For a mild-mannered man whose music was easy on the ear, Nat King Cole was a figure of considerable controversy. From the late '40s to the mid-'60s, he was a massively successful pop singer who ranked with Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and Dean Martin. He shared with those peers a career that encompassed hit records, international touring, radio and television shows, and appearances in films. As a prominent African-American entertainer during an era of tumultuous change, he sometimes found himself out of favor with different warring sides; his efforts at integration earned the enmity of racists, while civil rights activists sometimes criticized him for not doing enough for the cause. ~ William Ruhlmann