Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres. He was the first black American to host a television variety show and has maintained worldwide popularity over 40 years past his death; he is widely considered one of the most important musical personalities in United States history. "Stardust" is an American popular song composed in 1927 by Hoagy Carmichael with the lyrics added in 1929 by Mitchell Parish. "Stardust" (the song's original title was "Star Dust", which has long since been compounded into "Stardust") was written at the Book Nook in Bloomington, Indiana (across the street from the Indiana University School of Law, where Carmichael had attended school ) on an old upright piano, and first recorded in Richmond, Indiana for Gennett Records by Carmichael's band in 1927 as a peppy (but mid-tempo) jazz instrumental. Carmichael said he was inspired by the types of.