Director Jon Brewer profiles the life of the musician using private journals.
Imagine what it would feel like to be the only black television star in Hollywood at a time when the Ku Klux Klan acted out violently against black people, when America groaned under the weight of segregation and prejudice. Imagine being in possession of a natural talent so great, so unique and disarming that these issues were seemingly swept to one side to allow you to perform and be acknowledged for this gift, yet behind closed doors they were trying to think of a way to package you as something you were not: white. This candid account of the actual happenings in and around the "fairytale" life of fame and fortune of Nat King Cole, are taken from the private journals of Nat King Cole and exclusive interviews with the widow of Nat King Cole, Maria Cole, as well as contributions from other family members, Tony Bennett, Buddy Greco, Harry Bellafonte, Nancy Wilson, Sir Bruce Forsythe, George Benson, Aaron Neville, Johnny Mathis and many more. Some of these shocking stories have never been told before, speaking a wider truth of the national climate at the time, and beg the question "how far have we come?" Director Jon Brewer is given exclusive access to archive held by the estate, which will be revealed for the first time in this film; honoring the man and his journey and the passing of a true icon, but also revealing his feelings behind his ultimate calling as a "beacon of hope" to the legions of the oppressed.—Laura Royko
NAT KING COLE: Afraid of the Dark is the final testimony on the tremulous life of a musical legend and 'beacon of hope' to black people across 1950's America, as told by Jon Brewer, the ex-music manager and director of B.B. King: The Life of Riley, Jimi Hendrix: The Guitar Hero and The Classic Artists Series. This searing and candid account of the actual happenings in and around the 'fairy tale' life of Nat King Cole are taken from the musician's own journals. The film employs candid interviews with Nat's close associates and family, including Natalie Cole and the late Maria Cole, who opens her heart on film to tell of the man she loved and the life they shared. Also features Cole family mementos, letters and footage from newly-released archive.
Through extensive archives and his private journals, together with exclusive interviews with his widow, Maria Cole, and other family members, the true story of Nat King Cole is told; the man whose charm and genius for performance made him a role model and a pinnacle of American cultural society.
