*Nat King Cole was one of the most beloved voices of the 20th century. The man who gave the world “Unforgettable” and “L-O-V-E” died far too young. On February 15, 1965, at just 45 years old, lung cancer took him.
But a viral claim circulating on social media and slideshows suggests something even crueler: that Nat King Cole learned about his own cancer when doctors leaked the news to the press. The story is dramatic. It is also not quite accurate.
Here is what actually happened in the legendary singer’s final months.
The real diagnosis timeline
Nat King Cole had been a heavy smoker for years — up to three packs a day. By September 1964, his body was sending warnings. He began losing weight and experiencing severe back pain.
In November 1964, he collapsed after a performance at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. Publicly, it was described as a “respiratory ailment.” Privately, friends and family grew worried.
Scroll to continue reading
On December 8 or 9, 1964, Cole checked into St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica after friends finally persuaded him to seek real medical help. A chest X-ray revealed the truth: a malignant tumor on his left lung.
Maria Cole tried to protect him
This is where the viral story gets twisted. Nat King Cole’s wife, Maria Cole, worked hard to keep the full severity of his condition secret. But she was protecting him from the media, not hiding the diagnosis from him.
Maria knew her husband watched television constantly and read newspapers obsessively. She understood that if the press learned how serious his cancer was, Nat would find out through the headlines. That is what she wanted to prevent.
In interviews featured in the PBS documentary “Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark,” Maria revealed how she learned the truth. “I called the doctor and spoke to him and I said, ‘What? He’s not well?’ And I said, ‘Well, maybe I should, do you think I should just come on home?’ He said, ‘I think you should.’ That’s all he said to me. But I’m not a fool. I mean, I knew then it was something serious.”
The press found out, but not as a leak
The public did eventually learn that Cole had cancer. But there is no credible evidence that doctors deliberately leaked the information to the press, nor that Nat King Cole first learned of his own condition from reading a newspaper.
Instead, the truth came out through the normal course of events. Cole canceled performances. He remained hospitalized. His condition became impossible to hide. When the news broke, Maria did everything she could to shield her husband from the worst of the publicity.
She later said, “Never mentioned the word cancer the whole time. He was there two months. He went in on December 6th; he died February 15th.”
The final weeks
On January 25, 1965, doctors removed Cole’s entire left lung. Initially, there was cautious optimism. His father died of heart problems just one week later, on February 1.
Despite his declining health, Cole remained dignified. On Valentine’s Day — February 14, 1965 — Maria took him on a drive by the sea. “We took him on this ride to Santa Monica, and we took him to this house,” she recalled. “And he looked out the window, and I’ll never forget what he said to me. He said, ‘Go ahead and buy it, Skis.'” Skis was his nickname for her.
That was his last outing.
A legacy, not a rumor
Nat King Cole died in his sleep at 5:30 a.m. on February 15, 1965. His final album, “L-O-V-E,” had just been released.
The viral claim that doctors leaked his diagnosis to the press makes for a compelling story. But the truth is both less sensational and more poignant. Nat King Cole knew he was sick. His wife knew he was dying. Together, they fought to keep that reality private for as long as possible.
That is not a scandal. That is love.
(If You Like/Appreciate This EURweb Story, Please SHARE it!)
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Gabourey Sidibe’s Husband Reveals Cancer Diagnosis
We Publish Breaking News 24/7. Don’t Miss Out! Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
