Maria Cole ( Hawkins; August 1, 1922 – July 10, 2012) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

singer and the wife of singer

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...

; mother of the singer

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to prominence in the mid-1970s, with the release of her debut ...

Early life

Cole was born in Boston and was the niece of Charlotte Hawkins Brown. Her father Mingo Hawkins was a letter carrier. Her mother Carol died while giving birth to her sister. In 1943 she married Spurgeon Ellington, a member of the

Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of th ...

, the all-black unit of the Army Air Corps in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He died during a training flight. On March 28, 1948 (Easter Sunday), Maria married

. The Coles were married in Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church by Adam Clayton Powell Jr. They had five children: Natalie (1950–2015), who had a successful career as a singer; an adopted daughter, Carole (1944–2009, the daughter of Maria's sister), who died of lung cancer at the age of 64; an adopted son, Nat Kelly Cole (1959–1995), who died at the age of 36; and twin daughters, Casey and Timolin (born September 26, 1961), whose birth was announced in the "Milestones" column of Time magazine on October 6, 1961. Maria supported Nat during his final illness and stayed with him until his death. Five years after the death of Nat King Cole, Maria Cole bought a house in Tyringham, Massachusetts, known as South House, where she raised her five children, including singer

. Maria was married to screenwriter Gary DeVore from 1969 until their divorce in 1978.

Career

She was a jazz singer who worked with

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

and

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

, under the name Marie Ellington. She met Nat "King" Cole while they were both singing at the Zanzibar club. She was co-host of a talk show, "Tempo," that aired on KHJ television in Los Angeles in the 1960s.

Death

Cole died in a nursing home in

Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 97,422 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. Many people with a Boca Raton Address, ...

on July 10, 2012, at the age of 89, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer.

Discography

* ''A Girl They Call Maria'' (Kapp, 1954) * ''Maria Cole'' (Dot, 1960) * ''Love Is a Special Feeling'' (Capitol, 1966)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Maria 1922 births 2012 deaths African-American women singers American women jazz singers American jazz singers Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Deaths from cancer in Florida Count Basie Orchestra members Duke Ellington Orchestra members Singers from Boston Nat King Cole Jazz musicians from Massachusetts