Nat King Cole Estate and Capitol/EMI Team With VH1 Save The Music To Restore Music Education in Public Schools

Nat King Cole Estate and Capitol/EMI Team With VH1 Save The Music To Restore Music Education in Public Schools Charitable Partnership For The World Of Nat King Cole Launched With Donations in Cole's Name to the VH1 Save the Music Foundation and a Private Event at Natalie Cole's Los Angeles Home The World of Nat King Cole CD, Documentary DVD, Deluxe Limited Edition CD/DVD and Global TV Broadcasts Mark 40th Anniversary of Nat King Cole's 1965 Passing CD Release Date: January 25, 2005 DVD & CD/DVD Release Date: March 1, 2005 HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with upcoming CD and documentary DVD releases titled The World Of Nat King Cole, the Nat King Cole Estate and Capitol/EMI Music Catalog Marketing have partnered with the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. Donations in Cole's name have been made to the nonprofit organization, dedicated to improving the quality of education in America's public schools by restoring music programs in cities across the country, and raising awareness about the importance of music participation for our nation's youth. On Thursday, December 2, Natalie Cole hosted a private World Of Nat King Cole event at her home, attended by some of VH1 Save The Music's top supporters. (Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041208/NYW155 ) Partnered with The Nat King Cole Estate and Double Jab Productions, Capitol/EMI Music Catalog Marketing is preparing for the global release of two new, definitive Nat King Cole music and film titles in three separate configurations. On January 25, marking the 40th Anniversary of Cole's passing in February 1965, Capitol/EMI will release The World Of Nat King Cole, a career-spanning single CD collection of 28 remastered Cole classics. On March 1, Capitol/EMI will release a DVD of Double Jab Productions' documentary of the same name and a deluxe, limited edition CD/DVD set. The World Of Nat King Cole documentary will be televised around the world, and the companion CD and DVD packages will receive simultaneous global release via Capitol/EMI's international branches. Said Natalie Cole, "Naturally, as Nat King Cole's children, we were surrounded with music from the time we were very young, and music has always played a vital role in all of our lives. Now we have children of our own, and the family tradition continues with each new generation. We understand the importance of music education in America's public schools, and as we look forward to the release of The World Of Nat King Cole, we are thrilled to join with the VH1 Save The Music Foundation to ensure that in-school music programs are available to children everywhere." "The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is grateful to the Cole Family and EMI Music Marketing. It is through their generosity that more children will be afforded the gift of music and learn about the life and music of a legend, Nat King Cole," said VH1 Save The Music Executive Director, Paul Cothran. "We would especially like to thank Natalie Cole for opening her home to The Foundation." Since VH1 Save The Music was created in 1997, nearly $30 million worth of musical instruments has been donated to 1,200 public schools in 80 cities, improving the lives of more than 500,000 children. VH1 Save The Music's many honors include the Governors' Award (a special Emmy Award), the George Foster Peabody Award for broadcast and cable excellence, and many Beacon Awards. The national partner organizations of VH1 Save The Music include the National School Boards Association, U.S. Department of Education, Chief State School Officers Association, MENC-The National Association for Music Education, NAMM-International Music Products Association, the American Music Conference, ASCAP Foundation and America's Promise-The Alliance for Youth. The national sponsors of VH1 Save The Music are Honda, Procter & Gamble, and eBay. In 1942, Nat King Cole was one of the first artists to sign with Capitol Records. Cole recorded over 150 charting singles on the Pop, R&B and Country charts, a staggering record that remains unbroken by any other artist ever signed to the label, which led to Capitol becoming known as "The House That Nat Built." At the time of his death in 1965, it was reported that Capitol Records had sold over nine million Nat King Cole records. Cole's catalog continues to sell in excess of one million albums per year around the world. Around the globe, The World Of Nat King Cole CD will be presented in several region-specific versions, with some variations in the tracklists for the U.K., France, Italy, Japan, and Southeast Asia to feature Cole's most enduring hits in different countries around the world. Cole's global success was bolstered by his open embrace of the world's cultures and languages, and many of the songs he recorded with lyrics in different languages became major international hits, including his single "L-O-V-E," sung in Spanish, Italian, French, German, and Japanese. For more information regarding The World Of Nat King Cole, including advance music, EPK, interview ops, archival photos, and documentary trailer, please contact: Jennifer Ballantyne Patti Mitsui / Cori Chill EMI Music Catalog Marketing Public Relations Partners (PRP) 323-871-5494 818-766-0443 / 805-480-0139 jennifer.ballantyne@emicap.comprpgroup@aol.com / cori@prp-stp.com For more information regarding the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, please contact: Maura Corcoran VH1 Save The Music Foundation 212-846-7325 maura.corcoran@vh1staff.com Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041208/NYW155 AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: VH1 CONTACT: Jennifer Ballantyne of EMI Music Catalog Marketing, +1-323-871-5494, jennifer.ballantyne@emicap.com; or Patti Mitsui, +1-818-766-0443, prpgroup@aol.com, or Cori Chill, +1-805-480-0139, cori@prp-stp.com, both Public Relations Partners (PRP); or Maura Corcoran of VH1 Save The Music Foundation, +1-212-846-7325, maura.corcoran@vh1staff.com Web site: http://www.vh1.com/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment