Many believe Nat King Cole was from Chicago, but he was actually born in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1919. He lived there with his parents and four siblings until 1923, when the family did then relocate to Chicago in hopes of escaping the racism of the South. The Cole family home in Montgomery was relocated to the campus of Alabama State University in 2000. This past summer, on July 31st, the home received a historic marker from the Alabama Historical Commission to honor and recognize Cole’s enormous contributions not only to the musical community, but also his steadfast dedication and role in the Civil Rights movement. The inside of the house in currently being renovated with the goal of opening as a museum in 2017, so that Cole’s legacy will truly be “Unforgettable.”
References:
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/local/2015/07/31/childhood-home-nat-king-cole-receives-historic-marker/30971641/
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1552
http://www.wsfa.com/story/29684110/montgomery-birthplace-of-jazz-legend-nat-king-cole-gets-historic-marker

(Mill Valley, California)