this song being his last and died in 1965 (on my birthday which freaks me out). Throughout his life he had to deal with a lot of racism. Basically anything you've seen depicted as happening happened to him, but he was a strong guy and made it through. So I hope you appreciate him and the song.

Going back to simple parameters this song needed to be one with spelling in it. My grandma's response was immediate with D-I-V-O-R-C-E by Loretta Lynn, and Anna picked W-O-M-A-N by Etta James. Sammy went with the Alphabet Aerobics by Blackalicious, but I fully thought she just meant the A, B, C's so my bad Sammy. My mom went with Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani. Will was last and chose Simple by Florida Georgia Line.

Peace.