PBS to Air Nat ‘King’ Cole Special, Marking Centennial

  I  
Image

Nat “King” Cole (1919–1965)

(Photo: Capitol Photo Archives)

My Music: Nat “King” Cole’s Greatest Songs is set to air March 2 on PBS, just ahead of the singer’s 100th birthday on March 17.

The tribute to the Alabama-born pianist and vocalist will be hosted by actor Martin Sheen.

While issuing dozens of recordings during his truncated life, Cole for about a year beginning in 1956 also helmed NBC’s The Nat ‘“King” Cole Show, bringing some of period’s top talent to the nation’s viewing audience.

In 2006, PBS also ran an installment of American Masters on Cole. For this upcoming show, performances are set to include renditions of “Unforgettable,” “Mona Lisa,” “Nature Boy,” “Ramblin’ Rose” and “Sweet Lorraine,” among others.

For more information about My Music and to find local air times, visit the PBS website. DB



  • Cassandra_Wilson_%40_2026_Mark_Sheldon-2_copy_2.jpg

    Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.

  • Pritesh_Walia_courtesy_Pritesh_Walia.jpg

    “The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity,” Walia wrote in an online post upon his release from detention at an ICE facility.

  • GB_Headshot_copy.jpg

    Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.

  • DB26_Joshua_Redman_Courtesy_Joshua_Redman.jpg

    A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.

  • Coltrane_John_by_Joe_Alper_copy.jpeg

    “It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”