Dennis Lyall (American, B. 1946) "Nat "King" Cole" Signed and dated lower center. Original Oil painting on Hot Press Illustration Board.
Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 29c Nat "King" Cole stamp issued September 1, 1994.
Nathaniel Adams Coles was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 17, 1919. The son of a Baptist minister, he moved to Chicago at the age of five. As a young child he was proficient at picking out tunes on the piano, and at 12 Coles had already become a competent musician. In 1936, he joined the company of a black revue known as Shuffle Along. Although the group disbanded a year later, Coles found work as a soloist, performing in small nightclubs in California. Taking the advice of a lounge manager, he formed a combo known as the King Cole Trio. The group's title was created by dropping the "s" from his family name. The "king" portion, a nickname that stayed with the musician throughout his life, came about when he was required to wear a paper crown during a performance. The trio attracted an avid following of Jazz enthusiasts and played at Hollywood's leading nightspots. In 1941, the group embarked on a national tour and began recording with the newly-formed Capitol Records Company. By 1943, Cole had become a solo artist. Referring to his success, he humbly explained, "I guess it's the hoarse, breathy noise that some like -- that's why they call me The Sound." Regardless of the reason, Cole's style was inimitable. His first recording, 1943's Straighten Up and Fly Right, was inspired by one of his father's sermons. It quickly became one of the biggest hits of the early 40s and was followed by many more, including Get Your Kicks on Route 66, Mona Lisa, Too Young and Smile.
Image Size: 18 x 15.75 in.
Overall Size: 18.5 x 16.5 in.
Unframed.
(B14756)
Condition
- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via WIRE TRANSFER, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- All items are sold as-is where-is and no guarantees are made of any kind. All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.
- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.
- Unless otherwise stated in the description, all items are sold without additional documentation or COAs. If any supporting documentation is available an image will be available online via the catalog listing.